Quad Blogs

Random Musings from the Entertainment Desk

“Avatar” unlike anything you’ve ever seen but you’ve heard it once or twice before

After the mega-success of 1997’s “Titanic,” James Cameron dubbed himself “the king of the world” and honestly after $7 gazillion in worldwide box office and hundreds awards— who was going to argue with him?

            For the next decade or so, Cameron contented himself with directing documentaries and the occasional fictional aquatic blockbuster on TV’s “Entourage.” Things were good but this calm before the directorial storm couldn’t last forever. 

            And so now, as his latest, the reportedly-budgeted $300 million “Avatar,” storms towards his own box office records, one can only wonder— what should we call Cameron if he surpasses his own king’s ransom? I propose: Universal Overlord James Cameron. All hail and fear his cinematic money-making power.

            “Avatar” is set in the very distant future and plays like a jumbled up version of “Return of the Jedi,” “Aliens” and “The Matrix” with some “Pocahontas” tossed in for good measure. Humanity has set its sights on the lush tropical planet of Pandora, which is home to an extremely valuable mineral conveniently called “unobtanium.” It is also home to a host of dazzling creatures, including huge hammerhead/ rhino things, majestic flying lizards and the Na’vi, a strange humanoid yet cat-like race that is very in tune with the natural world. Very.

            Of course, not all humans greedily want to strip mine Pandora and leave. Some want to live with the Na’vi and study their ways. It’s this conflict that paralyzed Marine Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) finds himself thrust into the center of. Sully travels to Pandora to operate the avatar, a genetically engineered hybrid of human DNA and Na’vi, of his recently deceased twin brother. Think “Matrix” but with tall blue aliens on the other end of the connection instead of leather and cool shades. Eventually Sully gets caught up in the world of his avatar, learning the ways of the Na’vi from the chief’s daughter (Zoe Saldana) and begins to lose his grasp on which body is really his.       

            “Avatar” is a visual wonder, a sight to behold created using photo-realistic CGI technology that Cameron created specifically for the film. The 3-D effects are absolutely seamless. I’m not normally huge on this gimmick, not for any purist or artistic argument, but simply because it gives me a headache. Usually around the 30 minute mark, I’ll just pop off the glasses for a bit and imagine that is what movies must look like to Mr. Magoo.

            Not the case with “Avatar.” I actually forgot that I was wearing the bulky plastic glasses and even once flinched at the sight of a burning ember that I thought was going to land on me.

            From a strictly visual sense, “Avatar” is a movie that you can’t miss. This is the “Toy Story” of its time. The technology pioneered here will forever change the way movies are made. It’s also a theater operator’s dream. Not just because it is making money hand over fist thanks to those jacked-up 3-D prices, but because no TV, no matter how expensive, no matter how plasma-y it is can truly recreate the experience of seeing “Avatar” unfold on the big screen.

            James Cameron, Universal Overlord, Maker of Moolah, the Savior of Theater Chains Everywhere.

            As much fun as “Avatar” is to look at, it does suffer a bit in the story department. It’s a rather straightforward story of greed and exploitation of the natural world. Big corporations are bad. Humans? Well… we kinda ruin everything. Intentionally or not, we suck. The major beats of the story have all been hit before and repeatedly.

            Question: Are you directing a big budget sci-fi action film? Need a broodingly handsome leading man? Scared of Christian Bale? Hire Sam Worthington, who is rapidly ascending the ranks of Hollywood leading men. He is the human center of “Avatar” and continues the personal hot streak he started with this past summer’s underrated “Terminator: Salvation.”

            The rest of the cast is just as strong, with my personal favorite being the typically underrated Stephen Lang as the tough-as-nails Col. Quaritch, who is about as intimidating and psychotic as they come while manipulating the situation on Pandora to suit his own wants.

            Also in the greed and manipulation corner is Gianvani Ribisi, who essentially reprises Paul Reiser’s “Aliens” role of corporate stooge.

            On the other end of the spectrum are the tree hugging scientist portrayed by the always great Sigourney Weaver and the Na’vi princess Neytiri played excellently by Zoe Saldana. Weaver’s exchanges with Ribisi are a kick, especially if you loved “Aliens.”

            “Avatar” is an eye-candy heavy fairy tale of sorts. Not only does it transport you to a far off world that seems as real as the sticky floor of the theater you’re sitting in, but it takes you back to a time when those 3-D images on the screen seemed real and there was still a sort of magical quality to the gimmick. When you thought you could reach out and grab that snowflake and accidentally wacked the guy in front of you in the head. Forget the hullabaloo surrounding the film and just go see “Avatar” expecting to be ferried off to the realest-looking fake place you’ve ever seen.

Verdict: B+