Avatar Collection

Action

Adventure

Fantasy

Science Fiction

Avatar

Dune Entertainment

Lightstorm Entertainment

20th Century Fox

Ingenious Film Partners

United States of America

United Kingdom

English

Español

Sam Worthington

Zoe Saldaña

Sigourney Weaver

Stephen Lang

Michelle Rodriguez

Giovanni Ribisi

Joel David Moore

CCH Pounder

Wes Studi

Laz Alonso

Dileep Rao

Matt Gerald

Sean Anthony Moran

Jason Whyte

Scott Lawrence

Kelly Kilgour

James Patrick Pitt

Sean Patrick Murphy

Peter Dillon

Kevin Dorman

Kelson Henderson

David Van Horn

Jacob Tomuri

Michael Blain-Rozgay

Jon Curry

Julene Renee

Luke Hawker

Woody Schultz

Peter Mensah

Sonia Yee

Jahnel Curfman

Ilram Choi

Kyla Warren

Lisa Roumain

Debra Wilson

Taylor Kibby

Jodie Landau

Chris Mala

Julie Lamm

Cullen B. Madden

Joseph Brady Madden

Frankie Torres

Austin Wilson

Sara Wilson

Tamica Washington-Miller

Lucy Briant

Nathan Meister

Gerry Blair

Matthew Chamberlain

Paul Yates

Wray Wilson

James Gaylyn

Melvin Leno Clark III

Carvon Futrell

Brandon Jelkes

Micah Moch

Haniyyah Tahirah

Christopher Nolen

Christa Oliver

April Marie Thomas

Bravita A. Threatt

Alicia Vela-Bailey

Larry Rew

Dina Morrone

Rodney Cook

James Cameron

Mauro Fiore

John Refoua

Stephen E. Rivkin

Jon Landau

Terry Notary

Margery Simkin

Rick Carter

Robert Stromberg

Nick Bassett

Simon Bright

Robert Bavin

Jill Cormack

Sean Haworth

Andy McLaren

Andrew Menzies

Kim Sinclair

Mike Smithson

Miranda Rivers

Mali Finn

Anthony Almaraz

Carolyn M. Fenton

Beth Koenigsberg

Lisa Lovaas

Ben Turner

C. Scott Baker

Luke Caska

David Chow

Jonathan Dyer

Scott Herbertson

Joseph Hiura

Rebecca Jellie

Robert Andrew Johnson

Tex Kadonaga

Tammy S. Lee

Karl J. Martin

Richard F. Mays

Sam Page

Mike Stassi

John Villarino

Jeffrey Wisniewski

Christopher Boyes

Dennie Thorpe

Jana Vance

Gwendolyn Yates Whittle

William Stein

Carla Meyer

Lula Washington

Alex Betuel

Jennifer Teves

Brigitte Yorke

Janace Tashjian

Ken Fischer

Shannon Mills

Tim Nielsen

Chris Scarabosio

Addison Teague

Iain Hutton

Steve Ingram

Jill Brooks

Joyce Cox

Chris Del Conte

Jenny Foster

Alain Lalanne

Christopher Marino

Jim Milton

Steve R. Moore

Thomas Nittmann

Cyndi Ochs

Lucas Putnam

Jonathan Fawkner

Anthony 'Max' Ivins

John Knoll

Dan Lemmon

Richard Martin

Steven Quale

Stephen Rosenbaum

Jonathan Rothbart

Eric Saindon

Lucas Salton

Wayne Stables

David Stinnett

R. Christopher White

Edson Williams

Guy Williams

Stuart Thorp

Garrett Warren

Roberto De Angelis

David Emmerichs

Richard Bluck

Giles Coburn

Mark Fellman

Scott Sprague

Jeremy Hollobon

It's cinema Jim, but not as we know it. 

So here it is then, what has been in gestation in James Cameron's mind for over 12 years finally hit the silver screen towards the back end of 2009. Made for gazillions amount of cash, Avatar went on to make a billion trillion in Worldwide receipts-and this before the rush rush release of DVD/BLU RAY sales are factored into the equation. The film, and all its technical wizardry, is quite simply a gargantuan piece of cinematic history. Released in 2d and 3d, and probably some other format that I'm forgetting, every advanced tool of the trade has been utilised by Cameron and his team to create what is now the ultimate popcorn blockbuster. Shame then, that away from the visual extravaganza the film is as shallow as this review will ultimately end up being.

No doubt about it, this is a joy for the eyes and ears, the minuscule details are wonderful and the colour positively pings from every frame. But in the eagerness to create such splendour they forgot to put any substance into the writing. This is plot simplicity. And even its messages, as Cameron smugly preaches his sermon from the pulpit, now seem old hat. Do we really need another boink over the head about eco invasion? Or a curt reminder of American infiltration into some land where motives are suspicious at best? No we don't really do we? Worse still is some of the dialogue, which quite frankly could have come from some playground encounter as the kiddies play kiss chase or bang bang your dead army. There's also a sense of familiarity with other better scripted film's, Dances *cough* With *cough* Wolves *cough* It's as if Cameron just knew that narrative structure wasn't as important as having the expensive gimmicks. He's like a modern day William Castle-only with considerably more readies at his disposal.

The cast are OK, Zoe Saldana puts a sexy feistiness to her blue alien Neytiri, Sam Worthington keeps the humanistic elements just about above water, while Sigourney Weaver is as ever the consummate professional. But ironically, in a film shimmering bright in 2d & 3d, the characters are all one dimensional. None more so than Stephen "The Party Crasher" Lang's Colonel. A man so gruff and gung-ho menacing he really ought to be in Sly Stallone's upcoming testo movie The Expendables. Nominated for nine Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director, it won three, for Best Cinematography, Best Visual Effects, and Best Art Direction. Those were richly deserved. They also tell us all we need to now about Cameron's Behemoth. 5/10

Manuel São Bento

Rewatching Avatar confirmed my love for Pandora. Exquisite world-building by James Cameron, memorable score by James Horner & jaw-dropping, innovative visuals that complement wonderful storytelling.

How can people not remember these characters?! Super excited about tomorrow's IMAX screening of Avatar: The Way of Water!

CinemaSerf

This is another of these films for which I didn't get the memo. It undoubtedly has parallels with the ecological ravaging of Earth by mankind, but for the most part it is just a fairly standard action romance that owes much of it's significance to it being an outstanding technical production. Sam Worthington is "Jake", a paraplegic solider who is tasked with assisting on a mission on a distant planet. By way of a bribe, the authorities offer him surgery to restore his mobility if he uses an avatar machine to infiltrate the folks inhabiting the planet "Pandora". The more he explores this bright new world, the more he begins to integrate with the people and their beautiful and colourful environment. His affection for "Neytiri" (Zoe Saldana) and his gradually developing appreciation of just what his mission is about, sets him up for a serious conflict with the gung-ho militaristic "Quaritch" (Stephen Lang). This film is all about corporate greed and an horrendous disregard not just for nature, but for an indigenous population that is though frequently touching, let down by a really mediocre cast, some slightly pontificating dialogue and yes, it is really too long. It is great to look at, the standards of the production mixing reality with animation are outstanding; it's just that the story is just all a bit lightweight.

Rick Carter | 82nd & 85th Oscars Best Production Design | Behind the Oscars Speech

Best Movies

Avatar

Cast & Crew

Videos

Cast

Sam Worthington

Zoe Saldaña

Sigourney Weaver

Stephen Lang

Michelle Rodriguez

Giovanni Ribisi

Joel David Moore

CCH Pounder

Wes Studi

Laz Alonso

Box office

More Like This

The Mountain Between Us

The Illustrated Man

The Desert Fox: The Story of Rommel

Red Planet Mars

Project Moon Base

Quatermass 2

Transamerica

The Horse Whisperer