The Aditya Chopra of Hollywood returns, albeit after a gap of 12 years. James Cameron went into hibernation after teasing the world with what could be touted as the second best love story of all time (the first being Casablanca, of course). The nagging question which comes up after such a long hiatus has always been regarding the time gone by. It is hard being a brilliant film maker. You are expected to deliver time and time again. A good film maker is alright. He can keep making films by feeling the pulse of the current audience and therefore keep abreast with the times. However, a brilliant film maker is supposed to create a masterpiece – a piece of work reeking of brilliance. And that my friend, doesn’t come easy. Cameron has exceeded expectation in the technical aspect by creating a visual ascetic treat, going much beyond his time but he falls behind in the foundation. He follows the same old formula. Avatar would have been the film of the century had it released 12 years ago. Hell, the visuals are still unmatched. However, in those 12 years, the audience has grown a little bit wiser than blindly fall into visual splendour. Cameron appropriates his Titanic to suit the modern context. The result – he becomes the jack of all trades. What remains is a visually profound canvas and some very vivid and detailed images that you can take with you, even without a solid plot.
Plot:
The setting is a sci-fi dream. Cameron is the Dickens of silver screen. He has paid so much attention to minute detailing that it is a sight to behold. The year is 2154. The Earth hasn’t proved to be the “everlasting” planet after all. The solar system’s nearest neighbour is Alpha Centauri, which is 4.37 light years away from the sun. Pandora is one of the moons of Alpha Centauri. Humans have found a priceless mineral in Pandora which can revolutionise energy production. The mineral is labeled “unobtainium” because humans can’t breathe on Pandora as the air is poisonous for them.
Jake Sully (Sam Worthington), a paraplegic ex-marine gets a chance to join the Avatar program. The Avatar program was designed to enable humans to inhabit Pandora. The DNA from humans and the Na’vi people (the natives of Pandora) are combined to make a clone which can house the human. Jake’s brother was the original donor. However, he has been killed. Jake is the only other possible human that can be sent because of the DNA match with his brother. Jake accepts as he gets a chance to walk again through the Avatar. The initial plan is that Jake gets to know the strengths and weaknesses of the Na’vi people before the humans invade to take the mineral. Pandora is not an obscure planet. Each and every leaf of the planet comes alive on screen. The creatures, with their terrible beauty are a sight to behold. This is where Avatar falls into a mesh of clichés. Jake meets Neytiri (Zoe Saldana), a Na’vi huntress and falls in love with her. Thus, Jake comes closer to the Na’vi than he ever was with the humans. The humans become the aliens and the aliens are now his own. It doesn’t take a genius to figure out which side does Jake pledge his allegiance.
Themes:
Cameron follows the formula of Titanic – star crossed lovers accompanied with impending doom. Add to that a parallel world made from scratch which took years of hard work and a lesson in protecting the home planet and you have Avatar. Needless to say, it is the world of Pandora that stays with you and not the story itself. The world royale which unfolds leaves no stone unturned and is a saving grace for Cameron. It saves the movie from its biggest evil – boredom.
Also, the world of Cameron is black and white. The bad guys are bad and the good guys are good. Our hero is torn apart in this world. He chooses the good, of course, making the ultimate sacrifice (Jack Dawson from Titanic anyone?). Pandora becomes the allusion (Pandora’s box, greek mythology) where humans are lured into bad evils like jealousy, greed, dishonesty etc. This could have been further explored. However, the only depth that comes from Avatar in its plot is the message of protecting and conserving our resources and standing up for our planet. Other than that, Avatar is a visual spectacle.
The cinematography must be commended. It is no wonder that Avatar is getting the accolades, it deserves them. I must point out again; each and every detail possible has been looked into. Pandora comes alive as a planet and not as a section. The CGI graphics and real time photography is brilliant. Avatar is the first complete 3D film and it takes full advantage of that. Cameron’s imagination must be commended. Bravo! “Blue” was nothing. Avatar multiplies any visual spectacle tenfold!
Cast:
Sam Worthington and Zoe Saldana are in the forefront as the star crossed lovers and they deliver. It is not because of their spectacular acting as much but because of the computer graphics that these characters come alive. In fact, it can be argued that Cameron could have pulled off another Titanic but the film lacked “human” attributes. Everything had an air of sophistication. Sometimes, simplicity is the trick. Stephen Lang pitches in a worthy performance as the hateful Colonel. However, Cameron makes sure that the audience knows where their sympathy lies by the end.
Avatar is a must watch in theatres but only for its special effects and graphics. The money that has gone in to make this wonder is visible. At the heart of Avatar though, is a simple love story which lacks depth. Your heart doesn’t go out for Jake Sully as it did for Jack in Titanic. I always ask this question: What did I take away from this film?
With Avatar, I really don’t have much except the visual splendour. The visuals will stay with you for a while but not for long. However, I still remember “Alsta lavista baby” from Terminator and plenty from Titanic. Avatar remains a regenerative effort filled with life only by visuals. It remains Pandora’s Titanic, not ours…