Despite being a frequent moviegoer, I have never walked out of a movie thinking, “This will change how films are made from now on.” That streak was broken after seeing James Cameron’s latest monster, Avatar. Cameron’s excellent use of CGI effects along with live action acting combined with the amazing 3D effects simply blew me away, exceeding every expectation that I had going into the film, which is something that Cameron has proven time and time again that he is fully capable of doing.
Set in the year 2154, a resource-depleted planet Earth sends representatives to Pandora, a small planet rich in a mineral that earth desperately needs. Certain humans are selected to control avatars of the native species, the Na’vi. These avatars are controlled neurotically while the human remains in a trance like state. This is an appealing characteristic for the main hero, Jake Sully (Sam Worthington), who is a paraplegic filling the role of his deceased, genetically identical twin for whom an avatar was specifically created. These avatars are then used study the native species up close and venture out into the Pandorian world, since the atmosphere is not breathable. Multiple references can be found within the storyline to movies such as Dances With Wolves and the Disney film Pocahontas (the Na’vi can be interestingly compared to the Native American Indians in more than one way), while Cameron is also inviting the audience to compare the film to contemporary politics: armed forces moving in on an area in order to forcibly obtain precious resources. However, while it is clear that Cameron doesn’t hide his opinions, he also doesn’t make these “morals” overpower the rest of the movie.
Avatar incorporated groundbreaking technology in the special effects department at a time when it seems as if things can’t get much better. Pandora is largely composed through CGI and the Na’vi were created through motion capturing techniques but both the planet and the species were created so convincingly that the audience begins to forget that they are fictitious. Cameron’s creation of Pandora was especially breathtaking with the exquisite landscape in which even the tiniest detail was not left forgotten and the bioluminescence of the entire planet made you believe that not only was Pandora real, but that it was a life entity functioning entirely on its own. All in all, considering the CGI regurgitation that has been produced as of late, it is extremely refreshing to have computer-generated images that convincingly lead us to believe that they are reality.
Cameron’s last theatrical monster, Titanic, broke the 3-hour mark in regards to length, but it did so in a way that didn’t make it seem like it was too long. Such is the case with Avatar. Running at 162 minutes, it certainly doesn’t feel too long, mainly due to the fact that there is so much for the audience to take in, even after the amazing special effects. There are the standard human storylines, of course, but because the Na’vi are created in such a convincing way, their individual stories become important as well. Add in the planet that is its own life force and a war in which the human supporters of the Na’vi help by joining the resistance and the end result is an audience that is asking for more after the credits begin to roll. Adding to all this is a phenomenal cast including the lovely Zoë Saldana as the Na’vi princess Neytiri, Sigourney Weaver, Michelle Rodriguez, Stephan Lang, and Joel David Moore.
What people will be talking about long after these storylines fade from memory, however, is the groundbreaking usage of 3-D film technology. So often, 3-D movies were thought of as a gimmick and were used, more often than not, as attractions at a theme park. Cameron’s handling of 3-D changes this whole mindset. Simply put, the usage of 3-D in Avatar is to enhance the overall product and not once is it used simply because it is there. It was nice to have a 3-D movie in which the fourth wall wasn’t intentionally violated over and over and over again. The 3-D technology was carefully implemented in this film and because of this it worked to perfection. And if this is the way that 3-D movies will be handled in the future, many exciting things are in store for moviegoers.
