Avatar Review

Film director James Cameron is considered to be one of the most talented directors of all time. From the first two “Terminator” films to “Aliens” and “Titanic,” every film Cameron has directed has achieved universal acclaim. Cameron’s newest film “Avatar” is a sci-fi epic that boasts “revolutionary” special effects, and has generated much hype since the beginning of 2009.

The film’s plot is set in the year 2154, and Earth has almost completely run out of all natural resources. Some humans have settled on a new world known as Pandora. This world is populated by a variety of creatures, including an indigenous population of humanoids called the Na’Vi. As a way of gaining the trust of the natives, human scientists start the Avatar program, placing humans into inactive Na’Vi bodies. The film’s main character, Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) joins the Avatar program, and during a mission is captured by the natives. Instead of killing him, they allow him to live among them and learn their ways. Over the next three months Jake learns about the Na’Vi culture and relays the information to his superiors to help them in their plan to move the aliens off of their land and collect the resources for Earth.

Perhaps the only flaw in the film’s story is its lack of originality. The plot is very reminiscent of films like “Dances With Wolves,” “Pocahontas,” “Ferngully,” and “Atlantis: The Lost Empire.” Despite this flaw, the story still manages to be interesting thanks to great acting, especially from the actors playing the Na’Vi, since they are supposed to be ten feet tall with tails. Character development, sound effects that make the audience feel like the film’s fictional world is literally all around them, and visual effects also succeed in making the world of Pandora come alive; making everything very believable.

Cameron’s record for making excellent films still stands thanks to this visually stunning fantasy story filled with action and drama. “Avatar” easily succeeds as one of the stand-out films of 2009.