Avatar

After several years off James Cameron has given us the huge blockbuster film Avatar, but was it worth the wait?
Well after seeing the film twice I can confirm that even though it is far from perfect, and there are aspects of the film that are no where near as good as they should be, it is a lot of fun.

The film follows one ex-marine on a distant planet called Pandora, where the humans are mining for Unobtanium and the largest reserve is buried underneath the native population's (called the Navi) village. The Ex-marine, Jake Scully, is using an avatar, a artificial body similar to the Navi's controlled through the mind of the marine in the humans base, to gain the trust of the Navi and convince them to move from their homes so the humans can mine there.

Some of the problems with the film are in the script, not that it is terrible just it has been done before. A good parity of the film is Pocahontas in space. The dialogue is a little clunky and the plot is very predictable, you know what is going to happen through out the two and a half hours of the film but that doesn't matter. There are far more redeeming features that make up for the predictable, yet enjoyable script.

One of the features that is spectacular in this huge film is the aesthetics of the film. Cameron uses the immersive 3D brilliantly. You really feel connected and submerged in Pandora. There are a few uses of the 3D that are fantastic. A scene at the beginning when the hero is awaking from animated suspension through the space travel and you see him focus on a drop of water that is floating in front of his face. The camera then focuses on the drop and you really feel as though it is right in front of you. There are other times when the 3D is noticeable like that but I feel the best use of the 3D is when you can't tell that it is there so obviously. This is, I feel, why you connect with Pandora so much and appreciate the beautiful look Cameron has been able to create.

The film is completely made by the villain. Stephen Lang, who plays Col. Miles Quaritch the villain, is fantastic. He is such a stereotypical bad ass. On the planet where humans can't breathe without the use of a gas mask Quaritch seems to enjoy bursting out of the air locks and shooting at things without a gas mask. There is a great scene in which he is on fire but he is so set on shooting something he waits a good amount of time before he pats out the fire. For me he was one of the best parts of the film, and Stephen Lang does a great job.

So all considered even with the predictable storyline and clunky dialogue this film is very enjoyable. Each time I came out of this film I felt very happy. I would say that if you haven't seen it already you should definitely go and see it while it is in the cinema as I doubt it will have the same awe inspiring effect if you watch it on DVD. Even with the extra cost of the 3D it is worth every penny.