Avatar is a movie written and directed by James Cameron. The film was released in 2009 by 20th Century Fox Studios and is available to stream on Disney +. The movie stars Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana (Guardians of the Galaxy), Sigourney Weaver (Aliens, Political Animals), and Michelle Rodriguez.
A retired, disabled veteran named Jake Sully joins a mission to travel to Pandora, a different planet, to study the aliens there. While there, he is asked to spy on the Na'vi, the people on the planet, so the humans can try to take their resources. Jake meets Neytiri, an alien woman who first tries to kill him but then brings him to live with the people. Jake is able to integrate with the Na'vi and learns about their way of life, reporting back to the humans on how to attack them. As Jake spends more time with Neytiri, they develop a romantic bond. Soon he has to choose between his former life or his new one with Neytiri and the Na'vi.
I knew nothing going into this movie besides blue people and Zoe Saldana. After watching though, my first impressions of Avatar are: different, scary, pretty. Different because it’s nothing like our lives and other recent movies. It’s a new species and surroundings. Scary because I did not like the people and the animals. Pretty because of the forest. Seeing how nature was in harmony seems really peaceful.
I liked the setting of the movie. It was cool to see a new planet and universe from scratch and see new creatures, cultures, and languages. The woodsprites from the Tree of Souls that landed on Jake were so pretty, they reminded me of dandelions. The trees and bioluminescence were also so pretty, I was mesmerized. I could’ve just watched Jake and Neytiri go around the forest at night with the leaves and water lighting up instead of the conflict and violence.
I think every actor performed really well. They brought the story and world to life in a real way, all while not knowing what's going to be around them. The movie is entirely CGI, but not animated, where the actors had to be in a recording booth. They were using green screen sets, wearing motion capture suits, and were physically acting while a camera filmed. That must’ve been a very imaginative time for everyone working on it. I think it’s a really well-made movie in terms of filming and post-production work. The CGI artists made everything so realistic and entertaining to watch. You really can’t look away from the screen. It was cool to see Sigourney Weaver, too. I wasn’t expecting her to be in this movie and was happy to recognize her. My favourite character, though, is the Colonel. That dude was so determined to bring down the Na'vi and strip them of their resources. He was dedicated till the very end; it was truly hilarious.
I didn’t really like the character design. I was uncomfortable with how alien the Na'vi looked. I also found how they connect with each other and nature to be odd as well. I would not expect hair to be something that links and mates you to others. That was definitely something new and creative from James Cameron. Also, while watching the movie, I kept thinking of what it would be like with me beside them, and it would not be safe. The same thing goes for the animals and creatures. Those things were vicious and wild. I was internally freaking out. They’re so tall, big, and already hate humankind.
The plot itself is the same as most other movies where a guy working for the bad side shows up, gets adopted into the nice community and then saves them from the bad guys. The real reason people watch Avatar is because of the world building which is very creative. It was still a decent movie and does deserve the hype. But would I watch this movie again? Not on my own. It didn't feel that memorable for me, where I feel excited and happy that I watched it. I'm not really a space movie person, but I am sometimes okay with Sci-Fi. Aliens freak me out though. I enjoy watching movies related to people here on Earth. It seems like a once-in-a-while movie for me.
Rating: 7/10
