Movie Review - Avatar 3D (2009)

Starring Sam Worthington, Zoë Saldana, Giovanni Ribisi, and Sigourney Weaver
Directed by James Cameron

James Cameron's Avatar takes us to the planet Pandora where ten foot-tall blue human-like creatures roam, gaining strength (via some anemone-like phalanges at the ends of their ponytailed hair) from elements of their environment like trees and animals. The Marines, however, have been commissioned to assist some corporate bigwigs in mining for some special expensive, coal-like element on Pandora. In order to both better learn about and infiltrate the Na'vi people of Pandora, scientists have crafted avatars -- they take a human and create a Na'vi-like creature that the human can control from hundreds of miles away via some sophisticated machinery.

Jake Sully (Worthington) is a paraplegic marine whose twin brother was heavily involved in the avatar program. However, at the beginning of the film, the brother has died and since Jake's DNA is similar to his brother's, Jake is pulled into the program to take his brother's place. At odds with the program's scientific director, Grace (Weaver), Jake takes control of his avatar much too quickly and almost immediately infiltrates the Na'vi people, taking a liking to their leader's daughter, Neytiri (Saldana). Jake soon finds himself conflicted between his strong Marine training and the passive nature of the Na'vi.

The story is ridiculously drawn out over an unnecessary 165 minutes. Somehow, though, even with an incredibly boring middle 40 minutes, I didn't find myself wondering when this thing was going to be over. And the reason for that is the visuals and the visuals alone.

This is, without a doubt, the best looking 3D film I've seen in theaters. Cameron has crafted a rich, sumptuous land in Pandora, one that is unlike any I've seen on film. We're completely taken into this new land filled with dinosaur-like creatures and phototropic plants. While on Pandora, we venture into a land completely created by CGI and witness characters brought to life via motion-capture technology. Just recently, I reviewed Disney's A Christmas Carol and I said I wasn't completely sold on the motion-capture technique. Well, I'll eat my words because Avatar has taken this new technology and stepped up the game by leaps and bounds. Sure, it still feels like I'm watching a cartoon, but it's the most realistic-looking cartoon I've ever seen.

Often with 3D, there's a slight blur to any type of quick motion, but Avatar looked amazingly crystal clear. Whether on Pandora or on the human's spaceships, everything looked stunningly "perfect." It really was a beauty to behold.

While the story lacked, it certainly wasn't the fault of the actors, all of whom really brought their A-game. Sam Worthington who starred in this summer's Terminator: Salvation proves an strong leading man who, whether in his human or avatar form, is quite an onscreen presence. Sigourney Weaver is unfortunately saddled with the worst lines of the script, forced to often spout the "science" behind the goings-on, but she still manages to rise above the silly dialogue (and she's really quite attractive for being sixty). I loved Giovanni Ribisi's bit role as the corporate shill for the company going after the lucrative mineral deposits on Pandora. Taking on what is esentially the nasty Paul Reiser part in James Cameron's Aliens, Ribisi is a joy to watch...I just wish he had a bigger role.

Surprisingly, my favorite role belongs to Zoë Saldana who was completely computer-animated the entire time. As Jake Sully's love interest, the geniuses at the special effects departments captured every little nuance of Saldana's body language (they captured this in everyone...it really was a treat to watch the little facial and body tics like a tensing of the neck or a slight raise of an eyebrow...it certainly didn't go unnoticed by me). Saldana's really is an exquisite, unique, and gripping portrayal -- both animal and human in one.

So, is this the best movie of the year? Nah. But James Cameron really has created something special, one-of-a-kind, and innovative. Going into this, I had big doubts, but having seen it, I'm able to look past the simply average, mundane script and see the bigger picture. Avatar is quite possibly a revolution in animation and digital cinema and something that really shouldn't be missed on the big screen.

The RyMickey Rating: B+