Posted by Kristen D on January 13, 2010
When I hear ‘blockbuster’, I usually run the other way. The terms SCI-FI and CGI bring on nausea, and 3D makes me shiver. I never saw Titanic as I have a weak stomach and just couldn’t stand the hype.
So when I was told I had a ticket to see Avatar in 3D at the IMAX, I dragged my heels all the way to the cinema. We all know it cost $250 million and is the most talked about film of the year, but what would Avatar do for me, a non-believer?
As it turned out, I had to eat my words.
Avatar is a feast for the senses. It’s utterly breathtaking and really makes Earth dwelling a bit depressing, when you are invited into such a spectacular and intricate new world full of startling creatures and unfathomable plant life. Welcome to the planet Pandora.
We start off by meeting Jake, a former marine who was paralysed during a military mission, played by our lovely Sam Worthington. After the death of his twin, Jake is persuaded to become part of the Avatar project, in which humans take on the form of indigenous four metre Na’vi, who inhabit the beautifully unspoilt Pandora. Humans don’t understand their ways and need to get a precious mineral from the planet to keep our poor old raped Earth alive. They figure that by infiltrating the Na’vi, they can gain a greater understanding of their culture and how to ultimately defeat them and take what is theirs. This part of the movie is all pretty quick, thankfully, and then we get into the good stuff.
It’s a concept we have seen before, but never have I felt so connected to an onscreen battle to preserve such beauty and innocence. It’s a bit simplistic, very much the goodies versus the baddies, but I forgave any plot holes.
Sam Worthington is far from perfect and a few lines are almost laughable, but I barely noticed. There are some Titanic moments too, that would ordinarily make me cringe, but I didn’t. Avatar flew through nearly three hours of mind blowing brilliance and it felt like twenty minutes.
Zoe Saldana plays Jake’s love interest, Neytiri, and her performance is stunning. Her anguish is so real it gives you goose bumps. Sigourney Weaver plays an older, sweeter version of Ripley, and Giovanni Ribisi is a classic corporate villain who you love to hate. It’s all very stirring and completely exhausting!
I left the cinema looking around at sad old drab Earth, wishing I could be in Pandora with all the amazing creatures and beautiful landscapes. It was a bit of a downer realising it was all created in a studio and I am never going there. It just felt so real!
I can’t say I am a SCI-FI convert, but I am definitely hanging out for the sequel.
avatar, sci fi