Reviewing ‘Avatar’ is like reviewing a painting where you are tempted to praise the quality of the canvas, the paint and the brushes used but not the quality of what it conveys. ‘Avatar’ will be remembered for pushing the limits of cinematic innovation further and beyond, but at the end of the day, it does not tell a compelling story.
The basic plot is similar to the one of virgin territory exploited for gain by the dominant civilization of the times, its inhabitants moved, its history disregarded and its riches plundered. The protagonist is from the dominant civilization and he falls in love with a native and is caught between doing his job and following his heart. Invariably, the heart rules and he must take the side of the natives. How does he manage this conflict is what the movie tells us.
There are certain dimensions thrown in to add more texture to the plot. There is the ability for humans to have ‘Avatars’ of them made in order to inhabit a native body, but control it with the human mind. The protagonist has lost the use of his legs, but can now use them as he enters the native land in the body of a fully functional native. There is that temptation to not let go of it. Other than that, there is nothing unusual from a characterization perspective that the story brings out. Even though the characters inhabit a new world, their place and intention in the plot is clear. The fact that the land of Pandora and its flora and fauna are interconnected, like in a network brings in an interesting angle.
Technologically, the film is beyond brilliant. Watching it in 3-D, one could feel the richness of the canvas that James Cameron has managed to create. His and his team’s achievement in creating this world must rank amongst those of JRR Tolkien and in the cinematic world, that of George Lucas and Peter Jackson. I did still feel that a more personalized experience could have been provided especially in 3-D in the way certain scenes were shot. For example, as Jake Sully flies his Ikran and becomes a warrior, the camera could have been perched behind him for longer shots of him flying between and up and down mountains. The experience would have been even richer.
The challenge of traditional animation is that it often fails to capture the subtleties in acting. With the virtual camera, Cameron has been able to bring the animated characters as close to real life as possible. However, he does not arm them with a strong characterization, screenplay and dialogue to truly make ‘Avatar’ a great story told. The plot is too predictable and the dialogue too plain. The film does have its funny moments mainly with the character of Jake Sully, but it also has amateurish characters like the unnecessarily macho antagonist.
Watch ‘Avatar’ for you would be seeing a cinematic history-making film which will shape the way films are made in the decades to come. But if you want to see a good story being told, you will be disappointed. Watch it nonetheless.
