"Avatar" (2009)

For the record, the widespread acclaim of James  Cameron's name as a result of the tremendous success of "Titanic" (in lieu of the visionary bravado of "Aliens") had previously signified nothing more to me than America's vain and shallow obsession with tediously drawn out epics - pretentiousness on a phenomenally mass-marketed scale. "Avatar", for lack of a better word, has stunned me, and succeeds in marrying the sensibilities of both. Now the name stands as properly represented. Cameron's film isn't simply an exercise in the boundary pushing of sci-fi technology and a freakishly obsessive attention to an air of authenticity in a fictional world, although it is both those things. It holds a message for coexistence over brutality that is both provocative and strikingly reminiscent of a post-9/11 generation.

Through the narrative of Jake Sully - a hard-edged Marine played with a solid sense of grounded gravitas by Australian actor Sam Worthington - we enter Pandora, a lush and thoroughly inhabited planet that is now the envy of the human race. Its surface contains Unobtanium, a highly coveted material that proves to be the sole reason for a human effort to contact and engage with the natives, known as Na'vi, in order that they may mine the material for personal gain. "This pays for the whole party", explains Parker Selfridge (played charismatically by Giovanni Ribisi), leader of the operation, "This is why we are here". Selfridge's bleak and matter of fact commentary on the reason for invading and threatening foreign land brought to my mind the war overseas quite clearly, and defines with precision where the heart of "Avatar" lies. Cameron's screenplay characterizes the human race with an attitude of selfishness, greed, and ignorance that upon reflection makes one ask exactly what it is we're fighting for. Certain sequences evoke an American sense of identity that regrets historical atrocities such as our invasion of Native American soil and the eventual leading up to the "trail of tears", and more pressing, a highly debatable war in Iraq with the shameless involvement of oil, the world's most coveted resource.

The film is riddled in metaphorical and fictional device that could - if not examined thoroughly - be mistaken for sci-fi fanboy fare. Cameron's self-imagined world of Pandora could have its own Wikipedia (and surely will), filled with extensive lists of the thousands of plants within a forest developed entirely by botanists, along with a detailed guide on how to speak Na'vi, the linguistics of the scrupulous director's conceived native tribe. The defining edge to this mirroring of a "Trekkie" and cult-like appeal, however, lies in Cameron's conviction to make it all legitimate. "Avatar"'s special effects cut into bold and refreshing new artistic territory, giving life to absurd creatures, military weapons, and aircrafts that assume a nature that is almost casually realistic. Underneath the animation, audiences are still rightfully exposed to the intricacies and emotion of the film's ensemble, particularly Zoe Saldana's performance as Neytiri, a Navi princess with whom Jake cultivates a universally touching romance. The empathy and sense of human emotion inside even the most seemingly un-relatable of characters - an imagined alien tribe member of fantasy - displays weightiness in a role that should not be overlooked.

"Avatar" most certainly lives up to its hype. Its heart is pure, its imagination and aesthetic beauty spoils viewers, and it possesses an intelligence and undercurrent that may even catch you off guard. In the words of Sam Worthington's Jake Sully, James Cameron has finally turned out an "outstanding" effort.

★★★★☆ (4/5)

Cast/Credits

Jake Sully: Sam Worthington
Neytiri: Zoe Saldana
Grace: Sigourney Weaver
Col. Miles Quaritch: Stephen Lang
Trudy Chacon: Michelle Rodriguez
Parker Selfridge: Giovanni Ribisi
Norm Spellman: Joel David Moore
Moat: CCH Pounder
Eytukan: Wes Studi
Tsu'tey: Laz Alonso
Dr. Max Patel: Dileep Rao
Corporal Lyle: Wainfleet Matt Gerald

20th Century Fox presents film written and directed by James Cameron. Running time: 163 minutes. MPAA rating: PG-13 (for intense epic battle sequences and warfare, sensuality, language and some smoking).