Movies: Avatar

Naturally, spoilers ahead. If you don't want to know about the movie, or the plot, don't read this.

We saw Avatar the other night. It was quite an awesome movie to watch! Long, yes, to be sure, but I think it was worth it. An incredibly beautiful movie to watch, there were both times where it was obvious I was watching something that wasn't real, and other times where I was sure I was watching something that they did in real life, just like that. It was very impressive.

As far as plot went, it wasn't particularly unique but I still think it was fairly well done. I figured some key figures would die, and was a little surprised when Norm didn't. I also thought Norm would blast back in to save the day, but I guess we only watched him wander off with a gun so we'd know he wasn't in the facility, not so we could expect him to save Jake. But that's ok, Jake's girl rescued him with the aid of a huge cat, and what could be hotter than that?? But the moment they tried to transfer Grace to her Navi body, I knew they'd do it with Jake. Half expected them to do it then and there. And it was obvious early on that Jake would become "one of them" and side with the Blue's over the Whites. Er, I mean Navi over the Sky-people/Humans.

Felt like Cameron was writing Native American history the way he wished it went: Westerners invade America, Native Americans realize what is happening early enough to band together, and manage to send the invaders packing with the aid of Mother Nature. Eiwa = Gaia/Mother Earth, Avatar = small pox blankets (something that looks friendly but caries the source of destruction), unobtanium = land, gold, whatever it is the White Men wanted, and were happy enough to take. Only unlike most of Earth history, on Pandora the nature-loving, balanced, mostly primitive people manage to kick the bejeezus out of the invaders, mostly because since they are nature-loving and balanced the whole freaking forest bands together to run amok over the marines. Quite cool, but also figured it would be the massive dinosaurs stampeding through the jungle, since the horsemen had failed miserably. The "Company is Evil" theme seemed similar to Aliens, along with the "most military is not to be trusted in the long run" and "scientists mean well, but aren't very helpful" themes.

But despite the themes being very similar to a number of things I've seen (or played! Boy but didn't that feel like a video game), the movie was good. The voice and live acting was solid, and so was the plot. Predictable, but solid, and solid is often lacking (case in point: everyone's complaints about the Matrix and Pirate of the Caribbean trilogies seem to focus on the fact that the plots seem to fall apart and go gooey. Pirates who don't pirate. Trying to end the Matrix doesn't end it. Neo's an Angel? The sexy pirate hero is undead, or immortal, or, um, what? Say what now?). And I like the wounded-warrior theme, Jake was a character who I think believable would switch sides, only after careful experience. And the best choice for someone to be born again into the Navi culture. A Scientist would remain learning. A Healed Warrior would have no reason to switch. But a Wounded Warrior is looking for a way to be remade whole, and Jake found it in the Avatar, and found a new way to experience life with the Navi. He became everything he used to be, and realized he would never attain it to the same degree if he remained with the humans. Or such is my interpretation of it, anyways.

So, unique? In some ways, yes. In many, no. Solid? Very much so. Gorgeous? Stunning beyond imagination! All in all, I loved it.