Avatar is publicized as a breakthrough in terms of filmmaking technology for its development of 3D viewing. Also it is dubbed as the most expensive film ever made in budget just like the Titanic which is also directed by James Cameron. It takes more than ten years to complete his Avatar project since its development in 1994. I think his hardwark is paid off well by the the swarm of viewers to see the film.
Despite some critics saying the story is ordinary and saved by its technology dimension, I find the story and the theme is great. I like seeing the Pandora world inhibited by the Na'vi people called indigenous people by the humans. The Na'vi is physically stronger, several feet taller than human and they have blue skin. The imaginative world of Pandora is awesome with the hanging mountainous range (reminds me of the hanging park of the Babylon, the glittering lamp like wood plants (like an emerald forest), and the creatures of Pandora...especially the dragon like shape Toruk Mata. And I like Neytiri character, an independent woman who can defend herself...an expert at bow and arrow and a good runner too, lol.
The story takes place at Pandora, a fictional inhabited earth-like moon in a distant planetary system. It takes five years of travel to get to the alien planet. The RDA Corporation is mining Pandora for its valuable mineral called unobtanium. This rich mineral costs a fortune. Thus, The RDA is in alley with scientists as well as mercenary soldiers to help its mission. The scientists led by Dr. Grace is developing a genetically engineered human Na'vi bodies called AVATAR which are controlled by genetically matched human generators to interact with the indigineous. Humans can not breathe the Pandora atsmosphere so they need AVATARS to study the natives.
Jack Sully, a paraplegic former marine, arrives at Pandora to replace his murdered twin brother who is an avatar operator. He is not welcomed at first by Grace and her team, thinking that he is not a man fit to the job and reduced to being as a guard for her team. While the team is venturing to the Pandora forest, they are attacked the wild beats and Sully gets separated.
Untrained and inexperience about Pandora, soon he finds himself in mortal dangers. He is lucky to be saved by Neytiri, a Na'vi princess. He is brought to Hometree where the Na'vi clan called Omaticaya live. He later learns that Neytiri is a princess. Her father is the chief clan and her mother is the Shaman of the Omaticaya. The pure spirits of Eywa has shown that Jack Sully is chosen to stay and Moat (Neytiri's mother) orders her daughter to teach him their clan ways.
The Na'vi lives in harmony with the nature and they whorship a goddes tree named Eywa. Soon, Sully is drawn deeper into the Omaticaya ways of life. He finds himself reborn in his Avatar body. His feelings for Neytiri is getting stronger. He begins to understand how the Na'vi respect the nature as their life is in absolute bound with it. His loyalty is torn between his humans employer (who promise to replace his legs) and his love for the Omaticaya. He is formerly sent as a spy to locate critical places for the Omaticaya but his conscience has a call of its own.
Supported by Grace and her team scientists, Sully is trying to save the natives and their valuable forest. At the same time, he is struggling to win the hearts of the Omaticaya who stil considers him as an outsider. Defeated in technology and weaponry, the Omaticaya is desperately try to save their world from the humans. Together with a few number of humans who fight with them led by Sully, they face modern tehnology and weaponry that already destroy the Treehouse. Will they be able to defeat their enemies? What will happen to Jack Sully and Neytiri as he is a man with two bodies?
In all, I like the theme as well as the characters. The Omaticaya people are amazing...they run fast and climb from tree to tree like Tarzan, lol. The forest is also awesome like an emerald forest where thousands of lamps are being lit in the dark.
