Avatar...a movie review

He finally catches his flying mate, attaching his braided hair to its mane. He soars down into the vibrant landscape and unites with the animal flyer to solidify the partnership. He flies into the crevices that grace Pandora, the planet. She summons her own flyer and joins him as they sweep through the air. He is a human occupying an avatar--a replica of the species that inhabits the planet. She, a real Na'Vi, who is indigenous to the planet Pandora, cannot contain her excitement, her connection to his joyous flight. Maybe it's the 3-D; maybe it's the colors; maybe it's the story line; or, maybe it's the characters with which we fall in love. This portion of the movie will take away your breath and may even compel tears. If the movie has not impressed you thus far, get ready to be clutched by its grip.

"Avatar" is set in the year 2154, and the story follows many of the same rubric of some of writer/director, James Cameron's other films. Like "Terminator," the future of planet earth is bleak. We humans have destroyed it and are in search of a friendlier atmosphere. Like "Aliens," this atmosphere is on another planet. In "Aliens," the crew on the spaceship is headed to another planet to rescue colonizers who have been taken over by aliens. In "Avatar," the humans are the aliens and they are the ones that threaten the people on the planet, Pandora. Once again, we humans take over another planet in order to colonize it. However, we humans are the parasites, the invading organisms that threaten the people and their way of life.

The plot is not complicated, and "Avatar" moves quickly. Sully is the marine who fills his brother's place aboard the ship to Pandora. We are told little about him, and that is enough. Wounded from some war, Sully is confined to a wheelchair and, because his genetic material and nervous system match his brother's, he is able to match and occupy the avatar built for his twin. An avatar, a being grown to resemble the nine feet tall, blue Na’Vi people who populate Pandora, are hardwired to an individual human, making it possible for humans to venture out into Pandora's atmosphere and live amongst the Na'Vi people.

The humans--who are unable to breathe Pandora's air--lie down in a coffin-like bed and get plugged into their avatar. The humans, then, telepathically occupy their avatar bodies. Sully plugs into his avatar--a match for his nervous system, mind, and movements--and takes off running. For the first time, he has legs that work and freedom in his body. Sully becomes separated from his crew of humans and avatars that are sent into the planet to explore and take land samples. He must meet the Na'Vi people on his own in order to be accepted by them. Cameron leaves many questions unanswered, questions about which I enjoyed contemplating through out the movie. Do the Na'Vi know that avatars exist? Or, do they really think these Na'Vi look-alikes fall from the sky? The avatars distinguish themselves from the original Na'Vi by their English tongue, their dress, and their naivety of the planet. The Na'Vi speak another language. Some of them, however, also speak English, due to the schools set up to colonize the Na'Vi. Ultimately, we never get a clear answer to how the avatars are understood or perceived by the Na'Vi. By the end of the film, you will be able to make your own judgments.

The movie, shot in subtle 3-D, is a masterpiece. Visually, the film is stunning because of the beauty of the Na'Vi--powerful, tall, blue and beautiful. The colors are stimulating. Imagine "The Wizard of Oz” on acid--acid that gives no paranoia but simply comfort and goodness. The creatures we encounter are magical and scary. The flying scenes are absolutely stunning. Yet, nothing about this film is cartoon-like. The Na’Vi people’s faces have real expressions and their bodies are muscular and shapely--men with strong, broad shoulders and women with big breasts and strong legs. They are sensual in their bodies and relish in how they move and swing through the tree branches. The planet, lush with trees and fruits and animals and roots and life, is also connected to this people. So, when the humans aim to rape the planet for a “mineral,” the Na’Vi are dissatisfied, to say the least.

The humans--among them Sully--are soldiers or ex-soldiers looking to be contracted out to complete missions. Mostly, these missions include harvesting the mineral and destroying all in its path. Sigourney Weaver--who is excellent and a pleasure to see again in a Cameron film--leads the team of scientists looking to do research on Pandora and to retrieve flora and fauna samples. Sully is recruited for her team to enter into Pandora through his avatar, but the military men have a different mission for him.

The metaphors scream at the viewer. War: bad or evil? The Na’Vi are any oppressed people taken over by a stronger or entitled planet (read: government). The Na’Vi have features that are ambiguous enough to be characterized as Native American, African, or even Middle Eastern. The Na'Vi are any type of marginalized, alien people whose way of life has been tampered with in some way. And, it is difficult to deny references to the United States' current war situation. Yes, the metaphors are heavy, but they are not played out with a heavy hand. The story fits and makes sense. And, after all of the inferences of this people and that people and this country versus that country, the story is about persons. Persons who live with one another and who grow to love and respect each other. It is also about people who choose not to understand or appreciate others.

I talked to my five year old nephew about this movie, which he loved. I had one main question for him: what do you think about war after seeing this movie? I really do not know how much he even knows about war. I don’t know if he even knows that the US is having a war at all. He answered, “Well, I don’t much think of war.” Good point. Lucky boy. I asked him if he thought war was good or bad. He said that war was bad. I asked why. He said, “because the bad guys don’t even care about the people. They didn’t care about them at all. I thought they [the humans] were going to be the good guys.” I think, deep down, we all think that.