How Good is it :
32 years ago, George Lucas gave the world, ‘Star Wars’ which turned out to be a worldwide phenomenon and it took more than 20 years for someone who could deliver something equal to ‘Star Wars’ in terms of a visual experience. It was Peter Jackson’s ‘Lord of The Rings’ which set a new standard in using visual effects in Cinema. However, James Cameron not only rises above the standards set by his predecessors but also leaves an indelible impression, far better than anyone ever could. This feat can only be surpassed by James Cameron himself or maybe his ‘Avatar’!
‘Avatar’ splendor lies in the fact that, despite all the Computer generated imagery, it looks so real that you begin to wonder if ‘Pandora’ really exists! Each frame of the film is so meticulously designed and brought to life that it’s impossible to point out even a single object and claim that it looks artificial. Off late, too many film makers have used visual effects and CGI to an extent that it’s almost suffocating. But Cameron and his team put in their heart and soul to change this trend and change it for good! Each blade of grass, every plant and animal in the forest is so splendidly designed that it leaves you breathless and dazed. No wonder the film took more than 4 years of production, more than $300 million budget and another $200 million for the advertising. If ‘Avatar’ is the kind of film, which is possible with a $500 million budget, then imagine what’s possible with a $1 billion budget with James Cameron at the helm of affairs? He might just put even God to shame, let alone all his contemporaries across the world.
The film also has a political undercurrent and it reminds you of the US invasion on Iraq, Afghanistan, ravaging the indigenous tribes and burning down of our rainforests. The theme of ‘Avatar’ has been used plenty of times before. It’s quintessentially an underdog story, almost a David vs Goliath adventure, where the underdog with a golden heart goes on to lead a group to trounce a stronger side. Even the dialogues in the film are simple. Probably it was a conscious decision of Cameron to narrate a theme like this. He does something better than that; sometimes the art of Cinema is more about expressing through moving images rather than dialogues. In that sense, ‘Avatar’ has just dethroned the likes of ‘Star Wars’, ‘Star Trek’, ‘LOTR’ ever made in the history of Cinema. ‘Avatar’ also scores remarkably well in depicting the aliens, the Na’vi. Their bare blue bodies, broad noses, wide eyes, long tails and a gigantic height make them quite unique. So unique that you begin to like them during the 2 hour 45 minute duration of the film and in the end cheer for them to win an epic battle.
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What is it about :
The story unfolds on a planet named ‘Pandora’ in the year 2154. Jake Sully (Sam Worthington), a former US marine is sent to Pandora on a special mission after his twin brother’s death. A military unit from Earth has set up a base in Pandora for the sole purpose of obtaining a rare mineral called ‘Unobtanium’, but there’s a catch. Pandora is inhabited by indigenous alien race called Na’vi and they don’t want to negotiate with these Sky People from Earth. In turn, the military creates ‘Avatars’ who are essentially Human-Na’vi hybrids to mingle with Na’vis. What happens when an ‘Avatar’ turns against the Humans forms the rest of this ‘Once in a life time experience’.
