'Avatar' Movie Review

Fresh in his avatar body, Jake is handed the task of infiltrating a Na'vi tribe and gaining their trust so human contractors can successfully mine for a precious mineral on their sacred land. However, matters are complicated when Jake begins falling in love with feisty Na'vi Neytiri (Zoe Saldana) and her people's way of life...

When writing about Avatar, it seems only common courtesy to mention the special effects that went into making the film, which are, according to some, so revolutionary that they tout them to be the future of cinema. On the other hand, there are critics who think the film offers nothing new and that the CGI on show isn't up to scratch (you can read my opinion of this, and what the effects were that went into making the movie, on my previous blog here).

Well, it turns out that, depending on what scene you're watching, both sides are right.

There are times when the effects are breath-takingly real - the moment when avatar-Jake is saved by Neytiri from a pack of jackal-like Pandoran creatures, you might find it hard to believe that everything on screen was created entirely by computer. Similarly, the landscape shots of the heavily forested Pandora and its floating mountains are, astoundingly, 100% digital creations.

Unfortunately, the effects aren't always perfect - the supporting Na'vi characters appear underdeveloped, and the animals that inhabit the planet, the winged Banshees in particular, are often unconvincing. With the film consisting of roughly 60%-worth of CGI, it feels like director James Cameron has maybe bitten off more than he can chew, with certain shots having that hollow feeling that comes with computer-generated FX.

A further problem with the over-reliance on CGI is the fact that the film's look will, inevitably, age. As special effects improve (and they will), Avatar's FX will undoubtedly become less convincing over time in comparison, and the film may be hard to watch twenty, perhaps even ten, years down the line (remember how good the dinosaurs on Jurassic Park looked 16 years ago and compare that to how unspectacular they are now).

Right now, though, the majority of Avatar's CGI is the best that the silver screen has to offer, so there's little chance you'll have much trouble with the odd iffy special effect.

If you do, you should be won over by the way the film fully immerses you in the world of Pandora. A lot of time and effort has gone into the development of this alien world and its design is near-flawless. The planet is an intricately developed creation - the Na'vi, for example, don't just have their own unique traits and customs, but their own language as well, developed especially for the film.

Still, as hard as it is to believe, the visuals aren't the only thing of note regarding Avatar.

Very little has been said about the performances - Cameron has selected a cast of actors that bring out the best in their characters, including Joel Moore as uptight scientist Norm Spellman, Giovanni Ribisi as slimy businessman Parker Selfridge and Stephen Lang, a powerful presence as the gung-ho, scene-stealing Colonel Quaritch.

Surprisingly though, the best acting here comes from the two relative newcomers. Worthington has the hardest role: as Jake, he has to believably change from a dumb grunt at the beginning of the film to a peace-loving Na'vi leader by the end, and he handles it very well. Zoe Saldana is even better - she entirely convinces as someone from a whole other world, and how she manages to remain so subtle and display such nuanced emotion despite only ever appearing as an entirely computer-generated creation I'll never know.

There's also the story - many have criticised the film for being a Dances With Wolves rip-off (with one particular recent episode of South Park even cruelly, but hilariously, labelling the film Dances With Smurfs) but they're failing to see the many other positive things going on plot-wise. The idea of living via an 'avatar' is an intriguing concept, while the use of ruthless armed forces and globalisation as the movie's primary threats is a timely reflection of our current climate.

Of course, as Avatar is a James Cameron film, there's some impressive action on display too. It's strange that, this being a film from the man who made Aliens and Terminator 2, much of the film is focused on Jake's integration into Na'vi society rather than set-piece spectacle. Still, the moments of action are memorably outstanding - thrilling, fat-free and well worth waiting for.

It's hard to pick fault with Avatar other than the occasionally dodgy special effects. The film could possibly have done with some editing to tighten it up slightly and the final battle, although stunning, descends into a type of video game 'boss-fight' by the end but, those minor criticisms aside, there really isn't much reason to criticise Avatar. Cameron's movie is exhilarating, engaging and, most importantly of all, an immersive cinema experience - when those lights come on as the credits roll, you might be shocked to discover that you're no longer in Pandora.