Movie Review: Avatar

It’s a story we’ve read or seen in movies before – Pocahontas, Dances with Wolves, Fern Gully. Yet, even though we already know the story, the creation of a fascinating world with unique people and creatures paired with stunning computer graphics in Avatar convinced audiences that they were watching a completely original movie.

The whole story line was given away in the movie trailer – a man (typically Caucasian) starts off as the enemy of some kind of native people, befriends the natives, falls in love with a female native and betrays the people he was initially working for. It’s like Romeo and Juliet. We know it’s a tragedy and both lovers die at the end of play, but we still watch or read the story anyway.

In Avatar, Jake Sully, played by Sam Worthington, is a paralyzed Marine who is recruited for a special mission on the planet, Pandora. The mission is to obtain some mineral that has a high value back on Earth, though it is never explained why the rock is so valuable.

The only problem is the natives called Navi live on top of the largest deposit of the desired mineral. Scientists and military personnel teamed up to use Navi avatars of themselves to befriend the natives and convince them to relocate; otherwise, the military personnel will forcefully get the Navi to leave their home. Sully befriends and falls in love with Neytiri, who teaches him all the ways of the Navi. However, Sully finds himself torn between the military and the scientists, Earth and Pandora, humans and the Navi.

There should have been more explanation as to why this rock was worth so much money and why humans would go through such lengths to obtain it. By withholding this vital information, the audience is already skewed to dislike the businessman who is running the operation and the military personnel who eagerly follow him. Perhaps, if it was said that the rock would provide some kind of alternative energy that would save the planet or could cure cancer, then the audience would understand why the humans were so desperate to get it.

Pandora and the Navi with outstanding computer graphics made the film worthwhile. Even though we already knew the story and the outcome, we did not have any knowledge about Pandora and its natives until we sat down in the movie theater. Seeing how the Navi hunted on with giant bows while riding banshees and horse-like animals made them look like strong and fearless warriors. The way they prayed and respected every living thing showed a softer, more spiritual side. They even had their own language and religion; it was as if they truly existed. It was a fantasy world very well portrayed.

The movie was rife with political and environmental messages that parallel America’s own concerns with the War on Terror and climate change. There were many implications that wars in Afghanistan and Iraq are evil and forests need saving mixed in with positive messages of love and faith.

The acting was good on the most part. Neytiri, played by Zoe Saldana, was a perfect casting. Saldana spoke with the command of a chieftain’s daughter and displayed a wide range of emotions all while speaking in a tribal accent. Even though Saldana was just Neytiri’s voice, she completely embodied the character.

Worthington, on the other hand, did not fully develop his character as Sully. He remained stoic and only spoke with feeling at the end of the movie. Even though he’s supposed to be a Marine, Worthington could have at least given his character more personality and more feeling in his voice. Director James Cameron and Worthington could have done more to develop Sully’s character either by putting in more backstory or showing more tension building as Sully chooses to aide the Navi rather than the humans. Sigourney Weaver excelled as the supporting role of Dr. Grace Augustine, the scientist in charge of the avatars, who acts tough in the laboratory, but turns into an endearing mother figure toward the Navi and Sully.

Avatar is worth watching for the breathtaking computer graphics and Saldana and Weaver’s acting. Even if the story isn’t new, seeing the enchanting world of Pandora and the Navi people in 3-D, makes up for it.