Avatar

Overview

What on Earth has Jim Cameron been doing for the past 12 years? Well, not much - technically - for he has gone virtual, turning that closely guarded world of gaming geeks into pure cinematic spectacle. And that is exactly what Avatar is: absolute spectacle â€" a big, bright and sweeping epic that demands to be seen on the silver screen, behind 3D glasses.

The story itself is pretty basic, essentially Pocahontas meets Fern Gully, and considering Sigourney Weaver's presence, it has a few lashings of Aliens (by way of Gorillas in the Mist) as well. Of course none of these references make for a particularly pretty post-colonial reading of the film. Your world is on the brink of utter destruction? Ok, but be sure to waste precious time trying to save the white woman. Not to mention the classic white warrior "going native" and rescuing the noble savages from themselves.

Then again, Avatar probably wasn't meant to stand up to such discourse, rather it exists in the world of fairytale; one not so far removed from its gaming brethren or Cameron's Terminator and Aliens shoot-em-ups. And then comes the heart, where, mercifully, Cameron dials back on the stultifying declarations rampant in Titanic, instead presenting the burgeoning love of Jake (Sam Worthington) and Neytiri (Zoe Saldana) as one born of the respect of warriors. And in keeping with the fairytale tropes, every character slots into their allotted caricature very well. Weaver is the impassioned scientist, Giovanni Ribisi the corporate stakeholder protecting his bottom line and, most amusingly, Stephen Lang is Colonel Quaritch the mercenary muscle as well as the source of much comic relief (be it intentional or not).

So though you won’t get anything new narratively, Avatar is a visual feast, bountifully colourful with enough glowing UV colours to make a raver jealous. It’s clear Cameron and those talented Kiwis at WETA have absolutely gone to town creating Pandora, as well as the painstaking performance capture required to bring life to the inhabitants themselves. It’s just a shame that some of the brilliant action is sullied by exposition that caters to the lowest common denominator; in 12 years it seems Cameron still hasn’t grasped subtlety, though perhaps it’s better that way.
https://youtube.com/watch?v=dyDQoXEBkGw