Movie Review – Avatar IMAX 3D (2009)

So, does Avatar live up to all of the hype? James Cameron has put so much time and money (estimated $230 million budget) into Avatar that it sure would be shame if it didn’t. This is the first feature film Cameron has written since Titanic, which gives him quite a reputation to uphold. To truly appreciate the work that has been done to create this film, you should absolutely see it in 3D. There have been plenty of 3D films released over the last few years, but none have gotten as much attention as Avatar. Avatar is about Jake (Sam Worthington), a paraplegic war veteran sent to the planet Pandora, which is home to a humanoid race called the Na’vi. Jake is given the opportunity to walk again through an Avatar, a genetically engineered human-Na’vi hybrid body, in order to scout Pandora so the humans can mine for valuable ore. Unfortunately, the Na’vi live where the ore needs to be mined and Jake finds himself torn between the two races.

The acting was not awe inspiring, but was never really bad either.  Sam Worthington was probably the best with possibly Zoe Saldana as a second best in the film.  The only thing that makes the acting less interesting is the opportunity for strong emotion that is only really taken advantage of through the Na’vi.  It is certainly amazing to feel strong emotional scenes with the CG Na’vi characters, but at the same time there was a lack of emotion in the actors in their human form.  Worthington expressed some anger and frustration, but not much sadness which would have been expected at times.  The others were all ok except for Jake’s sidekick who I often found annoying.  Also, Sigourney Weaver was good, but if you think she is scary as a human, wait until you see her Avatar; yikes.  Overall, there is not much to praise or complain about in the acting department.

The directing was of course where this film shined.  Really it is in the cinematography, but it all ties together really to present us with a spectacular looking film.  James Cameron is able to immerse us into a completely unfamiliar world and truly wow us.  Although it was the midnight showing, it still seemed like people were shocked by the visual presentation.  Seeing the film in IMAX 3D was amazing.  Cameron was able to create a story and world which compares with other great epics such as Star Wars or Lord of the Rings.  Everything is different, but has enough in common with our world that we can relate to how Jake experiences the world.  This also allows plenty of humor to be in the mix. It was the simple funny moments mixed in between the serious drama and huge action that made the story come to life.  The story itself seemed somewhat ordinary on the surface, but once we had delved into the world after a somewhat rocky start, it really began to shape itself into something meaningful.  It all came together much better than I had though it would.

The IMAX 3D experience was nothing short of awesome.  It truly provided the crisp picture and perfect sound that was promised.  I have seen other 3D films in the past, but none have come close to how good this one looked.  Thankfully, they did not use all of the gimmicky 3D shocker ploys that they sometiems use in 3D films just to show off the 3D.  Rather, they presented the film much like you would expect to see it in 2D, but the 3D added a whole new level of involvement into the movie.  There are really only two real complaints left with 3D; the glasses and the slight flicker.  The glasses were simply uncomfortable, but the flicker is something with the 3D technology that is just not there yet.  It was much less obtrusive with Avatar than other 3D movies that I have seen, but it was still present.  After seeing the film in 3D, I think it still would have been great in 2D; just not as great.  As 3D becomes more and more popular, it will become better and better so if you haven’t given it a try in a while I would highly recommend it.

So the real question is, was it worth $14.50 and four hours of sleep?  Yes, every bit of it; although I may feel a little different about it in the morning.  The IMAX 3D experience was great and they did not waste the technology on a bad movie.  Avatar was an exciting movie that lived up to all of the hype.  There are still things that could have been better such as the acting, but as far as visually, there is just nothing to compare.  This movie was definitely a movie that takes you away from real life and puts you in a different place for almost 3 hours so if that is what you are looking for, you got it.  Although the language was a little rough, the movie did not ever get too gruesome or offensive.  It kept most of that to a minimum which allows a wider audience to view and enjoy the film.  You really need to see this one if you get a chance; it is worth it.

The Skinny Version

Raw Score: 897,221
Sharon Movie? Yes

Director: James Cameron
Writer: James Cameron
Genre: Action/Adventure/Sci-Fi/Thriller

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