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| Poster artwork for the science fiction fantasy action drama film Avatar. |
Imaginative
Immersions by Linh
Fifteen years later and costing almost half a billion
dollars to create, director James Cameron's patience in pursuing the very
latest motion/animation technology in film has paid off, making his sci-fi epic
Avatar a stunning visual wonder to
behold. Avatar is a blend of live
action, CGI and motion capture technology, which takes the viewer on a visual
thrill-ride with battles on land and in air, romance between different races
and immersive experiences in a jungle of wild beasts and stunning vegetation.
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AVATAR
ARRIVAL: Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) steps foot on Pandora for
the first time in the film Avatar. Image: Twentieth Century Fox.
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The story is narrated by the protagonist named Jake
Sully, a former Marine who is confined to a wheelchair. After his scientist
brother passes away, he is offered a chance to 'walk' again as part of the
Avatar programme onboard a military space station that is financed by a
corporate mining company and houses a team of scientists and military
personnel. An avatar is a remotely-controlled biological body that is linked to
and driven by the human consciousness. The avatars are made of combined human
DNA and that of the Natives of Pandora, the Na'vi. Jake Sully's mission is to
infiltrate the Na'vi on Pandora, a moon orbiting the planet Centauri, and
remove the Natives to mine the precious substance 'unobtainium' that could
solve the Earth's energy crisis. He meets and falls in love with the female
warrior of the Na'vi, Neytiri, after she teaches him the ways of her people.
Jake soon becomes one of the Na'vi and his allegiance is tested as he must choose
between his military mission and his Nature-loving Na'vi.
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WARRIOR
WAYS: Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) learns the ways of the
Na'vi from Neytiri (Zoe Saldana) in the film Avatar. Image: Twentieth Century Fox.
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Avatar's
most alluring visuals are dominated by the captivating flora and fauna in
Pandora's jungles; with deceptively harmless and beautiful plants that are
self-illuminating or sensitive to touch and will move to avoid danger, and the
many prehistoric-looking beasts that are friendly, fierce or dangerous become
scene-stealers, even though they are computer generated. Although there are
many creatures on Pandora, none have fur or hair except the Na'vi people; even
the wolf-like beasts and the horses with the head of an ant-eater are hairless,
with smooth, shiny skin that glimmers in the light. Animal lovers and plants
enthusiasts will enjoy the spectacular scenes of animals interacting with the
Na'vi and the majestic beauty of the floating mountains. James Cameron has
imagined a world of many mysteries and wonders which are visualised in superb
technological capabilities that may become the benchmark for future filmmaking
in this genre.
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SACRED
SPIRITS: The Eywa makes Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) the chosen
one as Neytiri (Zoe Saldana) watches in disbelief in the film Avatar. Image: Twentieth Century Fox.
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James Cameron's fictional Na'vi people have a humane soul
and are more likeable than some of the humans in the film. The Na'vi is a clan
of ten-foot tall, blue-skinned, reptilian-like humanoids and the native
inhabitants of Pandora. The Na'vi are spiritual and strong-willed people who
have a profound connection with Nature (whom they call Eywa), and they believe
all things in life are linked to Nature. Their history, culture and beliefs are
connected to Nature and everything flows from it. The viewer becomes deeply
involved with the plight of the Na'vi, which are all motion-captured
performances driven by actors, but are wonderfully portrayed through voice and
movement.
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HYBRID
HUMANOID: Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) tests his new avatar in the
film Avatar. Image: Twentieth Century
Fox.
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The cast is a mix of new comers, veterans and rising
stars who all give convincing performances in the live action scenes (40
percent of the film) and the fantasy scenes, which are predominantly CGI and
motion capture but still engaging.
Australian actor Sam Worthington thrilled in Terminator Salvation, and provides a
strong portrayal of Jake Sully who finds deeper meaning in flora and fauna than
machines; Zoe Saldana is completely motion captured as the beautiful female
Na'vi warrior Neytiri. Saldana creates an intriguing character in Neytiri, from
being highly suspicious of Jake Sully to trusting him with her life, and she is
part of the film's emotive lure; James Cameron's 'reported' mouthpiece of
humanitarianism in science is Sigourney Weaver's character Grace Augustine,
whom Sigourney Weaver brilliantly portrays as an idealistic perfectionist and
she also appears as an avatar; Stephen Lang is fantastic as the thoroughly
nasty and ruthless Colonel Miles Quaritch who flexes his military muscle to
wage war on the Na'vi; Michelle Rodriguez gives the film some comedy relief as
the female Marine pilot Trudy, who gives as good as she gets, and in a role
similar to Paul Reiser's character in [I]Aliens[/I], but more animated,
Giovanni Ribisi is the pushy and determined space station supervisor Parker
Selfridge who forges ahead with his plans regardless of the human and
environmental costs.
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NATIVE
BEAUTY: Neytiri (Zoe Saldana) fights against human firepower in
the film Avatar. Image: Twentieth
Century Fox.
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James Cameron and his visual effects/production team
create a clever balance of reality and fantasy, with the live action sequences
contrasting in colour, lighting, and human attitudes and behaviour compared to
the luscious greenery of Pandora and earthy nature of the Na'vi. However, like
the military personnel onboard the space station, the Na'vi have their warriors
who fight for survival and defend their home against the onslaught of bullets
and firepower from the 'Sky People' - a name the Na'vi give to humans as they
are always entering and attacking Pandora from the sky.
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TESTING
TIMES: Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) puts his Na'vi training to
the test in the film Avatar. Image: Twentieth Century Fox.
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There are many allegorical themes and metaphorical messages
emerging from Avatar such as
ecological/environmental awareness, interracial love, the misuse and abuse of
military might, and the dangers of corporate greed; it is essentially about the
ways of human nature in attempting to control and destroy Nature. These are
recurring themes that appear in all of James Cameron's films including Aliens and Terminator, which some viewers may find as self-indulgent.
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DESTRUCTIVE
DIFFERENCES: Station Supervisor Parker Selfridge (Giovanni
Ribisi) wants forced removal but scientist Grace Augustine (Sigourney Weaver)
advocates for humane re-location in the film Avatar. Image: Twentieth Century Fox.
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Cameron's attempts in allowing the technology to act as a
secondary feature to support the actors' performances fails in some aspects,
but succeeds in enhancing the visual pleasure of the cinematic experience for
audiences. The viewer cannot escape the motion capture technology and other
special effects as the action unfolds and the story develops throughout Avatar; humans respond better to
human-generated emotions and actions rather than that generated through technology.
Despite this, Avatar is a brilliant
piece of imaginative cinema artwork in visual and audio effects with a stirring
soundtrack that emulates the sounds of nature courtesy of the musical mastery
from James Horner.
Avatar won
three Academy Awards for Best Visual Effects, Best Cinematography and Best Art
Direction. It also earned two Golden Globe wins and two BAFTA wins.
Director:
James Cameron
Writer: James
Cameron (screenplay)
Cast: Sam
Worthington, Zoe Saldana, Sigourney Weaver, Stephen Lang, Michelle Rodriguez,
Giovanni Ribisi, Joel David Moore, CCH Pounder, Dileep Rao, Laz Alonso, Wes
Studi
Producers:
Colin Wilson, James Cameron, Brooke Breton, Josh McLaglen, Jon Landau, Janace Tashjian, Peter M. Tobyansen
Original
Music Composer: James Horner
Cinematographer:
Mauro Fiore
Production:
Rick Carter, Robert Stromberg (Production Designers), Nick Bassett, Kim
Sinclair, Robert Bavin, Jill Cormack,
Simon Bright, Andy McLaren, Todd Cherniawsky, Sean Haworth, Andrew Menzies,
Stefan Dechant, Kevin Ishioka (Art Directors), Kim Sinclair (Set Decorator)
Costume
Designers: Deborah Lynn
Scott, Mayes C. Rubeo
Running
Time:
2 hours 40 minutes
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