Having gone to experience the sci-fi epic a second time yesterday (in Digital 2-D, no less!), I think I’m ready to deliver my verdict on Avatar. Like Up, WALL-E, Speed and pretty much any of my ‘top’ movies, it’s hard to summarise my opinion in a single review, and I may have a tendency to ramble, so if you want to skip ahead, just read from the seventh paragraph onwards.
My brother told me his friend once said: “Promises are like babies. They’re easy to make, but hard to deliver.” Aside from that amusing analogy, Mr. Cameron did make a promise in the lead-up to Avatar’s release; this will be a film that will transform not only the way blockbusters will be made in the future (due to its revolutionary technology), but also rewrite the film landscape forever. Very grandiose promises for what looks to be one of the biggest cinematic events of the decade, among many hyperbolic statements thrown about in the media. But does the movie live up to the hype?
The answer, as I’m sure most of you are aware by now, is a resounding yes. If not in critical terms (which it most certainly is, by a majority of the reviews), at least in commercial success (it has hit number one film of all-time in several countries, and is well on its way to beating Titanic). With its recent win at the Globes, and a bright future for the Oscars ahead, there’s little doubt that Avatar has made the desired impact, and has proved all the naysayers wrong.
To be honest, I was once a cynic. I didn’t know what on Earth it was until the release of the cryptic teaser. Naturally, like most of the movies I look forward to, I was forgiving. Maybe this movie will be entertaining. Maybe this movie will blow my mind, much like Cameron’s previous efforts like Terminator 2 and True Lies, which I both love. But I had my reservations. What if it was all hype and no substance, like Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen? Or what if it built up to the release only to collapse in subsequent weeks due to poor reviews, like Watchmen? I was afraid of being disappointed.
Then I saw the trailer before 2012 (another huge disappointment among many this year), and one of my friends sitting next to me told me “This looks awesome. Imagine the render times. I can’t wait to see this.” And then I thought: “You know what? Screw it, this looks amazing. I’m willing to believe that this will work, and I’m gonna judge it on its own merits, much like any film.”
I watched The Princess and the Frog, and Sherlock Holmes soon after, equally impressed by both of them. But for weeks after its December 17 release, I put off watching it, partly out of fear, and partly because I was away at the time and most of my friends and family already watched it. In the end, I decided to make a solo trip to watch it in 3-D, before its theatrical run ended (this was a fortnight ago, on the 4th of January). The reviews were favourable, and I was pretty confident to have high expectations.
And to an extent, the film did meet those expectations. From the beautiful opening sequence to the hold-your-breath final frame, Avatar dazzles with its high-tech wizardry at bringing a bunch of inanimate pixels and computer models to life. Cameron’s world is unlike any you’ve ever seen. Well, okay, it does have its precedent, looking like Kong’s Island from Peter Jackson’s King Kong, unintentional or not. Having an entire world digitally-made with little to no background sets has been done before in Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow. But never have I been immersed this deep in a world this detailed and intricate since Lord of the Rings or Star Wars. It’s a testament to Cameron’s bold vision; every leaf, every drop of water, every pore on Neytiri’s nose reaches new levels of realism. To describe more would ruin the thrill of discovery for newcomers, so I’ll leave it at: It’s big, bold, and beautiful. Like a dream.
The characters are well fleshed-out, each has their own motivations and relationships with each other. Each has their own story arc, their own ‘backstory’, and their own ‘belief systems’ to the situation. This, along with the presence of strong female protagonists (this time in the form of Neytiri and Dr. Grace Augustine) are the trademarks of Cameron’s characters, and I appreciated that.
Again, it’s best to figure out the story yourself if you have no idea, or you could watch the much better full-length trailer for a hint of it. Yes, the plot is predictable, though it does have a few surprises under its sleeve. Many have compared it to Pocahontas, Dances with Wolves and The Last Samurai. I would even mention it shares the same ‘virtual-reality-body’ concept as two earlier films this year: Gamer and Surrogates. But so what? Many of the best films have had inspirations from others. WALL-E owes its silent robot concept to Silent Running. Up probably was inspired by a Miyazaki classic, Howl’s Moving Castle. Does that make them any less worthy than their forebearers? Of course not. They deserve to be judged on their own merits. As for the predictability aspect, the best stories are the simplest, most universal ones.
The Godfather = Man becomes leader of his clan.
Citizen Kane = Old dude dies. He lived a great if troubled life.
Casablanca = Guy loves girl. They break up.
Just because you can see the end coming from a mile away (I figured it out during a pivotal sequence involving a certain character), doesn’t undermine the journey it takes to get there. And that journey is one heck of a ride. There’s just so many breathtaking sequences, indelible images (I loved the long shot of [spoil]the Na’vi running along the bridge in the Floating Mountains[/spoil] in particular) and engaging dialogue, that it would be much easier to experience it than to hear it being described.
It’s no mystery either that [spoil]the two leads will fall in love, and their developing relationship was well done, and does not feel contrived.[/spoil] The [spoil]‘teaching montage’[/spoil] in particular is one of my favourite sequences. [spoil]The kiss is on the level of WALL-E’s, it’s that touching and heartfelt.[/spoil] And the climatic battle delivers one of the biggest payoffs of any film this year. I choked with tears (the oh-my-god-this-is-so-awesome kinda tears) on my second viewing.
To be fair, I didn’t like the way [spoil]Jake regained the Na’vis’ trust after being exiled in the third act. His taming of Toruk was too convenient, and was used as a mere device to propel him into the leadership role required for the final battle. Also, the big battle was all too easily resolved by a Deus-Ex Machina, and while spectacular, felt a bit like a cheat to me.[/spoil]
But aside from that, this is a perfect example of how a blockbuster for the masses should be done: Jaw-dropping state-of-the-art technology that enhances the plot, not replacing it, well-developed characters you actually care about, and above all, a story. A well-worn one, yes, but one that is almost mythic in scale and scope. This is why we go to the movies. Larger-than-life storytelling that brings us together in a shared experience.
Along with The Princess and the Frog, Avatar has given me one of the best gifts for the holiday season: It made me feel like a kid again. So to Mr. Cameron and his talented team, thank you for ‘delivering’ the best film of the year and among my faves of all-time, and good luck for the Oscars.
I loved the whole world of Pandora and the Na’vi. The CGI was amazing, and the script was great and the humor was great - “Come Get Some” - Jake Sully. They also left it open for a sequel!