How to Gussy-Up a Hussy
In total, there are only so many types of movie out there. So when somebody walks up to me on the street with a big greasy pamphlet saying that “This movie will change your life, boy!” I respond by slowly backing away and calling the police cops.
Simple fact: Every idea has been done and done to death. The only way to look half-way original in Hollywood now is to gussy up that idea you’re using so it looks like something you made yourself without the help of your parents. Enter: James Cameron’s Avatar.
Without any doubt, this is one of the most visually stunning films in history. Pandora is this beautifully bioluminescent pearl orbiting a great blue behemoth of a planet and each and every scene on the planet surface is filled with awe and wonderment. In contrast the human base is grey and metallic, conveying a very artificial atmosphere.
These contrasts, particularly during the bulldozing scene, are far too reminiscent of FernGully: The Last Rainforest. As you may recall, this was a very pro-conservation/anti-deforestation film featuring hippy go-lucky wood nymphs. Avatar morphs from being a tad more subtle that this, wherein the nymphs are replaced by extremely tall, blue-ish cat people fighting against having their homes destroyed by a human corporation. Except: their home is destroyed.
I would have been happy if the film ended there, but no. It went on. An epic underdog story ensues with two of the least convincing Deus Ex Machina set-ups that I have ever had the headache inducing displeasure to notice.
James Cameron, it should be noted, also wrote Avatar. This fact shows glaringly through the nauseatingly half-baked dialogue. It’s pretty clear what he was going for, something meaningful and inspired to reflect the beauty of what the characters are fighting for. Unfortunately, it all comes out somewhere between a white man’s take on Native American stereotypes and cheesy ‘80s song lyrics. For a film that’s been in the making for 13 years, you’d think he’d have worked on the script a little. I mean, who’s gonna swallow “Unobtainium”.
This dialogue isn’t helped by some of the unimaginative character creations. Michelle Rodriguez’s character is an ill-defined defector to the Na’vi cause and, in her defence, it’s a terrible part to try to act. Even Sigourney Weaver’s portrayal of Dr. Augustine is laboured due to the character’s often paradoxical constructions. In her Na’vi form, however, her character (and acting) becomes more fluid and relaxed. Then we come to Colonel Quaritch, the main antagonist. He’s your stereotypical all-American soldier boy, essentially. There is zero depth to his character and, following in that vein, is Parker, the civilian head of the mining project. At one point he appears to be contemplating becoming a two-dimensional character, but decides against it.
Worse than this, however, is the prospect of an Avatar trilogy. Personally, I can’t see how it can be done without simply re-hashing Avatar. Just once I’d like to see a film that doesn’t play out to be all smiles and dandelions at the end. But despite these singular character dimensions and futile dialogue, Avatar makes up for it with dazzling CGI graphics and design. The biology of Pandora alone merits its very own review. In short, it’s pretty well thought in terms of design and functionality and, of course, plays important roles in the plot of the film. Definitely worth seeing, the visuals are all they’re cracked up to be, but don’t be too disappointed if the people and plot fail to live up to your expectations.
