Avatar

It's being quite a while since James Cameron has presented a piece from his cinema movie works. He's well known for bringing to us Aliens and Terminators and the last blockbuster feature that he had for the cinemas was Titanic way back in 1997. Since then, he's being involved in every other thing like dramas (Dark Angel, the one that propelled Jessica Alba to fame) and documentaries except for the good old cinemas. It seems that Cameron has been working on the Avatar script for quite a long time already and technology has finally bloom enough to express what he wanted his script to show. It could perhaps be dubbed as the "Star Wars" of the 21st century, with some really impressive CG graphics that awed the audiences.

Avatar's storyline on the surface may seem to be the cliche New World Romanticism but it gave a satisfying and impressive feeling after going through it. Think of it as a cross breed of Pocohantas, Night Elves and Mass Effect. It's quite straightforward but it leaves a lasting impression on the person. I think a big part of it as got to do with the character development and the deep details that are put into work for each of the characters. Kudos to the actors for doing a good job in bringing the expressions and emotions to their characters. Clever use of the camera adds on value to the movie too.

There are a couple of familiar faces that could be found there like Sigourney Weaver and Michelle Rodriquez. Sigourney Weaver of course hails from Cameron's days of Aliens and it's fit that she gets another chance to feature in a sci-fi movie. Michelle Rodriguez's role as the pilot fits her feisty character well and she definitely looks "Rambo-ish" in the movie. Sam Worthington is a newcomer to the field but he did a good a job though in presenting a character that is really inspirational to the audiences.

Avatar contains so many influences from various sources that it itself could be regarded as a unique world on its own with its rich details. The entire environment is beautifully crafted and there were breath-taking moments in the sceneries of the planet. The indigeneous race on the planet, the Na'vi reminds me of the Night Elves of Warcraft and the Sylvari of Guild Wars with their nature-loving and "tree-hugger" characteristic and ideology. The closest link to the Night Elves and the Norse Mythology has gotta be the giant World Tree in the movie. The floating islands are nothing new as they are used in Nagrand for World of Warcraft and the Asuran's homeland in Guild Wars. The hairstyle of the Na'Vi resembles those of the Carribean and the pigtail that they have is reminiscent of the Manchu's queue hairstyle.

Culturally wise, the tribes and the musical style that the Na'vi have does seem to be quite alike the Native Red Indians in the Americas and the different African tribes. The instrumental track tha runs throughout the movie reminds me of Civilization 4..lol. The themes from Avatar can be found in other movies and shows too. Human cruelty to aliens - District 9. A foreign hero fighting a war for the locals against his own fellow foreignmen - Pocohantas and The Last Samurai. While the romantic ties between Jake Sully and Neytiri seemed alright when Jake was in Avatar form, it does form a weird perimeter when Neytiri found Jake's human form. She's big and he's well...just smaller and shorter than his supposed wife..haha. It's like having Big Bertha or a gigantic Viking Woman kissing a dwarf. Human and alien fraternalization seem to look quite wrong since Mass Effect! Of course, Jake decided to remain alien in the end and that made things alright. Jake's desire to return back to the "Dream World" in Pandora and forsaking his original identity is very similar to Lost's John Locke who decided that staying in the Island was the better choice where he could make a name for himself.

Overall, it's a fantastic movie and ranks among of the top movies that I've watched alongside with Watchmen. Its weight and impression can be felt even after movie because it is just literally "Wow!" Avatar is one of the few movies that keep getting you to reflect back on its contents and this is one movie I won't mind watching a second time in 3D. With that said, Cameron's Avatar deservedly to be mentioned as one of cinema's greatest masterpieces.