A new 'Avatar' of Virtual reality. Review on Avatar Movie

We wonder where the world of cinema has taken us to! While we seem so impressed with the change in Bollywood movies in the past decade, Hollywood has leaped generations ahead. The storyline,special effects,animations,graphics,sound effects,timings, etc are the main criteria which makes Hollywood movies appear better than their Indian counterparts.

Welcome to the world of Avatar, where virtual reality takes over.

Plot/Story :-

The story takes place in the year 2154, on Pandora,an Earth like satellite of the planet Polytheus, in the Alpha Centauri star system. The RDA corporation in mining a very rare and important mineral called unobtanium, which is found only in this planet. Administrator Parker Selfridge(Giovanni Ribisi) heads the mining operation of the RDA colony which has a private security force called Sec-Ops. Pandora's atmosphere is too toxic for humans, forcing them to breathe using oxygen masks.

This planet is inhabited by a species named Navi, a ten foot(3m) tall blue skinned humanoids, who live in harmony with nature and worship their main deity named Eywa ,a mother goddess. To make contact and improve relations with the Navi, scientists grow Navi - human type hybrid bodies called Avatars, that are operated via mental link by genetically matching humans. A marine, Jake Sully(Sam Worthington),a former marine replaces his brother for the program. Dr Grace Augustine(Sigourney Weaver),head of the Avatar program considers Jake an inadequate replacement and assigns him as a bodyguard. Scientist Norm Spellman(Joel David Moore) and Jake collect certain soil samples from the planetoid in their Avatar forms, but a predator attack seperates Jake from the group, who is rescued by a female Navi, Neytiri(Zoe Saldana). Jake is impressed by her but she considers him immature and childish.Later she brings Jake to her clan and her mother Moat, the spiritual leader of the clan instructs Neytiri to teach Jake their ways. Impressed by Neytiri's courage and beauty,Jake falls for her.

Head of the Sec-Ops, Colonel Quatrich(Stephen Lang)coerces Jake to gather intelligence that would enable the Navi to co-operate with humans.A massive tree known as Hometree which is biologically connected to all Pandoran organisms sits on massive deposits of unobtanium. Quatrich decides to use force if the Navi do not co-operate in the destruction of Hometree. Jake and his team are not in support of his ideas and decide to protect the planet and preserving of its culture. Initally Quatrich sends a bulldozer to warn Jake and the natives of the upcoming danger.Later, he decides to send an entire squadron of armed helicopter gunships to attack if the natives do not co-operate. Jake and others in their Avatar forms try to warn the natives of the upcoming danger, but they distrust him assuming that he is an imposter and double agent. Finally, Quatrich spearheads an attack scaring the natives and causing significant damage. Manwhile Jake and his teammates(in their human forms) are locked up in prison for betrayal.

However, Trudy Chacon(Michelle Rodriguez),a combat pilot, disgusted with Quatrich's ideology and decides to free Jake and his team from prison,promising future support.In their attempt to escape while relocating, Quatrich shoots Grace,seriously wounding her.

To regain Na'vi and Neytiri's trust, Jake decides to tame a powerful predator, which only the Navi were capable of taming.Meanwhile,Jake and the Na'vi plead to their mother goddess Eywa to heal Grace, but too late and she succumbs to her injuries.

Jake later tries to convince the natives that the humans(whom he referes to as Sky people)would destroy their homeland if they did not unite with other clans and fight. They begin to mobilize thousands of warriors for the battle with the help of the new leader, Tsutey.Quatrich notes the mobilization and decides to strike at the Tree of Souls, reckoning that the destruction of this hub of Navi culture will force them to surrender.

As the humans attack, the Na'vi fight and retaliate with courage but suffer heavy casualties.Trudy attacks Quatrich and his coalition,but loses her life in the ensuing battle.As they are losing, the Pandoran wildlife predators join in the attack and turn the tables on the humans.Quatrich then instructs one of the main battleships to drop the high explosives,designed to exterminate the Tree of souls, but fails.Quatrich,realising that he is losing,mounts a robot and tries to destroy the machine which connects Jake to his Avatar form.At that moment,Neytiri strikes two arrows at Quatrich,instantly killing him.

Finally, the humans surrender and are forced to retreat back to earth, while Jake and Norm are allowed to remain.The clan performs the ritual that permanently transfers Jake from his human body into his Na'vi Avatar.

Overall :-

Director James Cameron has done a fab job by considering all the criteria necessary for making a blockbuter. This movie had taken more than a decade to make, from the script to the Virtual world,animation,graphics,cast finalization,among others. Cameron deliberately delayed its making so that he could get the perfect touch for Pandora as well as the look for the actors playing Na'vi characters.

In fact you would mistake Pandora's lush forests and wildlife to beshot on earth, whereas it had been created using specialised animation software and graphics.

The next most impressive element are the people playing Na'vi characters as well as the wildlife of the planet. (Well, if you're used to watch Sci-fi stuff, then this film wouldn't be that impressing.) Zoe Saldana,playing the character of Neytiri, was quite impressive as she managed to get into the skin of her character. Stephen Lang,playing the evil general Quatrich, too looked convincingly unjust or 'bad'. Sam Worthington too was good in playing the marine Jake. Michelle Rodriguez, in her tough tomboy role was good.