I SEE YOU: Avatar (2009)

Special thanks to Nuffnang for the free Premiere Screening tickets!

Did you know?

Did you know that Avatar wasn’t something that James Cameron came up with overnight?
Ok, that's a stupid did-you-know.

Did you know that James Cameron had this story idea AND SCRIPT since 1994?! (Wikipedia, 2009)
Yeahh, I know what you're thinking! I gasped when I read that too! But back then, he felt that the technology in 1994 didn’t meet the needs of what he wanted to do/create. Wise decision, Mr Cameron!


The Plot:

Basically, the Earth people (more like The US) had found a valuable diamond-like metal on Pandora. Pandora is inhabited by a primitive race called the Na’vi, and they aren’t too keen with the Earth humans invading their space.

Jake Sully, was brought into Pandora to replace his twin brother’s assignment in the Avatar project. The Avatar project sees human growing the Na’vi into an adult size, and thereafter; one human will be assigned to control one avatar each. But that wasn’t Jake’s only assignment. He has to learn their ways so that he can relocate them and the humans can take over.


And as cliché as any alien vs human movies, both sides have different objectives and a war breaks out. LOLS.


The Got-Me-Gasping-For-MOAARRR:

• Special Effects: Visually, this film is breath-taking. Ok, as if you didn’t expect this already! As the boyfriend kept repeating to himself after the movie, you just don’t know which is done using SFX, and which is not! Instead of just shoving them in your face, the SFX were weaved into the story magnificently, and they come off effortlessly.
• Pandora: UNBELIEVABLE how Cameron has imagined this world to be! The world of Pandora is really a world of his own. You will be captivated with the living things on Pandora and how it has a special connection to the Na’vi. Gosh, if there exist a Pandora, Cameron has to be greater than Eywa! *watch the movie to find out what or who Eywa is.
• Role Play: It’s amazing how much of the actors’ emotions you could see through their Avatar characters. But the Na’vis characters are the one that fascinates me most. They are a unique tribe with their own culture and belief system. It’s surreal. Plus, they don’t talk in a typical alien language like, kluk kluk klak klak kraak KRAAK. They have syntax, phonology, and semantics. Awesome, isn’t it? Well, Cameron HIRED a linguist to do this!
  

The Okay-Erm-Well-Yeah-Here-Goes-Nothing:

• The Storyline: Cameron may have come up with a lot of original ideas for this film, but the story was not one of them. If you take off all the special effects, the language, culture and belief system from the Na’vis, then it’s just another alien vs human movie. Plus, a white guy comes in, learns the ways of a more primitive people, then has a change in heart, admitted to it, tribe is angered, goes away, and comes back as a SUPERHERO! Wahaha… It’s like saying, “Oh look, it’s the time of the year again!” But hey, I still think it is an amazing movie! What’s ONE flaw compared to all the great stuff you get to see in this movie, right?!

The-One-Thing-No-One-Could-Come-To-An-Agreement:

• Some people thought that the movie was too long: I can’t agree more. Yes, it was a painstaking 3-hour torture in the cinema with little leg room.
• Some people thought that the earlier part of the movie is boring: Dude, this I cannot agree with AT ALL. How would you expect a story to have a story LINE when there isn’t Chapter ONE??
• But it was REALLY BORING: I beg to differ yet again. How are we to feel the special connection between the Na’vis and their mother nature if a lot of scene were to be cut? From the meaning of Eywa, to learning to ride the pa’li (direhorse) and summoning an ikran (banshee), I acknowledge Cameron for his intimate details.
  

Overall:

If given a chance (literally I meant, “If I have enough budget” - haha), I would watch this in its 3D version. It will take you on a ride and blow you away. After the movie, I went back home and dreamt of Pandora TWICE! I took it too seriously? NO. It was simply because it was THAT worthy!

Seriously, just recalling all the amazing scenes of Pandora brings a smile to my face, and a longing to watch the movie again. Uhuk2..


Rating:

4.85/5.0



* Previously, I had mistaken this movie to Avatar: The Airbender. Ahh, can't wait till next year for The Airbender!