The Old King is back. 5 words to describe Avatar. You maybe (you must) remember the 1997 all-time highest-grossing film, Titanic. And you maybe think, where in the world did the director, James Cameron, goes? And now, his back with an epic. Also backed up by the high-budget, and the latest edge-cutting 3D stereoscopic technology combined with the CGI technology, deliver you the mind blowing sci-fi epic, Avatar.
Australian actor Sam Worthington, who plays as Marcus Wright, the human-hearted terminator in Terminator Salvation, gets his major role as Jake Sully, a paraplegic former marine on Pandora, a planet located in the Alpha Centauri star system. The story takes place entirely on Pandora, where the human comes there to mine Unobtainium, a rare ore that serves as a high-efficiency energy sources. The Pandora itself has it own indigenous people called Na'vi. This blue skinned, 9-feet tall humanoid live in harmony with the nature. The main problem is, their home, which is a huge tree, stands above a large quantity of Unobtainium depot. The human tries to relocate them, but they're getting resistance, not only from the Na'vi but also from the poisonous-for-human atmosphere of Pandora. While military waging the war, a group of scientists try to understand the Na'vi under the form of a genetically-altered Na'vi bodies called Avatar, which is controlled by the mentally-linked and DNA matched human operator. Jake Sully himself comes to replace his twin brother, an operator who is killed in a mugging. He then placed as the bodyguard of other scientists Dr. Grace Augustine (Sigourney Weaver) and Norm Spellman (Joel David Moore). He soon found himself fell in love with the local Na'vi named Neytiri (Zoe Saldana). Later on, he also pitted in the war between the human, his race; and the Na'vi, the race that gave him freedom to move in his avatar form.
There is a sensitive issues, if you think it is, in the movie. Well you see, a local nature-loving people with traditional tools fight with the outsider with advanced technology that want to exploit their natural resources. Sounds familiar? Maybe you'll think of the European Invasion of America, or more recently, American Invasion of Afghanistan and Iraq? Whether you agree with it or not, I can guarantee that at least you'll be amazed by the universe James Cameron has made. For your information, he already worked on this project since 1994, but because of the lack of technology that time, the movie finally made it to the theaters on 2009. He and his team already created the Na'vi language, the wildlife of Pandora, and all of the aspects to create a universe. By the CGI, you'll be given the amazing view of Pandora inhabitant, the beautiful yet deadly carnivorous plant Helicoradian, the hammerhead rhinoceros Titanothere and also with many places in Pandora. Looking at the wide fictional universe, we all can expect for another sequel to come, and maybe the start of a cult, just like when The Lords Of the Rings did.
And again, Avatar has proved the capabilities of James Cameron. Not long before I wrote this, I've read in the news that Avatar reign on top as the all-time highest-grossing film, beating Titanic. And for the record, Avatar and Titanic both are the works of James Cameron.
As for the upcoming 82nd Academy Awards, I'll be expecting to the reunion of James Cameron and his ex-wife Kathryn Bigelow. Because one of the main fight that may be occured is Avatar versus The Hurt Locker, not forget to mention Quentin Tarantino's Inglorious Basterds. But, the tradition told that usually the one that garnered a lot of money will get the award. But who knows? Let us just pray and sit waiting for the 82nd Academy Awards on March 2010.
