Despite having been released 13 years ago, “Avatar” makes its triumphant return to theaters this fall to accompany the launch of its new series of movies. Beginning this December with “Avatar: The Way of Water,” James Cameron is planning on directing a grand total of four more consecutive Avatar films, including December’s release.
There’s a lot of discourse surrounding “Avatar,” the most successful movie Cameron has directed by far. A lot of critics argue that the film hasn’t earned its spot as the highest-grossing movie of all time, as the film isn’t particularly unique from a narrative standpoint. However, it does make up for that in other aspects.
From the very beginning, the film thrusts you into a lush world filled to the brim with vibrant colors, and tons of narrative context through the setting alone. The characters are pretty one-dimensional, so it doesn’t waste too much time introducing them. I would even argue that Jake Sully, played by Sam Worthington, was the weakest character in the film. The script didn’t require too much of a performance from Worthington, making the main protagonist pretty bland. I wouldn’t argue that as a weakness, however. The lack of focus on characters diverts your attention to the film’s worldbuilding, which is arguably the most fantastical facet of the narrative.
Avatar is, without a doubt, a masterclass in special effects. Despite having been released in 2009, the effects still hold up very well today. The alien planet’s native species, the Na’vi, look spectacular, perfectly capturing even some of their actors’ most nuanced facial expressions. The performances even hold up behind the scenes, so I wouldn’t argue that the CGI carries the script.
The story isn’t high art. It’s about an ex-marine, Jake Sully, who travels to a faraway planet to participate in a scientific study on the Na’vi. In an effort to help find a diplomatic solution to both the interests of humanity and the Na’vi, Sully takes over an artificial Na’vi body, to communicate with the locals. Soon he meets Neytiri, played by Zoe Saldaña, the daughter of a Na’vi chieftain. Sully begins to struggle with a conflict of interests between his commitments to the military, his colleagues and the Na’vi in which he becomes accustomed to. This conflict exacerbates as time draws on and explodes into a devastating climax.
The film is strong because of its simplicity. That’s the beauty of it. It’s a generic, fun action-packed story that anyone can take something away from. That’s what makes it the highest grossing movie of all time. Everyone can relate to it on some level. It’s not like your average Marvel Film or summer popcorn flick. “Avatar” offers something truly unique to the cinema. The film really invests in the big screen experience and getting to see it in theaters was a real treat. Cameron really understood the power of the experience itself.
The movie is absolutely worth seeing again, if you’ve seen it before. If you haven’t, don’t delay, because you’re missing out. Watching in theaters is an absolute blast. Cameron is a cinematic genius, and I highly anticipate the film’s sequel this December.
4/5 Torches
