The Bottom Line

Issue date: 2/10/10 Section: Movies

James Cameron's latest masterpiece, Avatar, has been in theaters since December 18, 2009, and still critics and moviegoers alike cannot get enough of this film. It has attracted millions of viewers worldwide and has reaped over $2 billion and counting, marking it as the highest grossing film, in worldwide box office records, of all time. Titanic, another of James Cameron's works, had held that title for 13 years. What is it then about Avatar that grants it such accolades as to place it among the pantheon elite of the film industry?

For starters, the film utilizes a revamp in 3D movie-making technology known as RealD 3D. This isn't the stereotypical "film in 3D gimmick" that attempts to tantalize viewers by cramming as many objects flying into their faces as possible, but rather, attempts to immerse the viewers into the world of the movie by constructing the images to look so life-like that it would seem like s/he was watching the events transpire from a back porch, or the city park, or a grand mountain vista. That's one thing for a movie using actual locales or studio settings based on real places to achieve, but what about environments like Pandora's, the setting for Avatar, that are almost entirely CGI-rendered? Though they are breath-taking and beautiful to behold, does the RealD 3D technology work well enough to have viewers suspend their disbelief? In the words of IGN writer Jim Vejvoda, "You just have to see it to believe it."

Next, there are the exquisite landscapes and creatures of Pandora. Words cannot accurately and vividly describe what viewers behold when they see Avatar. Floating mountains with cascading waterfalls outpouring over their sides, enchanting nights where the primary source of light comes from the fauna of Pandora, soaring through the skies with reptilian bird-like creatures called Banshees... the list could go on for paragraphs. Pandora has a magical charm that, once beheld, will not let you go.

Then, there is the story of Avatar. Granted, the general plot of the movie goes towards the side of cliche, but the overall messages behind the movie (taking care of the environment, finding where you belong, and seeking a peaceable world) resonate deeply with many people on a global scale. Who wouldn't want peace, a family that's home, and a cleaner, safer place to live? With the staggering revenue that Avatar is bringing in, it's safe to say that many can identify with this movie on a deep and personal level, and because of that identification, they keep on coming back to lose themselves in Pandora.

And finally, there's the nine-foot tall "kitty woman" Neytiri, played by Zoe Saldana, who ends up as the protagonist's (Jake Sully's) "mate." There's not a straight man in the world who has seen this movie and not had fantasies about this particular character, or, at one time or another, wished he was Jake Sully. She has beauty, intelligence, ferocity, and sex appeal... and, she's an exotic "kitty alien." You can't beat that.

With rumors of a sequel already being leaked and conventions on implementing RealD 3D technology as mainstream for movies and television being held, Avatar has taken the bar of the media industry, as a whole, to another level. If you haven't seen the world of Pandora unfold before you, you need to drop what you're doing, scrounge some money in whatever legal method you can think of, and go see this film. It'll be good for you.

Page 1 of 1

Article Tools