Avatar (2009)

• Year: 2009
• Released: 18 Dec 2009
• Country: United States
• Adwords: Won 3 Oscars. 89 wins & 131 nominations total
• IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0499549/
• Rotten Tomatoes: https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/Avatar
• Metacritics: https://www.metacritic.com/movie/avatar
• Available in: 3D, 720p, 1080p
• Language: English, Spanish
• MPA Rating: PG-13
• Genre: Action, Adventure, Fantasy
• Runtime: 162 min
• Writer: James Cameron
• Director: James Cameron
• Cast: Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, Sigourney Weaver
• Keywords: alien, romance, future, soldier, space,

	7.8/10
	83/100
	82% – Critics
	82% – Audience

Avatar Storyline

When his brother is killed in a robbery, paraplegic Marine Jake Sully decides to take his place in a mission on the distant world of Pandora. There he learns of greedy corporate figurehead Parker Selfridge’s intentions of driving off the native humanoid “Na’vi” in order to mine for the precious material scattered throughout their rich woodland. In exchange for the spinal surgery that will fix his legs, Jake gathers knowledge, of the Indigenous Race and their Culture, for the cooperating military unit spearheaded by gung-ho Colonel Quaritch, while simultaneously attempting to infiltrate the Na’vi people with the use of an “avatar” identity. While Jake begins to bond with the native tribe and quickly falls in love with the beautiful alien Neytiri, the restless Colonel moves forward with his ruthless extermination tactics, forcing the soldier to take a stand – and fight back in an epic battle for the fate of Pandora.

Avatar Play trailer

Avatar Photos

Avatar Torrents Download

Avatar Subtitles Download

Avatar Movie Reviews

Cameron Returns

Nobody directs like James Cameron. Ten years in the works, and every minute was worth it. It is the Star Wars of the 21st century. Though the plot is derivative and bears some pretty close resemblance to Dances with Wolves and a little bit of The Last Samurai, it does not ruin a mind-blowing experience. Avatar has a great future ahead of it and, possibly another Oscar for the mighty James Cameron.

Jake Sully, is an ex-marine, bound to a wheel chair. He seeks to make a fresh start on the moon Pandora where his brother worked. The moon has a military run mining colony. The business has brought humans into contact with the local natives, tall blue dudes, called Na’vi. The Na’vi inhabit a part of the moon under which lies a large deposit of valuable minerals, and the humans are trying to get them to relocate. Colonel Quarich who runs the operation, ask Sully to go under cover as a Na’vi, to learn the secrets, to give the humans an advantage. If successful, Sully will get his legs back. The magic of future science and 3-D effects give Sully a handsome genetically engineered Avatar body, and he embarks on his mission. Once on the inside however, his loyalties to the humans start to turn when his heart gets lost to the Na’vi princess Neytiri. Is he willing to fight on the blue side now?

The landscape of Pandora is the most creative and inventive of the decade. There are creatures that you might find in your wildest dreams or your worst nightmares. There is flora and fauna that shine with the bioluminescence of a thousand deep sea critters, and also trees which dwarf the Empire State Building.

I guess the only noticeable problem with Avatar, is a lack of original story. What you see on the screen will blow you away, but all the tough critics, may come down a bit on the fact that despite being the latest in film technology, Cameron uses a very old archetypal formula, perhaps just a bit too schematic. There are a few badly scripted segments of dialogue, but nothing that makes you wanna blow raspberries at the screen.

What is most important is the fact that Cameron’s story gets the viewer involved and offers a handful of memorable and likable characters to root for, and some to root against. This is the post- modern era, and originality is rare, but if there is any technical progress to be made in the world of movies and entertainment, there is one name that dwarfs all JAMES CAMERON, and after ten years hiding from the Hollywood mainstream, he is back.

Gorgeous and 100% otherworldly–but the story is a bit simplistic in some ways.

As of today, there are 2675 reviews for “Avatar”–many of them excellent and by reviewers I respect and enjoy. Because this film has been reviewed so many times and I am so late in seeing it, I will make review VERY quick, as there isn’t a whole lot more I can say that hasn’t already been said.

Although I have almost 10000 reviews to my credit (making me a real nut-case!), I rarely ever see blockbuster films. Heck, I’ve never seen “Jurassic Park” and I mostly only go to theaters to see movies my daughters want to see or the Oscar-nominated shorts that are shown each winter. So the fact that I never saw “Avatar” in the theaters isn’t very surprising. Any why, then, did I see the film? Well, Netflix (or more likely the Post Office) made a mistake!! I was supposed to watch an Ealing Studios comedy (just the sort of thing a film snob would adore) but the package was ripped open–and “Avatar” was inside! While I should have seen it in 3-D on a huge screen, I fortunately at least saw it on a 58″ TV—the best I could hope for instead of the theater. In fact, I would say that if you only have a small TV, don’t even bother as the graphics are the big reason to see the film–not the story. Additionally, James Cameron achieved something never achieved before (and hopefully which can now be achieved again thanks to CGI)–he’s made sci-fi no longer the realm of humans or human-like beings. So much of the world in this film is 100% alien–something common in books but NEVER on TV or in films. Because of these factors, the film MUST be seen–even if the story, unfortunately, is a bit simplistic with its ‘people are stupid and lack TRUE insight’ plot. I would have liked the aliens teaching the humans much (like they did in the film) but less of the ‘noble savage’ idea that people have nothing to offer in exchange. While I do agree people are sometimes stupid, it just seemed a bit too black & white in its thinking and, as a result, lacks depth when it comes to the otherwise fascinating story. For example, the boss-man in charge of the operation comes off as a walking stereotype–like G.I. Joe on steroids and not a real person.

Excellent…but flawed. Next time (and the director has announced there will be at least two follow-up films), I sure hope they spend some more of the one hundred bazillion dollar budget on better writing–as the characters were too often one-dimensional and the macho fight at the end just seemed…well…stupid and clichéd. More well-rounded and real and I would have given this film a 10–perhaps the next ones will earn this distinction.

Visually mind-blowing, but lacking in the story

I did see Avatar for the first time a while ago, and didn’t know what to make of it. To me it felt like a visual feast if little else. Re-watching it again, I found more strengths, but there are several weaknesses that prevent it from being a masterpiece.

Starting with Avatar’s strengths, it is absolutely mind-blowing visually. The cinematography, landscapes, scenery, colours, make-up and effects are outstanding and are by far and away Avatar’s strongest asset. I also liked the score, it is certainly not the best score I have ever heard, but it had some very nice moments, while Cameron’s direction is competent, the message admirable, and the finale well and truly explosive. I also loved the flying sequences, they were breathtaking.

The acting in general is a mixed bag. Sam Worthington is a charismatic enough lead, while Zoe Saldana is strong and spirited. Stephen Lang is an enjoyable and over-the-top villain of the piece too, however Sigourney Weaver is somewhat so-so, doesn’t help really her character isn’t that interesting while Michelle Rodriguez and Joel Moore aren’t given very much to do.

What didn’t work so well is that Avatar’s story, with themes of love in a time of chaos and man alone in a hostile environment, is rather simplistic and predictable. I also felt it took a while to get going, and that the relationship between Jake and Neytiri was on the dull side. And is it me, or does this film drag at times, particularly towards the end? Now don’t get me wrong, I liked the concept, it wasn’t exactly original, as I often heard it described as “Dances with Wolves in Space with rip-offs of Pocahontas and FernGully”- but I am not going to join those who say that- I have to admit regardless of its originality or lack of it the concept intrigued me. Then there is the dialogue, which is nothing special and never quite rings true. There are some amusing moments but a vast majority of the dialogue in the middle of the film never quite convinced or came across as cheesy. The characters also came across as rather clichéd, especially Giovanni Ribisi’s, and the character development was lacking.

So all in all, Avatar does have a lot of strengths, but a lot of weaknesses too. I will say I preferred it over The Hurt Locker, which to be honest left me cold, but I think I would be stretching it a bit if I said it was 5-star masterpiece. 6/10 Bethany Cox