AVATAR REVIEW

AVATAR
Director: James Cameron
Cast: Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, Sigourney Weaver
Screenplay: James Cameron
Running Time: 162 min
Rating: M
*** 1/2/*****

BANG FOR YOUR BUCK!

Deja-vu anyone? Overblown budget, cutting edge special effects, rumors that Cameron had lost the plot, rumors that this was to be an Ishtar for the ages. Yes, history seemed to be repeating itself during the shoot for James Cameron's latest eye popping thrill ride Avatar. But instead of sinking like the ship in Cameron's now comically iconic predecessor, Avatar comes up trumps.

Sam Worthington stars as Jake Sulley, a paraplegic marine who is promised the use of his legs back in exchange for infiltrating the community of the native people of planet Pandora and gathering information to necessitate their downfall. As he grows to love his new way of life Sulley becomes conflicted between following orders and protecting his new people.

I didn't expect to like this film. In fact i expected to hate it considering Avatar combines two of my least favorite genres- science fiction and animation-coupled with a mammoth running time. But James Cameron has managed to create such a visually magnificent feast for the eyes that you would be hard pressed not to become engaged by what is playing out before you.

Cameron takes the art of motion capture CGI to new heights of excellence, producing quality of colour and dimension the likes of which has yet to be seen. The planet of Pandora is an exotic paradise, so lush with native flora and fauna that you long to jump through the screen and touch it. The animated characters are more emotive and realistic than ever before thanks to this new technology which allows every nuance of the actor's facial expressions to be captured and transferred onto the screen.

Sam Worthington does well in the lead. Whilst his performance is nothing exceptional, he makes a solid effort at holding the film together. The fact that you are always routing for Sulley despite his conflicted loyalties is a testament to Worthington's likability. However the real show stealer is Zoe Saldana, quite a feat considering her character is entirely animated. As Neytiri, Jake's Na'vi love interest Saldana's emotions are so incredibly powerful that they blast straight through the screen, enabling the audience to relate to the film on a much more basic human level. Another notable mention has to go to Sigourney Weaver, re-teaming with the man who brought her initial super stardom twenty-three years ago, she plays Dr Grace Augustine, a scientist with an innate love for the native people of Pandora. Her performance reminds us why she is one of the best actresses around for bringing strong, independent female characters to life on the big screen. Rounding out the cast is Stephen Lang as the larger than life, ultimate film villain Colonel Miles Quaritch. Lang hams it up big time, but this serves the character well.

The majority of Avatar's appeal lays within the visual aspects of the film. Cameron's script is not great. The dialogue is rather bland and the story formulaic. The nearly three hour running time is mainly for visual showcasing rather than allowing the quite simple plot to unfold. The films underlying themes of corporate greed, science and religion and the adverse affect of man on nature are hammered home in a loud and obvious way. Yet Avatar still possesses more of an emotional pull than most big budgeted action epics manage to communicate.

This film may not be for everyone, but even Cameron's greatest cynics must give the man props for his vision. If you dislike the genre the running time might get to you, but even so you'd be hard pressed not to feel like you got plenty of bang for your buck. THREE AND A HALF STARS OUT OF FIVE