AVATAR-review

Director: James Cameron
Producer: Jon Landau, James Cameron
Cast: Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, Stephen Lang,  Michelle Rodriguez.

• Year: 2009

Named as the highest-grossing film of all time Avatar is a visually stunning masterpiece- an extraordinary technological achievement. The film was supposed to take place after Cameron'e worldwide successful film Titanic in 1997, but according to him the technology at that time wouldn't be able to achieve his vision.

The film is more impressive on a technical level rather than as a piece of storytelling.The story could be described as 'a futuristic Pocahontas'  where a soldier falls in love with one of the Na'vis, the 3-foot tall, blue, humanoids who live in harmony with the planet's nature. "There is so much that is remarkable about Avatar that its failings - clunky writing, clumsy love story - are easily brushed away."  The planet is called Pandorra, and since  the year is 2154, humans now have the opportunity to visit other planets. Pandora's enviroment is an astonishing feast for the eyes and ears, with amazing imagery such as the floating mountains, the waterfalls that pour out of nothingness or the massive woods rich in colourfull, sparkly vegetation.
"Avatar also creates a jungle-planet environment in astonishingly dense detail: every leaf, every droplet of water, every scale and hair on every bizarre creature is manufactured to order. The film is like an anti-Darwinist's wet dream of intelligent design, with Cameron as God with a Bible full of algorithms."

The planet's creatures are bizzare, obviously inspired by our own planet's ones but with an alien touch. It was interesting how most of them had six limbs instead of four. In addition, it is noticeable how most of Pandora's animals are fur-less as it's more difficult to animate.

The Na'vi had a deep connection with all the creatures on  Pandora ans showed respect for them. The could also control some of them using their own hair to link with them but without any harm of course but realising how they were part of  a giant mass of connected energy and emotional synapses."But, as much as technology aids and defines Avatar, it’s also a love letter to humanity and the glory of mother nature."

The message Avatar was trying to give through was the importance of human's connection with nature. Pandora was exactly showing this: a planet where all its creatures were not aiming to destroy one another but rather live in harmony with it and keeping a pacific balance.




http://www.empireonline.com/reviews/reviewcomplete.asp?FID=133552


http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/reviews/avatar-james-cameron-163-mins-pg-1845569.html