Director: James Cameron
Writer: James Cameron
Starring: Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana and Sigourney Weaver
Avatar made its place in history as being one of the highest grossing films of all-time. As of the date of this article, it is THE highest grossing film of all-time. It was the first movie to gross over $2 billion, the top selling Blu-ray ever made, and is considered to be a major breakthrough in cinematic technology. Where do you even begin with a movie that is so iconic, so original, and such a major success?
James Cameron literally created his own world. Within that world, he developed a new race, culture, and language. The outcome is something of a new-age "Star Wars." The special effects in the movie are outstanding and some of the best ever made. James Cameron even went as far as to invent new technologies in his pursuit of perfection, some of which will have a lasting impact on the way effects are done in future movies.
If all of this was not enough to immerse viewers into the intricate world of Pandora, the 3D version of the movie literally sits them inside of it. James Cameron used the 3D effect to its full power and provided one of the best displays of its use. It is difficult to describe the impact that the 3D has on the movie, but it is something that definitely must be seen.
Hidden behind all of the flashy visuals, the movie contains a deeper meaning - one that encourages environmental activism. It is probably the most ambitious piece of "green" advocacy ever seen on film, as it touches on all of the major environmental issues that occur in the world today. Other themes thought to have been implied are those of civilization, race, and anti-war.
With so many strong points, it is difficult to find any criticism for the movie. Perhaps the only known weak spot lies in the story's plot. Many have cited the film as being overly predictable and a blatant rip-off of other movies such as "Pocahontas" and "Dances with Wolves."
James Cameron spent 4 years making Avatar and only about a month on the script. Unfortunately, I would have to agree that the lopsided time difference and amount of effort between the two areas shows. The story seemed overly familiar, and from early on, it was easy to tell how the movie would end. I would also argue that character development was somewhat weak and typical in certain areas (particularly the characters Parker Selfridge and Grace Augustine).
All negativity aside, there are far more good points to make than bad points. Avatar is a visually stunning masterpiece that is revolutionary to the film industry and technology. Without question, it is one of the best movies of 2009 and the countless record-breaking successes have put its name among the greatest movies of all-time.
