Dazzled at the Cinema

 Yesterday, out of bore from holiday, I decided to go out and watched a movie. What movie? Why, Avatar, of course. Obviously, there has been a lot of buzz in the media about this particular movie, and from what I can see, every review seems to be leaning on the positive side. I guess a lot of critics raved on how beautiful this film is, especially when you watched its 3D version, and it's only fitting that I chose to watch this version. 

And, man, it is so damn awesome! To quote David Denby from the New Yorker, Avatar is "the most beautiful film I've seen in years." Okay, before I delve too deep into this amazing spectacle, let me share some plot of this James Cameron-directed film for the uninitiated. 

So basically, the story is set in the year of 2154, when humans—with all the technological advancements—have found a planet called Pandora. It is rich of Unobtainium (Quite a joke here. Unobtainium. Got it?), an energy-yielding mineral that sells for 20 million dollars per kilogram. We, the Earthlings , as usual, got all hungry and decide to go to Pandora. Corporates, supported by military contractors—à la Blackwater—then establish a base on the planet. 

This place is inhabited by the native clan, the Na'vi, the human-like creatures, which are ten-feet tall and blue-skinned. In order to do some kind of diplomacy, so that the Na'vi would let humans harvest their mineral, the "avatars" (the hybrid of human and Na'vi) are created by feeding people's DNA into the Na'vi's body. One of the man who happens to be chosen to participate in the Avatar program is Jack Sully (played by the charming newcomer Sam Worthington), a paraplegic ex-Marine. When he becomes a "Na'vi" through his own avatar, he will be able to walk and run again, exploring the lush and magnificent Pandora. His first encounter with a native is when he meets a female Na'vi, Neytiri (Zoë Saldana). As the story unfolds, Jack is faced by a dilemma: he's working for his fellow humans, but deep inside, his feeling toward the people of Pandora gets deeper and emotional. I won't reveal anymore plot here, for fear of spoiler, although I think the ending is quite predictable.

Nevertheless, there is one more important thing than the plot itself, that is the cinematography. Cameron's brilliance twelve years ago in Titanic is being surpassed by himself in this film. His impeccable mix of live-action and CGI animation is breathtaking. Seeing the beautiful wildlife of Pandora and, on the other hand, the brutality of the splattering bullets from the military's gun machines is otherworldly, especially in 3D. This is special-effects extravaganza at its best.

Moreover, I think there are some hidden political messages in Avatar, too. When you see the military force getting into Pandora, Iraq or Afghanistan instantly comes to mind. Some critics do say that Avatar is the metaphor for the US military endeavors in the world right now. For example, there are the aspect of "winning hearts and minds" of the locals, as evident by the diplomatic efforts of the avatars. As an International Relations student, I was also stunned at how "IR" this movie is, in some respect. Like, when I heard Colonel Miles Quatrich (the head of SecFor, played by Stephen Lang) mentioning "preemptive strike," I suddenly recall my International Law class assignment from a month back. These all make Avatar really interesting for me.

So, you might have known what I will tell you next, right? You MUST see this movie. If you can watch its 3D version, it will be better. Your money spent will be worth every cent of it. And when you see a pair of eyes snap open in the last scene, you have officially been a witness to one of the most unforgettable movies of all time.