New generation tech in service of a Bush era mindset, W or HW, “Avatar” is James Cameron advancing film tech to a place no one has seen before while also a response to American imperialism as Cameron envisions it. The tech is phenomenal, the politics are so 2003.
The story of “Avatar” begins just as James Cameron was crowning himself the King of the World. After his Titanic effort to bring an ocean set romance to screen, James Cameron surveyed the landscape of movies and saw that the form, as it was, could not capture his vision of his project.
So, the King of the World abdicated for several years, biding his time until movie technology caught up with his vision. After seeing Peter Jackson give life to Gollum in “The Lord of the Rings” Cameron finally saw something he could work with. Employing engineers and film geeks, Cameron went to work advancing existing technology. That was 2006.
Just about three years later, more than a decade after its conception, “Avatar” has arrived. Sam Worthington stars in “Avatar” as Jake Sully, a former Marine who was left in a wheelchair after a battle injury. Jake's troubles are increased with the death of his twin brother, a scientist who was to shove off for a very important mission. Since Jake has his brother's DNA he is capable of replacing him and does on a mission to a place called Pandora.
On Pandora, Jake's new life will have him taking over an “Avatar,” a human hybrid of the planet's alien population called Na'vi. Jake's mind is transferred somehow into the body of a 10 foot, blue skinned, Na'vi warrior. He will use his “Avatar” to interact with the natives and convince them to move to another home, opening the way for an industrialist (Giovanni Ribisi) to move in and strip the area of a mineral called, I kid you not, Unobtainium.
Jake's mission goes off course when he meets a sultry Na'vi princess named Neytiri (Zoe Saldana). She brings him into the Na'vi inner circle after a sign from her god tells her Jake has an important role in the destiny of the Na'vi. Indeed he does; Jake will become a true warrior and a leader after he gives up his militaristic loyalty to his human masters. No points for guessing that Jake and Neytiri fall happily into cross-species love. The story is eerily similar to “Dances with Wolves,” minus Kevin Costner's ludicrous facial hair. A soldier in a strange land falls in with the natives and switches sides. I'm not spoiling anything unless you have managed to miss every trailer, commercial or review of “Avatar.”
Even if you have been living under a rock James Cameron's exceptionally weak script does nothing to hide its twists and turns. The script mindlessly telegraphs its every plot machination and character choice. However, as every other critic in the world reminds us, the plot is meaningless when such wondrous visuals are offered.
There is no doubt about it, James Cameron's remarkable dedication to new film technology has rendered a mesmerizing digital landscape unlike any ever before on screen. The characters are stunningly realistic; the landscapes are marvelous and wait till you see the battles between flying gun ships and Na'vi on flying lizard-like creatures. Cameron has even rendered 3D in a way that isn't clunky and unnecessary.
For many the visual delights of “Avatar” will be more than enough to sell them on the idea of “Avatar” as a great movie. And, I must admit, the tech is phenomenal. I, however, needed something more.
The story told in “Avatar” is dopey, derivative and features dialogue so awful as to have Michael Bay look down his nose. Expository dialogue, sometimes necessary, is mind numbingly repeated throughout “Avatar.” Worse still are the awkward attempts at humor, most of which are dated to around the time Cameron conceived of “Avatar.”
Even worse still is Mr. Cameron’s preachy, dated subtext about war and natives, 9/11 and terrorism. Cameron is not the first, merely the latest, to exploit 9/11 imagery in order to manipulate the audience. The visual reference to 9/11 is part of Cameron's throwback to the Bush era politique.
It's a rather scattershot bit of commentary that regurgitates liberal complaints about a war for oil, in this case 'Unobtainium,' and an American policy of preemptive war that could fairly be called imperialism. All well and good except that these are the complaints of yesteryear.
Is it Cameron's fault that the zeitgeist passed him by? No, but he has to take the lumps for being unable to adapt. He's made a criticism of a President who is gone in an era when a new President looks forward to ending the policies of the past. Whining about a war for oil (Unobtainium) is exceptionally passé.
The soldier going native is even more dated. “Dances With Wolves” is over 20 years old now. The battle between the American government and American Indians has inspired far better and far less preachy defenses of a native people defending their way of life.
Returning, however, to the main point of “Avatar,” the technology, you will see this movie because the tech is far too fabulous to be ignored. You really must see “Avatar” just to say that you have seen what everyone will be talking about in film culture until the next time Cameron revolutionizes the medium. Just be prepared to ignore everything other than the visual splendor.
BYLINE:
Sean Patrick Kernan is a film critic. Check him out at: http://www.myspace.com/number1ramjamfan.
3 comments:
Hrm. In my opinion, your analysis is totally full of crap. Reading this was a total waste of my time. I don't understand people who like to ruin movies with worthless political analogies....
So this film is lame because it takes it's cues and addresses issues from an historic world event? Well it seems to me you've just invalidated pretty much every work of fiction ever produced. Or is it that the world events paralleled aren't historic 'enough' yet? In which case - how far in the future should this film have been made to be good, in your view?
It's easy to criticise - ergo anyone can be a critic.
Hello guys.
Avtar movie was really nice i like it's special effects...For video gamers and fun-seeking geeks, those puny objections will be flattened beneath the titanic technical achievement.
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