Movie Review: Avatar

I am going to take this opportunity to give a movie review. I don’t go to the theater all that often so don’t worry, you won’t have to suffer through this often.

Some friends and I went to see Avatar last night. We drove all the way out to Macedonia and paid $12 a head so we could see it in 3D. I’d never actually sat through a movie in a theater with 3D glasses before, and the experience was interesting. I had a massive headache for a while after I took the glasses off. Further, they don’t stay on your face very well when you are already wearing normal glasses. Guess I should get that contacts prescription renewed.

Centered around an ex-marine that has lost the use of his legs, and his brother, the movie follows him to the alien world of Pandora, where he is part of the Avatar program. He and several scientists are “linked” to lab-grown bodies that are designed to be like the native people of Pandora. Through his avatar, Jake Sully begins to understand the natives and ultimately has to choose between them, and greedy business and military men determined to destroy the avatar program and the natives.

The movie itself more than lived up to its hype. It was action-packed, and filled with butt-kicking stunts and special effects. The credits, accordingly, were very, very long.

In addition to being absolutely fantastic in the action and special effects department, the movie was impressive for its scope. It created an entirely new world and new race of people (something sci-fi movies have been doing for generations now), and they were totally and completely believable. I’ve read a lot of fantasy and sci-fi (not everything, but a lot) and I give Avatar full points for breaking the mold.

In addition for great world building and imagination, the movie shows the darkest and lightest sides of humanity. The movie showcased not only the human capacity for great evil and greed, but also the human capacity for great good. It showed us at our most intolerant worst, as well as our accepting and embracing best.

I won’t spoil the storyline, but I will say that it has some interesting turns, although ultimately it ends up exactly how the viewer knows it has to in order to have a satisfying, happy ending. I would say that happily ever after is a bit cliché, but for the movie to have ended any other way, in my opinion, would have been a great disappointment. Sometimes you just have to have that happily ever after. In this case, at least, the happily ever after was bought at a cost. No freebie rides for the heroes.

All and all it was a fantastic movie, and I completely recommend it. I will add, however, not to ignore the PG-13 rating. View it before you take the kids. Worth the $12 to see it in 3D? Absolutely. Two thumbs, five stars, and a standing ovation.