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Avatar Our rating: Your rating: 1 2 3 4 Your Comments: see all MPAA rating: PG-13 (for intense epic battle sequences and warfare, sensuality, language and some smoking) Genre: Action, Animated Theater release: December 18, 2009 by 20th Century Fox Directed by: James Cameron Runtime: 2 hours 42 minutes Cast: Sam Worthington (Jake Sully), Zoe Saldana (Neytiri), Sigourney Weaver (Dr. Grace Augustine), Stephen Lang (Colonel Miles Quaritch), Michelle Rodriquez (Trudy Chacon) Related: Talk About It/Family Corner

Until I saw Avatar, I didn't realize how much the movies have missed James Cameron. But we know now his time away was not wasted since his last feature film, 1997's Titanic.

Cameron has spent the last several years preparing for and creating Avatar, a project that required the director to wait for technology to catch up with his vision and invent new filming technologies and techniques—including a new method of motion capture that records every muscle movement of the actors.

The results show; Jar Jar this is not. The computer-generated blue aliens are lifelike, emotive and convincing. Let me put it this way: a computer-generated creature voiced by Sigourney Weaver looks so much like her (but younger) that I thought maybe Cameron found a way for her to reprise her role as Ripley for an Alien prequel.

Sam Worthington as Jake

Right away, the look is special—and it only gets better. The realistic and beautiful world created by Cameron is a must-see, a definite milestone in movie technology. Perhaps the greatest compliment to give is that the look is so natural and absorbing, you don't think about how it's not real. You think, It'sjust a movie filmed on Pandora. Future filmmakers will look on this movie's advancements a bit like filmmakers now view Star Wars. With 3D scenery that surrounds the viewer, strange creatures visibly breathing, and thrilling fantasy creations like riding dragon-like birds into battle, this is as much an experience as a movie.

Full of that rare movie magic which can transport, entertain and intrigue, this sci-fi fantasy is a fun amusement park ride that emerges you into a fresh, brilliant new world and ignites your imagination. But it doesn't matter how shiny and pretty your world is if no one wants to be there. Thankfully, I was surprised by how quickly I was swept up into the universe and simple story of Avatar.

Jake Sully (Sam Worthington, Terminator Salvation) is a paralyzed ex-marine persuaded by his brother, Tommy, to join him on the legendary and dangerous planet of Pandora. Tommy is a contracted scientist and Jake is looking to do any grunt work he can find. However, when Tommy can't fulfill the contract he signed with the corporation, Jake takes over for him. The job? "Driving" Tommy's avatar—a mash-up of Tommy's DNA and that of Pandora's primitive indigenous species, the Na'vi—though a nervous system link. By looking like the Na'vi, these avatars are the company's best chance to study Pandora and to make nice with the locals. But the corporate interests aren't really about goodwill—the company is looking for any way to get the Na'vi out of the way of mineral excavation. After all, ex-marine Jake seems to be the ideal tactical spy with the perfect covert cover to help eliminate the Na'vi complication.

Zoe Saldana as Neytiri

As many have suspected from the trailer, this is Dances with Wolves in space: Tough solider Jake learns the Na'vi way, falls in love, and chooses which side he should really join when the inevitable clash comes. We all know this story; we've heard this tale of walking a mile in other's shoes. There's not much new in Avatar's plot for anyone who's seen many movies. Sensing this from the trailers had dampened the enthusiasm and hopes of many moviegoers looking forward to Avatar—including myself. It appeared to be all flash, little substance—another big loud actioner with little heart or sense.

We of little faith. James Cameron may not be greatest writer (several lines in Titanic still make me cringe) or one known for original and complicated plotlines (some of his best films can be summed up as bad thing comes after good guy), but he is one of Hollywood's best storytellers in terms of using all sides of the cinematic journey (visuals, story, music, etc.) to stir and capture imaginations for a satisfying ride. As a friend of mine put it, "When we first heard about Titanic, we thought it'd be a cheesy, predictable soap opera love story—and it was, but it was a well-done cheesy, predictable soap opera thanks to the writing, acting and spectacle." And that's the case here: it's not perfect, but it's familiar, simple territory that's well tread.

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