"Avatar" Movie Review

This movie is . . .
Amazing.
Epic.
Beautiful.
Completely awe-inspiring.
One of the best movies I've seen in a very long time.
Totally groundbreaking in terms of production.
Epic.
Epic.
And apparently it's still doing a very good job of rendering me speechless.

Please please please do not go into Avatar expecting just an effects movie.  I have to admit that I did, and I was proved so completely wrong.  Sure, it might not be the most original story ever told, but is anything original these days?  In any case, the characters are just as strong as the effects, thanks in no small part to the cast.  My favorite characters by far were Trudy and Grace, and of course, they ended up dead (everyone always kills my favorite characters :(.  Not fair >.<).  But I still loved the movie.  Now, that takes talent.  The characters are all very real and believable, and I ended up caring more for the Naa'vi than the humans (I think that was supposed to happen, so yay :)).

The special effects.  Ohmygosh.  To quote from the LA Times' review "You've never seen anything like it.  And neither has anyone else."  I can totally see why Cameron needed to wait 14 years for technology to catch up.  I saw Avatar in 3D, and I strongly encourage you to do the same.  Pandora is perfectly real, everything from trees to floating mountains to strange creatures . . . even the Naa'vi.  You can barely tell that this is all CG.  You're thrust so seamlessly into the new world that there's never any issue of suspension of disbelief . . . you're just there.

Writing.  Leaves a bit to be desired, sometimes, but that's easily overlooked because of the acting.  Sigourney Weaver . . . I have to admit, this is the first time I've seen one of her movies, and she steals every scene she's in.  I can't believe they killed her . . . sooooo pointless.  But I suppose that's the point . . .  Sam Worthington was not overly impressive as a human, I found him much more likeable as a Naa'vi.  Zoe Saldana gives a remarkable, nuanced performance as Neytiri, which somehow all comes through even though Neytiri is 10 feet tall, blue, and completely CG.  The Colonel and the businessman (whose names I've forgotten by now, probably 'cause I hated them so much :P) were absolutely freakish in their disregard for the natives lives.  Brilliant performances.  I loved Michelle Rodriguez as Trudy Chacon, and I have to admit, I think I saw a bit of myself in her (even though I don't plan on joining the Marines any time soon :P).

The anti-corporate, pro-environmentalist standpoint is obvious throughout the film.  It might come off as heavy-handed to some, but I think we need to take a good, hard look at this film and say "We could end up like that."  It's a frightening possibility, but very real.

One more thing.  I don't cry at movies, as a general rule.  Julianne and I sobbed through probably half of Avatar.  This movie is so hard to describe . . . it left me speechless for a good ten minutes after it finished.  All I can say is . . . go watch it.  You won't regret it.