Editorial: Avatar May Not Be 100% Original In Storytelling, But It Is Original In Its Majesty

Nathan Rabin of The Dissolve wrote an article in his Forgotsbuster column (which centers on films that made a ton of cash but wound up being forgotten) today about Avatar, the number one movie of all-time and a film always worthy of discussion, mainly because great reviews and massively positive responses from audiences have been drowned out by members of the internet who have disdain for the film.

Are those with disdain? Not at all. In fact, many who dislike the film are reasonable folks simple expressing their opinion. In the years since it's release, years of expansion of my critical abilities have even made me recognize some flaws with the film. I actually feel the feature could use a bit of a trim, of as little as 2-3 minutes, in it's middle section, but I honestly find the film to be otherwise a more than enjoyable adventure that blew my 14 year old mind, and one that still leaves me with a sense of awe.

2009 was a pretty huge year for me cinema-wise, with Fantastic Mr. Fox marking the first Wes Anderson movie I ever saw, and opening my eyes to that directors capabilities. Where The Wild Things Are similarly introduced me to Spike Jonze, while Up reinforced the kind of majesty the medium of animation could achieve. But Avatar remains important movie for me, on a visual and storytelling level. Yeah, storytelling. I know, I know, the dialogue is wooden as all out, but for some reason it works here. I think it's because the film has more of a structure of a fable, which helps some of the more one-dimensional characters feel much more compelling than they would in another environment. 

I also like the films devotion to going to absurd extremes; the villain, General Quaritch, is obviously a bad guy, with his drawl infused accent, numerous scars and ambivalence about Na'vi life. But it's kind of awesome to see such a hammy and over-the-top performance, seeing a character so relish his villainy. Stephen Lang is a major reason why that performance works so well, while other actors find similar success in the feature (even Sam Worthington, who never really found success again after this movie).

The visuals similarly boggle my mind still, with the world of Avatar being similar to the dinosaurs in Jurassic Park; both are simultaneously awe-inspiring and dangerous, and they retain those qualities without undermining each other. That sort of balance just enhances the realm of Avatar, a film I'm glad Rabin talked about today so I could speak about it's impact on me. Now, I do get people who don't care for the movie though, I really do. It's like last years Godzilla; people complained about the lackluster characters and situations, but I didn't find that a problem at all when watching it for the first time or when rewatching it. It's still a magical experience that reminds me of the kind of majesty cinema can convey on a visual level. Pandora is one hell of a place to visit, and while five years later I do see some of the gripes with the film have their points, it's certainly a film that's managed to stick with me and still manages to get me into a sense of awe whenever I watch it.