Even before I sit down at the multiplex, I can tell that this screening is going to be different. Film critics from all across town have trekked out to see the movie, and although I arrive half an hour early to the 10 a.m. screening, there are already about 30 people waiting in the lounge. I’ve never seen such a turnout for a press screening before. I overhear a conversation between two men waiting in the lounge. "This film is sort of like the second coming," says the first. “It sort of is,” replies the other. “Is it wrong that I really just want to see James Cameron crash and burn?” As we walk up to our seats, a man trips on the stairs. The critics are literally falling over themselves to see this movie.
Avatar follows a basic three-act structure, and in many ways, the story is quite simple. Jake Sully (Sam Worthington), a paralyzed Marine, is sent to the far-off planet Pandora as part of the Avatar Program, where he is allowed to control the body of a Na’vi (a native of the planet). As Jake grows accustomed to their rituals and to the Na’vi people, he slowly begins to notice the effect humans are having on Pandora’s environment. Worthington’s performance is strong, and all of the acting in the film is superb. (This is even more of an accomplishment considering that the film was mostly shot against a green screen.)
Though the story itself is powerful, the film really shines in the special effects department. The Na’vi are entirely computer generated, yet they manage to feel completely natural—so much so that when one sees Na’vi and humans together on the screen, nothing looks out of place. The same can be said for the lush colours, flora and fauna of Pandora—the planet feels, and in many ways is, alive. One of the more notable “wow” scenes happens at the very beginning of the film: an out-of-focus 3-D water droplet floating through space slowly comes into focus as Jake wakes up from cryo-sleep. It was at this point that I realized what Cameron had accomplished.
Though I have seen many big-ticket 3-D Hollywood releases, this is the first 3-D movie I’ve seen that isn’t gimmicky or that uses special effects for their own sake. Instead, it allows the audience to become truly immersed within the film. Aside from those pesky 3-D glasses, which become annoying to wear after the first hour (especially if you’re wearing your own glasses underneath them), it is not an overstatement to say that Avatar will change the way 3-D films are made.
The film can’t all be good, though. As the closing credits roll, Leona Lewis’ theme song pops up, and it’s awful. If and when you watch this movie, be sure to walk out as soon as the credits start. As I exit the film, I ask one of the critics what he thought. “He did it again,” he tells me. “I wanted to hate the movie. I really did. But it’s just too good.” If there is one movie you watch this holiday season, let it be Avatar. And please: if you can, go see it in IMAX. I can’t think of a better way to spend $17.50. Suspension of disbelief has never been so sweet.
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