Who's the leader of your clan? "jakesully"

Note: Aligning with the recent release of Avatar: The Way of Water, I figured out it'd be best to re-watch (and review since I haven't!) its predecessor, Avatar.

★★★★ out of ★★★★

Avatar (2009)

Runtime: 162 minutes

MPAA: Rated PG-13 for intense epic battle sequences and warfare, sensuality, language and some smoking.

Get that Blu-Ray DVD of Avatar in the highest quality. It deserves to be seen and appreciated until the end of time. Avatar isn't simply just a film or entertainment, but an immersive experience, one that makes you marvel over it throughout it's spectacular 162 minutes.

Each frame is packed with so much detail and made with so much effort that you would want a few rewinds or replays to appreciate the technical aspects of the film, while at the same time, writer/director James Cameron has crafted - dare I go against the crowds - a hefty plot that manages to sneakily add in themes of war, human greed, decisions and its consequences.

First, let's start with a general plot re-cap. Former Marine and paraplegic Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) accepts to take his dead twin brother's place in a mission on Pandora, an Earth-like planet 4.3 light years away. The planet contains air that is toxic to humans, has indigenous inhabitants called the Na'vi, and is apparently orbiting a larger, Neptune-like planet.

As humans and the Na'vi have hostile relations, Jake Sully participates in an avatar programme, one that transfers his mind to a Na'vi's body, allowing the opportunity for him to finally use his legs, and for the first time in probably an eternity, freedom. Joining him as the avatars are Dr. Grace Augustine (Sigourney Weaver) and Norm Spellman (Joel David Moore), alongside their helicopter pilot, Trudy (Michelle Rodriguez).

Corporate figurehead Parker Selfridge (Giovanni Ribisi) plans to attack the Na'vi to extract unobtanium, the element that sells for "20 million a kilo". Co-operating military unit, led by Colonel Miles Quaritch (Stephen Lang), recruits Sully to obtain information about the Na'vi, their habitat and the infrastructure, so they can launch an attack to fulfill their monetary funding, and of course human nature's greediness.

However, Jake gets captured by the indigenous and we are introduced to more characters, mainly: Tsu'tey (Laz Alonso), Eytukan (Wes Studi), and Mo'at (Carol Christine Hilaria Pounder). After they speak in their native language, the Omaticaya (name of the clan) decides that Jake shall be trained to become one of them. Jake slowly bonds with the native tribe, and falls in love with Neytiri (Zoë Saldana). With the military operations drawing in closer to the Na'vi, Jake is presented with a tough decision to either follow the orders or protect the Na'vi, a place in which he truly feels like home.

The way that Jake Sully alternates between his life as the Avatar and the paraplegic reminds me of the wonderful Spider-Man 2. On one hand, the helpless paralysed version of him if living a rather dull life, one that Jake prefers to call his dream. On the other hand, he gets a burst of freedom and joy as he walks about the magical corners of Pandora and swims in its gorgeous streams. I initially thought that the human scenes were boring and unnecessary, but now I realise they're used as an example to highlight how restrained Jake feels, aside from his unable-to-move legs. This is a similar comparison to Peter Parker's life AS Peter Parker.

From time to time, the plot also brilliantly adds in underlying themes about trust, power, freedom, and greed. Avatar's message about greed still painfully resonates, over a decade into the future. "When the last tree is cut down, the last fish eaten and the last stream poisoned, you will realize that you cannot eat money."

Now, to the main meal. Words cannot describe how in awe I am at the visuals and the scenery. They're also excellently used for the film advantage, for example a scene where Jake and Neytiri head to the "Tree of the Voices", where Neytiri offers Jake to choose a woman. Each subtle facial expression as the dialogue progresses is so meticulously detailed and so true in developing the character that the overall effect is well-earned, and for us to enjoy.

As we get closer to the climax, a showcase of numerous battleships, floating mountains, and flying beasts are once again a technical triumph. Each thrilling moment also properly builds up tension and suspense, as major characters actually meet their demise, something very worrying that leaves us to question the fate of the main stars.

Thankfully, a satisfying and touching ending saves the film from falling it into my usual three-and-a-half star traps. Despite it's gargantuan runtime of almost 3 hours, I found no issues with the runtime or the pacing. Each moment is vibrant and engaging, and plus, I'm going to beat myself for a very personal and irrelevant nitpick about the jarring font and colour of the title card at the beginning of the credits. Avatar evokes a place where you feel like you're in its world, fascinated at its lush trees, variety of creatures, and stunning scenery like the floating mountains, though you'll need a mask and defensive weapons at all times.

This makes me excited to see what's on the Neptune-like planet that menacingly takes over the sunset on Pandora.