Avatar

4/5 stars
Film review by Philip Concannon.
Published 16 December 2009

 

Having declared himself "The king of the world", James Cameron has now become a creator of worlds. His astonishing epic Avatar takes place on Pandora, a peaceful planet brought to life through cutting-edge CGI and remarkably effective 3D techniques, which is under threat from invading American forces determined to secure its lucrative natural minerals. Their advance is complicated by the burgeoning romance between young recruit Sully (Sam Worthington) and sexy native Neytiri (Zoë Saldana), a relationship unfortunately marked by Cameron's penchant for cheesy dialogue and clunky storytelling. Despite these quibbles, Avatar is a gripping and surprisingly thoughtful adventure, skillfully acted by a strong cast, and its technical achievements are a constant source of wonderment. The film's visuals are simply breathtaking, immersing the viewer in a vividly realised environment, and Cameron's masterful orchestration of the complex battle sequences ensures the action is always coherent and involving. Will Avatar change the face of cinema? Only time will tell, but it certainly sets a new benchmark for blockbuster entertainment.

 

Comments (8)

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  • Everyone who's seen this movie says it's one of the worst made bombs in movie history, or maybe THE worst!! This looks to be most likely true. Are we to believe industry paid reviewers and waste our time and money, or the common sense probability of most real audience viewers?? I say the real public knows best. Don't see this terrible stinker flick!!

    Posted by The Overmind | Thursday December 2009 @ 02:17

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  • Enlighten us sir, let's hear your critique...or have you not even seen it to pass comment?

    Posted by Shatner's Bassoon | Thursday December 2009 @ 09:34

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  • "Industry paid reviewers"??? Hopefully not, but better than someone who hasn't actually seen the film passing judgment. Avatar is amazing to look at, but the story itself is rather un-amazing by comparison. The dialogue is of the "I am explaining this to the audience who I deem to be idiots" variety. Still, I thought it was OK - a three star in my mind. Maybe I'm an idiot though.

    Posted by Darren Carle | Monday December 2009 @ 22:54

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  • Despite the crap narrative arc ('the chosen one') and the shoehorned environment theme (damn you, Al Gore), I thought this was fucking spectacular. Tough one to judge though: the visuals are so impressive that it cakes over almost everything else you might care about in a film (plot, acting, exposition). In 10 year's time, though, will Avatar be remembered as a great film, once Cameron's CGI-wankathon becomes the norm?

    Nae chance.

    Posted by Ray Philp | Tuesday December 2009 @ 15:33

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  • You seem rather conflicted in your opinion here.

    Posted by Come Again? | Tuesday December 2009 @ 16:11

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  • Neither seen it nor on industry payroll, but everything about this movie looks atrocious.

    Style does not negate the need for substance, i'd much rather see a great script executed on zero budget.

    Posted by hQ | Tuesday December 2009 @ 17:03

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  • It does look amazing and with the 'Smurfahontas' metaphor in mind it's definitely fun to watch. But parts like when the corporate fatcat has to remind Signourney's character why they are all there digging for Unobtainium (for our benefit maybe?) made some of it pretty embarrassing to watch. Overall more good than not though I think.

    Posted by Juliet Buchan | Tuesday December 2009 @ 18:30

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  • Come Again - if my opinion comes across as contradictory, then you'd be quite right, because it is. In itself, I found it to be an impressive film - what I'm getting at though is that when you take away its (pretty mindblowing) aesthetic aspect, Avatar becomes an ordinary film. Hope that's clearer.

    Posted by Ray Philp | Tuesday December 2009 @ 20:55

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