Imagine yourselves in the 22nd century, when you would be able to conjoin your real self with a virtual one and live in the midst of an alien orbit that is so different from your own. Believe me or not, the movie pitchforks you into dizzying heights of this make-believe mania and gives your senses an out-of-the world experience.
It starts with a sorority of engineers, doctors, and soldiers being assembled to travel to an alien moon called Pandora. This includes a paraplegic ex-Marine Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) who has been brought as a replacement for his more talented but dead brother. You are also introduced to Dr Grace Augustine (Sigourney Weaver) who reposes little faith in what Jake can accomplish as part of his tasks in Pandora. His work is to breathe life into a demon that closely resembles his own features and also looks like one of the aliens thriving in Pandora.
As he is bundled into a box, and transported into this strange world, albeit in a virtual way, he experiences for the first time, how it feels to be walking on his own feet, and being free from the worries of a ‘normal’ world. This place that is so beautifully lit up with unknown species of flora and fauna also has dangers lurking within it. Soon Jake is face to face with one such life-threatening menace in the form of ferocious creatures and is rescued by Neytiri, a female member of the Pandora clan. Through her, he learns the secrets of the land such as how the natives share a special bond with each and every thing that breathes under the vast canopy of the forests, and this is what connects all of them to a common network.
Jake is soon accepted by the dwellers as one of their own and gains a newfound respect in the eyes of the people there. But his romance with the forests and Neytiri is in contrast with the work that he has been sent to accomplish. He has to cajole the dwellers to move out of the land that they have occupied for long. This is the place they believe is where the memories of their ancestors linger and where their whispers are heard. Beneath this land is a rich bounty of some precious metals that will fetch billions for the earthlings. But Jake and Dr. Grace, who realize the worth of this place to the natives, have a change of heart and decide to help the aliens instead in the fight for land.
The war that follows between the aliens and human forms will have you rooting for the former and detesting the corporate greed of the earthlings who destroyed their own world in pursuit of money and profits, and are setting about to burn down Pandora’s forests too. The ending is well nigh predictable, but peppered with amazing camera work and animation effects.
Thus a peek into the twin worlds as seen through the eyes of Jake is no less than a spectacle of a lifetime for anyone. Adding to the beauty of the film is the special 3D effects that give you the feeling of being a real spectator to the events unfolding before your eyes. A sleek cinematography coupled with an emotionally charged script also elevates the film to a different level, though it does fall a notch or two below when compared to Titanic, Cameron’s earlier movie.
However you are ready to forgive Cameron for the not-so-gripping content when you espy the rich tapestry of animations that knits together detailed characterizations and latest forms of 3D technologies. Here is one film that surpasses all the erstwhile movies in the category of 3D effects and breath-taking animations. Truly, this is a must-watch for people who would like to experience the sheer art and beauty of movies.