The imagination is a tool that is always available. It's a tool that can whisk a person away in a matter of seconds. It's from imagination where worlds and stories are created. Yet, although our imagination knows no bounds, technology does. That's why in the world of film when there is an advancement of technology it's always exciting because we have come that much closer to what seems like the unattainable: capturing the entire scope of our imagination. Well, we've come many, many steps closer with "Avatar", a film so rich and grand that it will surely amaze you at the heights it achieves.
As indicated, "Avatar" left me stunned and I was one of the few people who was skeptical of Cameron's hype machine. Yet, from the opening minutes to the very end, I was amazed by the special effects mastery that Cameron and his team unleashed on me. The way I felt is how I imagine film goers felt when they first saw King Kong come to life in 1933 or when Peter Jackson brought the Lord of the Rings to the big screen. A world you thought would never come to fruition is suddenly letting you in; allowing you to become an inhabitant. Much like the work of Tolkien, James Cameron has created a world (named Pandora) full of beautiful and vibrant flora, fauna, language and characters. These aspects make Cameron's planet breathe as if it was living, but what's far more impressive than the depth Cameron creates is how seamless Pandora was. Honestly, nothing looked like it was shot via a green screen. Everything seemed natural and organic; almost as if Cameron himself scouted the location and shot the film there.
This idea of the film being seamless further immersed me into the world Cameron constructed, as nothing had me doubting that this place really existed. To further the experience of Pandora, Cameron also cleverly incorporated the use of 3D technology for the film's entirety. Certainly films that have incorporated 3D techniques have done so merely as a gimmick to create a singular scene "jump" out at the audience, but "Avatar" is different. Instead of making body parts or anything else jump out at the audience, Cameron does something quite unique: he invites the audience into the film. Yes, there are some parts where the film "jumps" out, but in all respects Cameron has used 3D in an extremely effective way by seemingly putting the world within your grasp and around your head. For me, this aspect created many moments of whimsy where I felt I was actually there on Pandora or stuck in the middle of a battle scene. It's one thing to create a world, but to transport an audience there is a feat few filmmakers have accomplished and Cameron does so in spades.
With the fantastic special effects aside, one of my biggest concerns about "Avatar" was the script. More specifically would the visual spectacle outweigh the story? This was mostly a concern because of Cameron's previous endeavor "Titanic", but also because the film's story arc is a retread on many films. Well, I'm happy to say that although the story of "Avatar" is very familiar, Cameron manipulates it just enough to create an identifiable and heartfelt story. Sure, there are moments of cheese filled dialogue and sometimes Cameron indulges in the melodramatic, but the story has enough build up and character development that I couldn't help but get swept up in the emotion of this intergalactic romance.
Of course the story is the most important aspect of any film and Cameron crafts a good one, but what's the most important, at least in the case of "Avatar" is that it has set a new standard in special effects. Nothing about the special effects shouts "$400 million". Instead it comes across as a real and tangible world with no hint of manipulation. It only consists of you, its language, its inhabitants, and its history. Never has a film (maybe aside from the Lord of the Rings Trilogy) come along and truly created a world so authentic and full of life. To say seeing "Avatar" is an experience would be an understatement; it's the closest we will ever be to our wildest dreams.
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