Avatar's Bells-and-Whistles

by John M. Curtis
(310) 204-8700

Copyright Jan.. 4, 2010
All Rights Reserved.                    

              James Cameron’s Avatar shatters all expectations for marketing hype but proves that bells-and-whistles are no substitute for aesthetic moviemaking.  Cameron puts his Titanic credentials on the line, waiting 12 years before venturing into the imaginary world of steroidal SciFi, using 3-D to exaggerate computer-generated animation and dazzling visuals, perhaps the only saving grace to an otherwise simple-minded shoot-em-up plot, an indulgent hodgepodge of Star Wars, Jurassic Park and Pocahantas.  Calling Cameron’s work a “game-changer” or the “shape of things to come,” mirrors the self-congratulatory hype that has generated over $170 million U.S., $1 billion worldwide, with expectations to turn a profit on the costliest movie of all time at $500 million.   While there’s no accounting for popular taste, Cameron’s Avatar is no breakthrough in moviemaking.

            Cameron’s over-reliance on big-screen fireworks and “breathtaking” visuals can’t hide his simple-minded screenplay pitting some Las Vegas-like-Blueman-Group-looking creatures against a Blackwater-like corporate hybrid of the military-industrial complex, seeking to pillage-and-plunder the pristine day-glow colored world of the native Na’vi.  While Cameron sets up a Blue Lagoon-like love story between bare-breasted blue-tinged Na’vi Neytiri [Zoe Saldana] and an unlikely paraplegic ex-marine Jake Sully [Sam Worthington], transformed via DNA magic into an Avatar-looking clone, the rest of the story is just another Terminator-like shoot-em-up Hollywood action story.  In Cameron’s world, the villain is the U.S. military, personified by maniacal marine Col. Miles Quaritch [Stephen Lang] and his Pentagon-like bureaucrat boss Parker Selfridge [Giovani Ribisi].

            Cameron knows from his Titanic days that brilliant movie making is more than stunning visuals but a story of a dramatic complexity and characters, sufficiently developed and acted to create a bond with the interested moviegoers.  While there’s some interest in Neytiri and Jake’s budding love story, there’s little to write home about with Quaritch and Selfridge’s mediocre performances.  No budding stars like Titanic’s Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet grace Avatar, only subtle nudity that managed to slip under the radar of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ minders, awarding the audience-friendly PG-13 rating.  Even Dr. Grace Augustine [Sigourney Weaver] of Ghostbuster’s fame, added little to forgettable acting performances, hardly worthy of Golden Globe or Academy Award nominations.  No, Cameron only relied this time on his neon visuals.

            For moviegoers—and there’s plenty—mesmerized by dazzling visuals, Cameron offers the ultimate Las Vegas-like experience.  Like approaching the Vegas strip for the first time, there’s a certain awe when encountering day-glow plants and imaginary creatures along the same lines as Star Wars, no accident that Star War’s George Lucas “Industrial Light & Magic” added to the special effects.  While there’s plenty to ooh-and-ah about, there’s little to rejoice for movie buffs hoping for a richly satisfying experience.  Mediocre screenwriting, lackluster acting and above-average music don’t break new ground in moviemaking.  Forcing moviegoers to wear 3-D glasses, interfering with the viewer’s visual field, detracts from the movie-going experience more than the gimmicky benefits of 3-D.  Believing that 3-D is a future “game-changer” defies reality and common sense.

            Avatar provides pure entertainment the same way Las Vegas creates an ever-more-stimulating Disneyland for entertainment-starved adults.  More extravagant buffets don’t satisfy appetites for better quality, only fill a gastronomic void.  Avatar bathes the audience in extravagant visuals but doesn’t give them anything to think about, especially if Cameron wished to make a statement about industrial man’s exploitation of native populations.  There’s no Grammy or Academy Award-winner like Celine Dion belting out a hauntingly beautiful theme song like Titanic’s “My heart will go on.”  Cameron would have been better off reproducing the harmonic drone inside Las Vegas casinos, scientifically arranged to transform Scoutmasters and PTA mothers into weekend gamblers.  “Avatar” has all the glitz but it lacks a solid screenplay, memorable acting and a fulfilling meaning.

            Cameron’s 12-year absence since Titanic shows that he’s forgotten the essence of great filmmaking. Marketing hype and raking in oodles of cash don’t replace well-written screenplays, unforgettable acting and memorable music.  Avatar amuses audiences with special effects much the same way Las Vegas provides the latest-and-the-greatest self-absorbed entertainment for individuals craving pizzazz but not looking for an aesthetic experience.  Cameron delivers impressive visuals but doesn’t follow it up with a meaningful screenplay or memorable acting.  Contrary to marketing hype, Avatar is no “game-changer” only hits a new high for Las Vegas-like hyper-stimulation, the very problem with a video game generation unable to sit still long enough to appreciate a good love story.  Before Cameron believes his own hype, he should go back to the drawing board for his next film.

About the Author

John M. Curtis writes politically neutral commentary analyzing spin in national and global news.  He’s editor of OnlineColumnist.com and author of Dodging The Bullet and Operation Charisma.

©1999-2012 Discobolos Consulting Services, Inc.
(310) 204-8300
All Rights Reserved.