Hollywood Circuit
Avatar
Sam Worthington
Director: James Cameron
Writer: James Cameron
Producers: James Cameron, Jon Landau
Stars:
Sam Worthington
Zoe Saldana
Sigourney Weaver
Tri-genre: hypothetical virtuality science fiction
Story Situation: space travel
Satisfaction Rating: excellent
Maturity Rating: 13+
Zoe Saldana instructs Sam Worthington
Plotline: In a perhaps not-so-distant future, wheelchair-bound paraplegic combat Marine veteran Jake (Sam Worthington) travels to the planet Pandora to replace his deceased twin brother on a scientific expedition led by Dr. Grace Augustine (Sigourney Weaver) to make peace with the native humanoid inhabitants, the Na’vi. The primitive planet is being mined by a corporate consortium for a unique counter-gravity mineral that could solve Earth’s critical energy crisis. Because Pandora’s atmosphere is unbreathable, and because humans look so different from the 12-foot long-tailed, blue-skinned natives, expedition team members have their minds linked to a remote-controlled biological Na’vi body, or “avatar,” a genetically-engineered bio-matched hybrid of each human’s own DNA with native DNA. The richest ore deposits are located underneath the Na’vi’s sacred “home tree.” Jake’s mission, separate from Dr. Augustine’s scientific research, is to convince the Na’vi to peacefully relocate and allow the mining. Otherwise, in three months, Col. Quaritch’s (Stephen Lang) gung-ho mercenary army will force them out.
On the first day of the expedition into Pandora’s Jurassic rain forest, Jake is separated from his team when attacked by a giant hammerhead rhino creature, then rescued at nightfall from the many Jurassic beasts by nimble Na’vi princess Neytiri (Zoe Saldana). Neytiri’s father (Wes Studi), the tribal chief, orders her to teach Jake the ways of the Na’vi during a probationary period while he decides what to do with him. Jake’s relationship with his reluctant teacher soon blossoms into a romance as Jake learns to respect the Na’vi and their harmonious communion with nature, and comes to comprehend the importance of their sacred areas to their lives. Torn between loyalties, Jake finally chooses to lead the Na’vi in a defensive battle against the attacking corporate mercenary machine.
Sam Worthington (L) and his CGI Avatar (R)
Zoe Saldana
Move over George Lucas…
With this ingenious masterwork, auteur director James Cameron now lays claim to the mantle of Hollywood’s greatest epic sci-fi filmmaker. He makes it look easy. And it’s not. He makes the story seem simple. But it’s not. Tiny threads are drawn from 2001 Space Odyssey, Jurassic Park, We Were Soldiers, Dances with Wolves, The Incredible Hulk and Pinocchio (yes, Jake becomes a real boy), then all these elements are seamlessly woven into a Pocahontas love story. At the same time, Cameron delivers a cautionary subtextual message about natural resources and hot-headed militarism with obvious implications for the modern era. Also, with landmark next-generation motion-captured CGI visual effects, this film should be studied by upcoming filmmakers for many years to come. Breakthrough performances include Australia’s Sam Worthington (Terminator Salvation), Cameron veteran Sigourney Weaver (Aliens) and especially CGI-enveloped Zoe Saldana (Star Trek, Drumline).
Oh, yeah, Avatar ought to be an instant contender for Oscar’s Best Picture.
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World's Favorite Films 2010
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World Favorite Foreign Language Films 2010
Yip Man 2 (Chinese)
My Name Is Khan (Bollywood)
Nodame Cantabile 2 (Japanese)
Blood Brothers: Secret Reunion (Korean)
L'arnacoeur (French)
Doraemon: Mermaid Adventure (Japanese)
Little Big Soldier (Chinese)
La rafle (French)
Io, loro e Lara (Italian)
Liar Game (Japanese)
Our Rossiya (Russian)
Younger Brother (Japanese)
Housefull (Bollywood)
Harmony (Korean)
Go Lala Go (Chinese)
Pleasant Goat and Big Big Wolf 2 (Chinese)
Chico Xavier (Portuguese)
Kandahar (Russian)
