309. Avatar; movie review

 

AVATAR

Cert 12A

164 mins

BBFC advice: Contains moderate violence, threat, language

How and why could my verdict on a film change so much?

We saw James Cameron's Avatar when it was released in 2009 and were underwhelmed, having not been engaged by its storyline.

Indeed, remember thinking it was convoluted and rather dull.

Thank goodness it has been re-released because Mrs W and I were utterly transfixed this time around.

The tale of paralysed marine, Jake Sully (Sam Worthington), is far deeper than we had previously understood - reflecting a wider fight for the future of mankind.

Its deep environmental message is set out on Pandora, a faraway planet which is rich in valuable minerals.

A human expeditionary force seeks to mine there but native species as well as the indigenous humanoids, known as the Na'vi, stand in their way.

The latter have empathy with nature even greater than the tribes of the amazon Rain Forest although the parallels are clear.

Sully takes part in an Avatar programme in which his mind is synched with an avatar who looks like a Na'vi.

He is joined in the process by a science officer played by Sigourney Weaver.

However, there are bad guys who want to use them as a distraction for their real intention - to clear or kill off the indigenous people so they can mine for the precious metal.

Thus, it isn't difficult to see that the film is a metaphor for the environmental battle which has been taking place on earth for decades.

However, the movie is so much more than green versus greed.

The look of Avatar is startlingly good with animation and real-life woven seamlessly, while the storytelling brings the audience firmly onside with the Na'vi.

I enjoyed Worthington's contribution and the way his character is developed and the contrast with Weaver's bullish scientist, the gentle folk of the forest and the raging army chief (Stephen Lang).

Overall, I have no idea why I didn't love it in 2009 because I certainly did in 2022 - but it loses half a mark for being so long.

Reasons to watch: A 21st-century classic

Reasons to avoid: It's too damned long

Laughs: None

Jumps: One

Vomit: None

Nudity: None

Overall rating: 9.5/10

Did you know? James Cameron had an 80-page treatment for Avatar in 1994 but the technology to bring his vision to life at that time was either too expensive or didn’t exist yet.

The final word. Matt Damon: "I was offered a little movie called Avatar, James Cameron offered me 10 percent of it. I will go down in history ... you will never meet an actor who turned down more money."

Share this post