Avatar - 4 smiles

“Avatar” is pure entertainment, clearly the best movie of 2009. From a visual perspective, director James Cameron gives us one of the most amazing presentations ever of an alien world and in 3D, it’s totally riveting. Add the IMAX screen and all of the elements – story, character, theme, emotional impact, special effects – grab you and don’t let go. Cameron’s detractors claim that “Avatar” is a science-fiction version of “Dances with Wolves,” but is that a bad thing? At a time when battles rage about whether or not man is destroying the planet, Cameron’s ideas resonate. And Stephen Lang’s Colonel Quartich is the perfect villain, who has yet to meet a foe that can defeat him. Sam Worthington and Sigourney Weaver are solid, even though a good portion of their time is animated. Like Andy Serkis’ Gollum in The Trilogy of the Rings, Zoe Saldana’s Neytiri is entirely based on motion capture. Fortunately, the Na’vi appear three-dimensional, transcending their CGI conception. We believe that they are real and we care about them.

“Avatar” takes place on the planet Pandora in the year 2154. Pandora is a jungle world rich in unobtanium, a rare mineral that will yield millions for the mining corporation that can get it. Human interactions with the indigenous humanoid population, the 10-foot tall, blue-skinned Na’vi, have been contentious. Leading the security detail is Colonel Miles Quartich (Stephen Lang). For a while, Dr. Grace Augustine (Weaver) was able to successfully run a school for the natives by using ‘avatars’ (synthetic Na’vi remotely controlled by humans), but when Grace’s interactions do not lead to unobtanium mining, she is ordered to close the school. For Grace, studying the Na’vi and their world is her prime objective and another opportunity arrives in the form of a paraplegic ex-marine, Jake Sully (Sam Worthington). Unfortunately for Jake, he’s caught between two masters. Quartich wants Jake to bond with the Na’vi so he can pass back tactical information while Grace wants him to rebuild a connection to the Na’vi. A series of events result in Jake being saved by Neytiri (Zoe Saldana), who distrusts him, but believes that he is connected to the Na’vi god. She takes him to the ‘home tree’ where he gains the opportunity to learn their ways and become a member of their society. Unfortunately, Colonel Quartich is planning a massive operation to force the Na’vi to relocate. “Avatar” is emotionally satisfying and a great visual ride. It’s top notch. 12/26/09