Avatar

	Publisher: 20th Century Fox	Running Time: 2 Hours 41 Minutes
	Release Date: December 18, 2009	Format: Theatrical

The first time I heard about Avatar, I thought that they were making a movie on the Nick cartoon. Then I saw the initial trailer of James Cameron's work and that proved to not be the case (subsequently I found out that a movie for the cartoon is indeed in the work, under the title Avatar: The Last Airbender). The previews looked promising. You usually can spot a stinker just from watching their previews, but can't always filter out all of the bad movies from good previews. Sometimes the best parts get shown or the movie just doesn't flow properly.

Ultimately, like any production, it comes down to storyline and acting. The story takes place in roughly 2150 where humans begin colonizing space and harvesting other planet's resources for our own use. The main character, Jake Sully (Sam Worthington), is sent to Pandora to replace his deceased brother. Since they have the same DNA, Jake is capable of fitting his brother's shoes in the Avatar program, which allows humans to control an outside body with their mind while asleep. They use a human Navi (the natives) hybrid body to attempt to negotiate a resettlement.

The story has many similarities with that of early American civilization. Early on the humans were welcomed by the Navi and even set up a school to teach them our language. Attempts at bridging culture were not on the agenda of the corporation funding the mission, though. All that the humans wanted was the raw materials. Their relationship with the Navi was just a tool that they used to achieve that while minimizing civilian casualties. Of course the Navi caught on quite quickly and force was used, essentially ending any communication between the two.

James Cameron had been working on Avatar for over a decade. With the advance of technology, this movie became possible. It uses cutting edge computer generated actors (at least for the Navi) and 3D rendering. Having brought us the Titanic, Cameron is not a stranger to using technology to enhance the storytelling experience. Thankfully, it does not feel like anything was sacrificed in favor of pushing the graphical capabilities. The only negative I can say about the story is that it was a bit long and drawn out. Other than that, the characters interact well and Sully develops into a decent, caring person.

Will Avatar be remembered as one of the greatest movies of all time? Certainly not. It is above average storytelling with a modest cast (although seeing Sigourney Weaver in sci-fi movie not named Aliens is great) and a huge budget mostly for the special effects. It is almost certain to win an Academy Award for its technological display. Still, I couldn't help feel that Cameron could have told the story in 30 minutes less time. Each scene just seems to be drawn out and frankly had me bored at certain points. That said, the film more than makes up for it when the action sequences are underway. This is a positive way to end 2009.

Final:	8
Written by Kyle Bell	Review Guide

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