Avatar: Beauty is in the Eye of 3-D Glasses

The plot? Seen it before. The acting? Just slightly above average. The dialogue? Not an original line of it to be found. Masterpiece? Hell, yes.

Don’t worry. You didn’t just read a typo. True, it was an incredibly polarizing set of descriptions but I’ve probably never written truer words in a film review. James Cameron’s “Avatar” is without a doubt one of the most stunning films I have ever laid eyes on and even though every aspect of it may not be absolutely original or perfect, he shows us things and a world that we’ve never even seen hints of before and best of all – he makes us feel like we’re actually there.

When word started coming out a few years ago that Cameron was toiling away on a top secret science fiction film that would revolutionize movie-making I was dubious but cautiously optimistic. It always seems like the movies that want to be revolutionary never are, while  those that do change the art form are either happy mistakes or are out of left field from a genius just waiting to be discovered. When I saw the first trailer for “Avatar” I (along with most moviegoers) was pretty sure Cameron and his marketing team had been over-hyping this story of super tall Smurfs and floating mountains and wouldn’t change anything other than the people who green-light movies at Fox. Well, it turns out my 3-D glasses came with a side of crow and I happily ate it with my popcorn and gummy bears for the entire two and a half hours.

To say that my expectations were surpassed would be to say that puppies are cute. It is an understatement of the highest order and you should stop reading this right now and just go see for yourself. Cameron takes us to the planet Pandora through the eyes of Jake Sully (Sam Worthington), a paraplegic Marine who is taking the place of his dead twin brother on a scientific expedition into the body of one of Pandora’s native Na’vi people. With his mind transferred into the tall, blue body of a Na’vi, Jake is able to walk again and venture out into the jungles of Pandora to befriend real Na’vi tribes and negotiate a deal for a corporation from Earth to obtain the rich minerals that lie under the Na’vi main living space. As you can probably imagine, Jake meets an alluring female Na’vi (Zoe Saldana) and starts to go soft on his mission with the full support of the tree-hugging human scientists led by Sigourney Weaver in a fun performance.

None of that is surprising and it naturally pisses off the obnoxious corporate suit (Giovanni Ribisi) and a truly evil military leader played wonderfully by Stephen Lang. All out war breaks out and Jake must choose between staying true to his mission or the people that he has come to love and respect. It’s a classic story and it serves its duty well as a backbone to the groundbreaking visuals that Cameron bestows upon us.

I saw “Avatar” in it’s 3-D version and honestly can’t fathom seeing it any other way. This isn’t 3-D in the classic sense of things coming at your face in a hokey manner. Rather it is about depth of field and looking ahead to feel like you’re occupying the same space as the characters. From the leaves of the jungle to the ash from the fires, I was mentally transported to the world of the film and when combined with the lush score from James Horner and perfect editing, I was literally overwhelmed by its beauty and can safely say that any filmmaker will have his or her work cut out for them if they ever want to surpass the raw power of the imagery on display here.

Cameron further proves his mettle with a climax that is unlike anything I have ever seen before. I can safely say I didn’t breathe for a majority of the last thirty minutes or so when it became clear to me that I was watching the most masterfully crafted piece of action film-making ever made. Don’t believe me? Ask the woman to my right in the theatre who couldn’t stop gasping and murmuring out to her lord and savior. It’s that good.

They say this is the most expensive film ever made and for once every penny is on the screen. It’s rare that Hollywood gives us a gift this exhilarating with emotion and beauty to match, so enjoy it the way it is meant to be seen – on a very big screen with 3-D glasses firmly in place. You will not be disappointed.

Grade: A

For additional Poptimal reviews of Avatar check out Avatar: Worth The Buzz And Bucks! by Inisia Lewis.