Avatar

Released: 2009
MPAA rating: PG-13
Run time: 2:42

Before I write yet another glowing view of this amazing motion picture experience, I will set aside some space to go into the problems I had with the movie.  First and foremost, the political overtones were very heavy-handed and not at all subtle.  Some examples:  When preparing an attack against the natives, the Colonel (Stephen Lang) says "We must fight terror with terror", followed shortly after by another character saying "They're going for some kind of shock and awe thing."  Earlier in the film, a character says "This is why we're here; because this little gray rock sells for twenty million a kilo." (Can you say "War for Oil" any one?)  Then, the final heavy-handed political dialogue:"See the world we come from: there's no green there. They've killed their mother, and they're going to do the same thing here."  Can I please see a major film without having environmentalism shoved down my throat?   One other minor complaint is occasional hack dialogue led off by "You're not in Kansas anymore!"  Now, leading off a review like that, you may think I was not a fan of this film.  The truth is actually quite the opposite.  I will caution that you absolutely do need to see this in a theatre and in 3-D.  It was shot that way and is absolutely meant to be seen that way.  Seeing it in 2-D or at home when it comes out on DVD will take away the majority of the magic and wonder that is "Avatar".   The 3-D imagery and the richly imagined world of Pandora just will not translate.  This is a film that was always intended to be seen in 3-D, so it really must be experienced that way.  The story itself is basically an allegory of the discovery of America and the native American plight, with a healthy dose of the Pocahontas legend thrown in.  Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) is a Marine who has lost the use of his legs and is given the opportunity to go to the planet Pandora, where he can operate an "Avatar", a creature made of the DNA from a human and the native Na'Vi.  He is essentially there to help the scientific team to gather data and find diplomatic ways to get access to a precious resource available on the planet.  When the Colonel meets him, he also sees this a chance to have Jake use his avatar to gather intelligence, a mission he gladly accepts.  Of course, in stories of this type, it is never that simple.  The Na'Vi are a peaceful people and Jake begins to feel he is one of them, while also falling in love with Neytiri (Zoe Saldana), his Na'Vi guide.  A large portion of the film is spent developing that relationship while also exploring Pandora through Jake's adventures.  This is where the movie is simply amazing and breathtaking.  This is not gimmicky 3-D, where they look for reasons to have things come out of the screen.  It just gives you an incredible depth of field to completely bring Pandora and its people to life.  In 3-D, there is nothing cartoony or fake-looking about the visuals.  You will believe you are there.  Despite my reservations with the plot, this is a movie you must experience.  James Cameron is a genius with this type of imagery and may be the best visual film-maker of all time.   I'll say it one more time:  Do NOT pass up the chance to see this on the big screen and in all of its 3-D glory!

Grade: A

Trailer: