We Opened the Box

When I first saw a trailer for "Avatar," I had no idea what I saw. Not because it blew me away but because I literally didn't know what I just watched. There was so little information I couldn't put anything together. And then the hype-storm hit. Everywhere I went people began talking up James Cameron's newest movie. Somebody in one of my film classes said it was going to revolutionize films. That seemed like a stretch, but you never know. So, the movie finally hit theatres and people began raving about it. Once I realized it didn't suffocate on its own hype I got excited. I finally watched it (twice now), and it didn't disappoint.

I had a lot of friends who fell in love with the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy. With each movie clocking in at more than three hours and being full of walking, I wasn't as impressed. However, even I can admit that they were epic on a scale not often seen in film. The massive battles, colossal towers and in-depth lore all made the movies what they were. "Avatar" is the first movie since that I can say captures that kind of tremendous feeling. The build up throughout the first two-thirds of the movie established characters we actually cared about and a plot that was actually interesting, and in the third act all hell broke loose. Infantry wearing robotic battle suits fought hammer-nosed rhinos. Helicopters and bombers were in dog fights against dragon-looking beasts. It was magnificent.

And it shouldn't be overlooked that the movie had underlying ideologies. There was the whole "global warming" and "humans are destroying Earth" message, which while I whole-heartedly agree with, I am getting a little bored of it. I guess Hollywood will just keep sending the same message until we listen, though. At least "Avatar" sent the message in a more articulate way than M. Night Shyamalan did in "The Happening." Most of the argument is visible by the films usage of props. The marines in the film need face masks in order to go outside on the alien planet Pandora. This serves as a literal as well as a metaphoric symbol for how we humans aren't capable of adapting to live in an untarnished ecosystem. The main villain, who I will talk about later, tries to muscle his way into the world without protection from time to time, but he always ends up needing a mask to breathe. This is the weakness of humans. And that's not to mention that our species is constantly in search of some unobtainable substance and are willing to destroy whatever it takes to get it.


But, the unspoken theme I appreciate more in "Avatar" was the questioning of identity. The main character, Jake Sully, was enlisted in the avatar program because his twin brother who was already a part of the program had been killed. Since they were twins and avatars were gene-specific, Jake was the only person who could operate the avatar. So, when Jake plugs into his avatar, it's not even his, really. It's his brother's. And when he is plugged into the avatar, where is Jake Sully? Is he in the bed with his eyes closed, or is he in the avatar running through the forest?

But by far, my favorite part of "Avatar" is the main antagonist, Colonel Miles Quaritch. This man is the epitome of all things masculine, human and American. I'm betting he snorts whiskey and opens beer bottles with his eye socket. The is a true testament to his manliness: at one point during the film his shoulder catches fire, and he doesn't care. He doesn't do a thing about it. Then, a couple of minutes later he remembers that a part of him is burning and puts it out. He doesn't extinguish the flame because he's in pain; he does it because the flame annoyed him. Also, when he realized Jake was working with the aliens, he was so angry that he chartered a helicopter to take him miles away to the scientists' camp, kicked in the door, unplugged Jake while he was connected to the avatar, punched him in the face and left. If I ever get to the point where I am willing to travel 50 miles just to punch somebody, and my anger remains present throughout the entire trip, then my life will be complete. 


So while I wouldn't call "Avatar" revolutionary in terms of narrative design (many people have commented on how the story is just a rehashing of other films, such as Disney's "Pocahontas"), I do think it was one hell of an experience. It didn't change me as a person, or give me a better outlook on life, but it kept me entertained for three hours, and really, that's a feat all on its own.