Embrace the Flux

Avatar

// December 24th, 2009 // 1 Comment » // Movies

A post-modern-sci-fi-epic, hailed by critics as the 21st century Star Wars progeny, James Cameron’s Avatar is nothing short of – pun intended – titanic. Cameron’s first scriptment for the film came in 1994. Tentatively labeled Project 880, one might be tempted to ask Mr. Cameron how close his original vision came to the film’s ultimate consummation. Was 3D his intention all along? How much of Pandora was only realized with advancements in CGI technology? Notwithstanding a presumably gargantuan transformation, fifteen years of deliberation and a two-hundred-thirty million dollar budget have provided the fuel necessary to change the film industry for years to come.

Contemporary Hollywood marketing has a nasty habit of creating large expectations that are too often not realized. But, let’s be honest, big-budget marketing is the best way to attract a large demographic nowadays. Avatar was certainly not an exception. Its three-minute thirty-second preview alludes to the trailblazing Wizard of Oz: “Ladies and gentleman, you are not in Kansas anymore.” It boasts one-liners that appeal to the interests of mainstream viewers: “This, this is our land!” And, to seal the deal, it makes a particularly tenacious claim: “Movies will never be the same.” But does the film itself live up to its prodigious trailer? We think so.

The year is 2154 and an American scientific mega-corporation has taken base upon Pandora, an earthlike moon of the planet Polyphemus. The goal is to extract a valuable mineral, unobtanium, which sells for oodles upon oodles back on planet Earth. Our protagonist, a parapalegic ex-marine, has been instructed to infiltrate a Na’vi tribe – the indigenous people of Pandora – and convince them to move away from a financially (and spiritually) valuable tree that happens to be located above a large supply of unobtanium.

The plot bears some resemblance to a modern Pocahontas story. A new land is discovered, its native inhabitants are befriended by a sympathetic soldier, and, ultimately, the natives are exploited by a powerful and expanding nation. The film as such provides a warning: even though militarily imperialism may not be as explicit today, powerful nations – ahem, U.S.A. – have the capacity to employ imperialism by means of economic, capitalist-driven interests. Avatar, moreover, makes no effort to conceal its commentary upon world leadership. The scientists, led by a strong and virtuous woman, seek to learn more about the Na’vi in order to find a diplomatic solution. The corporate military, led by a ruthless and stubborn man, believe that diplomacy is useless and weapons are the only way to exert influence. The female seeks cooperation while the male seeks destruction. Is Cameron highlighting an important aspect of world leadership that desperately needs – perhaps more so in Western nations – a reevaluation?

Avatar even touches upon the existentialist train of thought. In our world, man exists in a state of distance from nature despite the fact that we are always in the midst of nature. On Pandora, life and nature are one and the same. The Na’vi – literally and figuratively – live through their world. They have evolved with and not despite their surroundings. Religion isn’t merely another part of their life; it is their life. These analyses, we imagine, could fill pages. The beauty of Cameron’s Avatar is its ability to illustrate these important inquiries within such a breath-taking and awe-inspiring planet.

Like any innovation to the filmic medium, three-dimensional technology is bound to stir some controversy. Its use was previously confined, for the most part, to IMAX documentaries and spectacles of Walt Disney World. Avatar is the first feature film to make use of the technology from beginning to end—a huge leap of faith by director James Cameron. But the achievement remains proof that films need no longer be bound by a two-dimensional representation of a three-dimensional landscape. Cameron has opened the proverbial door, so to speak, to a new kind of filmmaking. Avatar allows the viewer to feel as if he or she is spatially oriented – I felt like I was actually there! – within a nonexistent universe. And this universe is a spectacle in its own right. Words would not do justice to the seamless beauty of Pandora; we’ll let the images speak for themselves.

We can confidently submit that Avatar has gone above and beyond our expectations. A beautiful story, a beautiful planet, a remarkable achievement in technological innovation, an architect of (see below) floating-jellyfish-butterfly-spirit seeds—the film merits worldwide recognition. Quick, get your tickets for the next IMAX showing! This one deserves to be seen on the (extremely) big screen.

Trailer: Avatar

// August 20th, 2009 // 2 Comments » // Movies

At just over $300 million, James Cameron’s Avatar is the most expensive movie of all time. And the long-awaited trailer speaks for itself. For you HD lovers (highly recommended), click this link.