Movie Poster

I see you.

# Review

Avatar is an epic about colonization; in this case, it’s humans colonizing Pandora, a moon in the Alpha Centuri full of rich wildlife and inhabited by 3-meter-tall blue people called the Na’vi. The film is a science fiction retelling of the imperialism experienced by indigenous peoples in North and South America, ranging from the similarities between the culture of the Na’vi and many indigenous cultures (namely the worship of nature) and the actual events which transpired, such as the destruction of symbols and lands significant to the indigenous cultures by the colonizers.

The movie follows Corporal Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) who gets recruited into the Avatar program, which transfers the consciousness of Jake into a hybrid human-Na’vi body. The movie focuses on the struggles between the humans and the Na’vi, and Sully’s experiences infiltrating Na’vi society.

I felt the film is peak Hollywood, a blockbuster made to appeal to as many people as possible. The film, for me, did not contain many deep themes and the story makes use of many well-worn tropes. The acting was also solid but not exceptional; one of the highlights was Zoe Saldaña’s portrayal of the emotional Neytiri.

Despite the mediocrity in certain aspects, this movie is exceptional in many others and quantifiably so, as it has generated massive box office numbers since release. The simplicity of the movie (the story, the themes, the character development, etc) made this film accessible for all audiences, especially international audiences. The amazing attention to detail in world-building is also commendable; the spectacular visual effects create an immersive experience for viewers and the world-building, such as the Na’vi language and how different organisms work in the Pandora ecosystem, mesh perfectly with the visuals to create additional immersion.

# Conclusion

Overall, while this film was not particularly memorable, aspects of the film are worthy of praise.

# Overall rating: 7.2

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