Avatar

This review has been a long time coming and a long time delayed, but with the new Avatar sequel (supposedly one of many if things go right) on the horizon, I felt compelled to revisit this for the first time in many years. 

I strive for honesty here and Avatar has long been at the top of my "biggest confusions" list. As much as I like the movie (as you'll see in this review), I still kind of can't believe that it is/was/is-again the reigning box office champion of all time. Sure, it's James Cameron, but damn! For this film to make the money it made back in the day, even with IMAX 3D up-charging, still feels absurd to me. 

The fact that sequels are coming so late after this original one has me very interested to see if people are still willing to return to Pandora. On one hand, you have a subset of people that, after the "wow" factor has worn off, feel like the first film was basically just blue-people Dances with Wolves. On the other hand, you've got vastly different movie-going tendencies in 2022, often coupled with shorter attention spans. But there's also a third hand. And it's one that no one (if they're smart) bets against anymore. 

James Cameron. 

The man responsible for classics like the Terminator films (not the god-awful try #3, 4, and 5 reboots), Aliens, and Titanic (among others), created Avatar and all the science fiction aspects of it, making it highly original, even if the story does feel a tad borrowed. He's a box office magnet, which is exactly why studios were willing to take a chance with this new IP and take a chance again in the past decade by letting him have the time he needed to craft sequels. It's a big risk, but his track record suggests it will be worth it. 

As for the original, there's not much to say that hasn't already been said. Despite the fact it won't be getting a perfect score from me, it is one of the few films I do remember seeing in theaters all these years later. In IMAX 3D, I remember being enamored by the flying sequences. Hindsight is a powerful tool and a lot of that was because of the novelty of IMAX 3D at the time, but also how impressive the visuals were. It's that part that was the most surprising returning to it this time. 99% of the special effects in the original Avatar in 2009 would still beat out most of what we see today. In fact, if it were to release this year, I'm confident it would win the Rath Award for Best Special Effects, because they're that good and detailed throughout. The amount of color and detail available to see in the world is striking, while even more "normal" elements like an explosion or water is rendered with wild life-like accuracy. It has me excited to see what's in store for the sequel as I was beyond impressed to be reminded just how damn good these were and still are. 

Aside from the special effects, Avatar is a totally entertaining sci-fi adventure that's really only lacking an emotional punch. The world building and sci-fi elements are some of Cameron's specialty, and much of it is great here. Clearly he pulls from inspiration (the human military bases and weapons call back to Aliens, easily) and it combines to make a fully realized future. Even the story, for as similar it is to those we've seen before, is captivating and filled with rich characters and motives. I wish it had more humor to add to the entertainment value, but the real miss here is emotional stakes. And it's easily the criticism I've had with Avatar ever since the beginning: I don't feel emotionally invested for whatever reason. I know Cameron has this in him - Titanic is proof enough of that - but I can't quite place why I never felt connected to Avatar past just "oooohing" and "awwwing" at it. Maybe it's that they're not "real" people? I doubt it's that. Whatever it is, it's the thing I hope for most in the sequels as it feels like the biggest miss originally. 

It's actually a bit jaw dropping how well these effects hold up today.
They're still some of the best we've ever seen

If you've been debating re-visiting Avatar before The Way of Water, I'd recommend it. More than anything, it's wildly impressive how well it holds up over 10 years later. It truly feels like something that could be released this year and it would be competitive (it did have a short re-release because...$$$). Like most of us, you've likely come back down to earth, from Pandora, and can see it in a much more level-set light, which was refreshing for me this last go around. It was better than I remembered, but I still stuck with my original thoughts, for the most part. 

Here's hoping the sequel can WOW us even more. 

CONS

• Could use more humor in the script
• Never felt an emotional connection where I feel like there should be one
• Story feels a bit unoriginal
• Even still, a handful of people feel miscast (Joel David Moore, Giovanni Ribisi come to mind)

PROS

• Say what you want about the story (I did above) but the world building and level of detail here is VERY original
• Cameron is still a big "wow" director. He knows how to piece together a film and get huge moments on screen
• The special effects are shocking in how well they've held up. Single most impressive thing with this re-watch
• Memorable characters all around that elevate the story. The cast members that fit (Worthington, Saldana, Weaver, and Lang) nail it
• Stunning cinematography
• Fitting original score (though I do wish it was more...iconic?)

Retro Rath's Review Score | 8/10