Good afternoon ladies & gentlemen! Hope you all are having a rather merry Christmas, and that you all enjoy the rest of your Christmas! Well, today, we review a film that is supposed to be considered the highest grossing movie of all time until Avengers: Endgame took that slot (although, according to my Economics teacher, UNADJUSTED for inflation, it’s really Gone With The Wind that is actually the highest grossing film of all time). Not only that, but this particular film that we’re discussing today just reached it’s ten-year anniversary as of last Wednesday, on December 18th. Directed by Titanic director James Cameron, and made by 20th Century Fox, it is the one and only Avatar.
Plot: An ex-marine named Jake Sully, along some people in the US Army that he meets along the way, land on a moon by the name of Pandora. Jake is asked by the commander of the army to observe the culture for three months before they decide to possibly steal certain rich minerals by any means necessary. Will they succeed, or will something change in Jake, and/or some of his other new friends along the way?
Okay, now we know that we have had plenty of movies with this type of story, where someone comes from one culture, encounters another culture, the main character falls in love with the main female leader of that tribe, and/or anything else that one can name. I mean what, we’ve had movies like Dances With Wolves, Fern Gully, The Last Samurai, and evening Disney movies like 1995’s Pocahontas and 2001’s Atlantis: The Lost Empire. And then came along 2009’s Avatar, from 20th Century Fox! You may all be wondering, with Avatar having a very similar storyline to movies like the ones that I mentioned just a moment ago, does that make Avatar a bad movie? Absolutely not! “Why not,” you may ask! The reason that Avatar is not a bad movie despite all this is because many movies can end being very similar to each other in one way, or another! Avatar is no exception to this rule. Not to mention what my friend Rachel Wagner had mentioned in her review for Atlantis: The Lost Empire about how there are different stories with seven window dressings, or something like that. Also, there is such an incredible amount of detail, from the visuals, to how the world building works, as well as the well-developed story, and things like that. Now, I know that I’ve mentioned movies like the 2016 Disney film Zootopia when it comes to how some movies can be very similar to that film, as fun as that film, and things like that. Forgive me if you guys have felt annoyed with that by now. However, I will say this, I honestly wouldn’t be surprised if even Disney films like 2013’s Frozen, 2014’s Big Hero 6, or 2016’s Zootopia were more than likely successful due, in part, to seeing how incredible Avatar ended up being, and the materials that made that film work.
With all of this said, what elements do make Avatar work overall? Well, even if this story has had some deja vu elements that have been found in other movies of the past, one of the main differences is that this movie goes from being set on Earth to being set in a whole new fantasy world. Not only that, but you can tell that James Cameron, as well as the rest of the team at 20th Century Fox who worked on this film worked their butts off to make sure that to put as much craft and dream into this story as possible. Honestly, I found myself wishing that a Disney film like 2001’s Atlantis: The Lost Empire had a great world building like this, even if that one just had an extra 15-20 minutes added to it’s running time. Now, don’t get me wrong! I’m one of the fewer people who enjoyed Atlantis: The Lost Empire, as well as also considered that Disney film (and still do consider it) one of my favorite Disney movies. Still, let’s remember there were not as many people who enjoyed Atlantis: The Lost Empire as there were people who enjoyed Disney films like Snow White & The Seven Dwarfs, The Jungle Book, The Lion King, Zootopia, or Moana. And who knows, had Atlantis: The Lost Empire not been released until sometime after 2001, even if not until recent years, it might have been liked more by the general public. Well, sorry to sidetrack you all with talking about another film instead of Avatar. I just figured I’d mention it for mentioning the fact that Atlantis: The Lost Empire and Avatar seem to act very similar to each other story wise, you know? Anyway, Avatar has a really creative premise, Jake and Natiri’s relationship is very well done, and the characters on Pandora are very well-rendered. What’s more is that the relationships with the other characters are, for the most part, handled incredibly well. Oh, and there are moments where the script of this film is just really, really hilarious. This may be due, in part, to how certain moments are just really well-timed. Another thing to mention is the action. Not only will people love the different action scenes that Avatar has to offer, but even those moments seem to have an amazing amount of depth to them. So much so that you yourself may find yourself ensconced in those particular moments in the film. As for music, that is also just spectacular. In fact, the score is an additional driving force that helps move this movie along well. And of course, how could there be a review of Avatar without mentioning the message of learning to have care and respect for other people’s and/or cultures? That is, as opposed to just trying to be greedy and taking whatever you want, you know? Let me tell you, the way that message is executed is also done really well.
With all of these good things that I just mentioned just now, is there any area where Avatar falls short? Well, the one area where Avatar seems to fall short of being perfect is that while the tribe of Pandora, and that world building, and Jake’s relationship with them is developed well, there are some of Jake’s other relationships, most notably with those with whom he travelled with. Okay, Jake’s professional relationship with the psychologist, known as Grace, is at least fairly well-done. However, Jake’s friendship with some of the other crew members could have been tweaked a little more. Also, Miles Quaritch, the villain of this movie, seems to have motivations similar to villains like Governor Ratcliffe, Clayton, Rourke, and some of those villains. Still, was it too much to ask to maybe make this antagonist a little more layered, as well as put a little more investment in some of the other relationships, even if it meant making this movie a little longer than 2 1/2-3 hours? Regardless, these flaws make up for the other really good elements in this film.
Well guys, this concludes my review for Avatar. Honestly, because of how well done it is for the most part, it is understandable as to how Avatar spawned some sequels that are supposed to be released after 2020, a virtual reality ride at Animal Kingdom, and has seemed to be a cultural phenomenon overall. If you haven’t seen Avatar yet, definitely make it a point ASAP to go and rent this one! You’d be surprised by how much craft, heart, and effort were put into this movie. This movie has a really good story, excellent visuals, well executed messages, and other things like this.
Final Grade: A
Matthew’s Animated & Live-Action Movie Reviews 