AN AVATAR-TURE

If there's one movie this year that you can't miss, it's Avatar. Expect and get what you expect!

The trailer I watched in the cinema wasn't a good promotional spot at all. Well for one thing the one I watch has no dialogue, just a series of clips. I had no idea what the movie is about and I thought it's really sad because it is a good movie that deserve a better trailer. But maybe that's the whole point of the trailer, to create curiosity.

Eventually I found out what the movie is about when I coincidentally saw the promo on the 8TV Quickie. After hearing the synopsis, I'm really interested in the movie and it's like the biggest movie of the year. (Sorry girls, I don't care what you say but it's not New Moon).

The only advice I have for those of you planning to watch Avatar is, find a comfortable cinema and to make sure you buy good comfortable seats. It's a three hour movie! It's literally a pain in the you-know-where if you are not in your best seats or best environment. 

There are so many things I can write about when it comes to discussing a movie like Avatar.

The graphics are brilliant and beautiful. I'm not a graphic person but I'm so awed by the beauty of the world of Pandora, especially the glow-in-the-dark lights of the forest which are magnificently breathtaking.

Avatar is the combination of three movies (or more, I don't know). For me it is a combination of Pocahontas, Eragon and Apocalypto. My friend also pointed out Surrogates, which I concur. For a movie to have so many instances of other movies, Avatar really carries a lot of themes. The great thing is, the themes of the movie are so well-developed and carried. I'm impressed because for so many themes to be that thorough and developed, the director and writer have got to do an amazing job. In fact, it is really impressive that everything can be packed into just less than three hours. James Cameron really did a fantastic job with the movie.

First of all, the concept of Pandora is amazing. I personally dig the glow in the dark effects. The photo I have here doesn't even do justice to the picture in the cinema.

I admit that in many ways, the depiction of the Aboriginals in Pandora shares similarities with the indigenous of Earth, therefore some may argue that it therefore lacks originality. The Omaticaya people carries certain facial feature of Earth's aboriginal tribes. Even some of the animals in Pandora shares similarities with the animals on Earth.

However, James Cameron did manage to somehow mystify the whole concept of Pandora as another planet by adding flavour to a worn out love story between a white and a native (a.k.a. Pocahontas and John Smith) by integrating the concept of Aliens and the other world.

The story is about Jake Sully, an ex-marine, who went on-board a Science mission in which his twin brother, Tommy was involved in before his death. Jake Sully, being part of the army force at first was ignorant to the forces of nature, to the beauty and power of his surrounding, until he met Neytiri, the daughter of the Omaticaya tribe leader (very similar to Pocahontas see).

Jake Sully has a powerful energy within him that made Neytiri spare him his life and then brought him back to her tribe, to her mother who interprets all the messages of their deity Eywa. It was then decided that Neytiri teach Jake all the ways and traditions of the Omaticaya - to feel and experience the forces and beauty of nature. Their lessons and experiences together made Jake realize the things that are most worth living and fighting for. Naturally, the two main characters also fell in love with each other. 

The main themes in the movie is to love nature and to respect people who are different.

1. The Power of Nature

The Omaticaya or rather, the natives of Pandora all believe that energy is borrowed from the nature. When Jake was lost in the forest, he struggled to light up a fire for light in the dark forest. When Neytiri put off that fire, we see the beauty of the forest, the glow-in-the-dark effects that lit up the whole forest, and that's when we realized that Jake Sully doesn't need a light because the nature itself has been radiating light (in indirect ways). It's like if we focus, we can actually feel the power of nature at work. The night itself isn't dark.

In fact, think about it. I think we can relate it even on Earth. Well yeah, we don't have the glow in the dark forests but think about the stars and the Moon that lit up the Earth. Without the street lights, we'll be mesmerized by the stars. 

I think the subtle message that our director wants to highlight is that we have been neglecting the beauty of nature. We've been so caught up with wealth, materialization and commercialization that we don't understand how to live with nature anymore. I admit that to a certain extent that I can't live in the jungle without technology.

Jake Sully said we kill our mother - mother nature, something that the Omaticaya is hanging on to. 

2. Science vs. Religion/Faith/Beliefs

I don't know if you are a believer, but I consider myself one (sometimes), though recently I'm kinda sick of just being a believer and just hoping.

Jake Sully said: "Maybe I'm sick of what doctors can't do"

Eywa gave Jake his legs back, his pair of legs that doctors failed to provide him. In Avatar we see that the indigenous respecting nature and also believing in the power of nature, in their deity, Eywa. They cling on to their spiritual side, which I guess many of us today don't. Avatar discusses the fact that though sciences and technology explains things, there are also unexplainable phenomenons done by the power of God.

3. Human beings are materialistic

For the sake of money and profit, humans would intrude and kill others. In other words, they are in fact taking something that don't belong to them. They tried to destroy the Omaticaya's home just because the stones on those grounds are worth millions.

I don't know if you felt the cruelty of the destruction, but when I was watching it, it nearly brought tears to my eyes. Somehow, I feel sad for the Omaticaya, sad for mother nature. The tribe lost their homes to human's greed. It was painful to watch.

4. Never intrude and call people aliens 

I love the ending when the natives of Pandora sends the "aliens" (humans) back. I love the irony.

TC-My Rating:

p/s: Extra points given to Michelle Rodriguez who is looking stunningly gorgeous in the movie.