Avatar

So I finally saw Avatar, I've been intrigued as to why it has made so much money and having now seen it I still don't have a definitive answer but then again nothing about Avatar fits neatly into reason.

Firstly I will preface this by saying I saw it in 2D as I wanted to judge the movie not the tech and in truth if the visuals are better in 3D then bravo to Cameron b/c the movie looks amazing in 2D anyway, however while the visuals are state of the art and cutting edge, the script and story are black and white, as old as the hills.

The story is a reworking of a very familiar age old tale, the bad guys are one dimensional and cardboard, albeit entertaining, the world of Pandora is awash with colour and leaves no room for shades of grey, the baddies are bad and the goodies are good, period.

The thing with this movie is that it is more than the sum of it's parts and takes me to my belief that great films are about how you tell the story, not how original the story is. Here Cameron has taken many basic tried and tested elements and fused them together to make a captivating whole.

Yes the hero's journey is a simple one, yes the story is linear BUT when whisked away to the majestic fantasy world of Pandora you become invested in the simplicity, you root for the good and detest the bad, you are taken into this magnificently created culture and learn to love it as Jake does, and then you marvel at the spectacle as the battle between good and evil takes place on this sumptuous fantasy canvas created by James Cameron.

The acting is better than the script deserves and Worthington does a fantastic job of making a giant blue feline creature relatable and this has a knock on effect for the other Na'vi characters. Giovanni Ribisi basically chomps the scenery and the guy playing Quarich relies on grizzly presence, but both do their thing with gusto and make for hateable pantomime-esque villains.

There are plenty of stunning set pieces throughout but only one true action sequence and it is spectacular, when it comes time for the big nature vs man and machines showdown Cameron steps into the ring like a champion prize fighter and KO's all the pretenders to his thrown as the king of the epic action sequence. Some complain it was too short but I disagree, I felt it was a beat perfect war sequence that had marvelous shot selection and a gripping infusion of emotion, a true masterclass.

So in closing I can't pinpoint the reasons for the films colossal success b/c it's an intangible, my guess being that for millions something about this age old tale in jaw dropping new clothes just connected with them in a way most movies can only dream of, Steven Spielberg said after seeing it, that it was the first time he'd felt this way since Star Wars, for me it is the first sense of wonderment I have felt to this degree since Spielberg's own Jurassic Park, so while I wont get into long debates over the shortcomings people see in the script and story b/c I agree, I will make no apologies for loving the movie for all that it is as opposed to what it isn't.

9/10