AVATAR - Some Thoughts

Sanskrit avatāraḥ descent, from avatarati he descends, from ava- away + tarati he crosses over.

 

AVATAR

 

So, does it live up to the hype? Is it a ‘must-see?”

Yes and yes …BUT.

 

Now and then, there are films you come away from and cannot let go – you lie in bed rolling the words, message and performances over and over. Mind you, there’s probably something wrong with me (as a bloke), my favourite film is THE ENGLISH PATIENT, a ‘chick-flick’ if ever there was one, but then that DVD sits next to the complete Clint Eastwood spaghetti western set, the LORD OF THE RINGS trilogy, DRACULA  and INTERVIEW WITH A VAMPIRE, but they’re next to LANTANA, TRAVELLING NORTH and BREAKER MORANT.

 

Then there’s the extended version of DUNE and that leads me straight back to AVATAR. The similarities in plot and location etc are striking, both feature other worlds under attack from alien humans, incapable of understanding the culture, lives and needs of the indigenous custodians (hmm, where have I heard this before?) – the Fremen (Arakis) and the Nav’i (Pandora). In both films, one of the invaders crosses over, (see the definition of avatar above), to become the pre-ordained leader of prophecy – Paul Atredies in DUNE and Jake Sully in AVATAR, both fall in love with the local beauty (and Chief’s daughter), both prove themselves riding the local fauna –, Atredies on a worm, Sully on a dragon, both worlds (Arakis and Pandora) are compellingly different to our own, although in the case of DUNE, the Arab connection was blatant, even down to the use of the word Jihad, (speaking of prophecy!).

 

However the characters in DUNE are believable – there are moments of raw, powerful emotion, unfortunately there are no similar moments in AVATAR. Oh yes, there are some lovely scenes of love and affection, but make no mistake, this is an action movie. Sigourney Weaver (one of those glorious women who become more and more desirable the older they get), plays the same character she played in ALIENS, only this time she sides with the native flora and fauna, Sam Worthington is obviously going to be the next Russell Crow (we did, by the way, get to see the promo clip for ROBIN HOOD, where Crow plays, yep you guessed it, Russell the Gladiator doing Robin the Hood), but I digress.

 

The 3D glasses ($1.00 per pair over the cost of the ticket) are excellent, forget the old white cardboard cheapies from the 60s and yes, they fit comfortably over your normal glasses. The movie starts, the world of Pandora gathers us in and the effect is nothing short of astounding. The blue-skinned Nav’i are fascinating, although for me, still very cartoon-like, however, without a doubt, this film is a work of art and inspired genius. It is entertainment taken to whole new level. It is truly a movie for everyone.

 

I know I seem to be contradicting myself, by one minute stating that AVATAR is simply an action movie, rather than a film of great depth and then stating that it is a work of art, perhaps the best comparison is to think of a Michael Jackson concert compared to a Leonard Cohen concert, you wouldn’t miss either, but you cannot compare them.

 

The scenery borders on a Disney fairy landscape, at times I wanted to laugh, it was so magical it bordered on corny – the scenery in LORD OF THE RINGS was far more believable, but hey, that was Middle Earth, not another planet as such. However the world of Pandora becomes more believable as the movie plays on and it does play on, for just over three hours with no interval, so make that comfort stop before you go in! I think it’s because you gradually begin to appreciate the thought that’s gone into each flower, tree, insect and animal, Cameron is a genius and so to are Weta Studios (Kiwi Peter Jackson’s production / creation lab).

 

Cameron’s timing is perfect, in terms of being on-message about climate and the need for respect and understanding of other cultures and people and yes, it IS the disasters of Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan rolled into one obvious message that ‘Shock, awe and fire power’ are a dismal failure. In that way, AVATAR could almost be regarded as subversive – a Ronald Regan, or that imbecile Bush Jnr and his lunatic ne-cons would probably have had Cameron arrested for treason, for that reason alone, the film’s worth every penny.

 

Great script? No. Great acting? No (not the actors fault, there’s not much to work with). One more action-packed Sci –fi flick? Yes. Will it be as good at home on DVD without the 3D effect? No, (remove your 3D glasses as you’re watching and you’ll understand what I mean). An astounding work of cinematography? Yes. A masterpiece? Yes. Don’t miss it.

 

http://www.avatarmovie.com