Eye Candy #44 - "Avatar"

Avatar: James Cameron’s latest is a CGI-heavy feast for the eyes, about a verdant world called Pandora, inhabited by all manner of strange and dangerous creatures including a race of blue humanoids called Navi (who are more than vaguely Native American-ish). Into this environment come good ol’ fashioned planet-trashing humans, in a joint military-corporate venture to harvest a rare valuable mineral from the planet. The humans use avatars, biological replicas of the Navi “piloted” by humans, to win the hearts and minds of the Navi. However, the scientific and political means are losing ground to the corporate and military ends. One such Avatar pilot is paraplegic Marine Jake Sully (Sam Worthington, Hollywood’s “It Boy”), who ends up turning against his superiors whilst going native. He immerses himself in the culture of the Navi and finds true love before thrusting himself into the role of their savior. The plot here is absolutely nothing you haven’t seen before. It’s “Dances with Wolves” except the Sioux are tall, blue people. Seriously. We even get Wes Studi (all we’re missing is Graham Greene!). The cast does fine, even if Worthington’s Australian accent comes and goes. Giovanni Ribisi seems to be channeling Paul Reiser, as the requisite corporate sleazeball character intent on displacing the Navi regardless of the consequences. The real stars are the special effects – this is a beautiful movie to look at. The textures, the locations, the creatures, are all incredibly well done and very watchable. I didn’t care for the score (just because the film has a jungle-y setting doesn’t mean you need to sound like the “Lion King”). It’s got a heavy environmental message about living in harmony with the world. But it seems like a mixed message, as apparently the only way to defend said natural world…is to kill a bunch of people. Still, its a good movie. Woodchuck sez, “Check it out.”