Avatar

I was sick on the couch and happened on a podcast about Avatar and realized it had been almost exactly 15 years since I saw it in theaters with the rest of the planet. Like everyone else, I saw in theaters, thought the theatrical experience was amazing, and never thought about it again. I loved The Way of Water but I didn’t revisit the OG ahead of that movie. I decided sick on the couch on a Monday afternoon was the time to do just that.  Unfortunately for the haters, this movie fucks. Not only do the special effects hold up incredibly well, but the performances and story hold up as well. The bones of the story itself are not what anyone would consider original, and that was a common criticism back in 2010 as well. I derisively called it Dances With Smurfs back when I was a dipshit 21 year old trying to be edgy. Th reality is what you could argue is an unoriginal story is in fact a timeless one. Stories about colonialism, racism, chosen family, and ecology will always be prescient. Even more so, James Cameron executes that familiar story with a precision and craft that only an absolute master like Cameron can and that more than anything is what keeps the story afloat.  People often accuse Avatar of being unmemorable. When I watched it I was struck by how vividly I recalled almost everything despite having not seen it in nearly two decades. I kept going “oh I remember this!” over and over.  The criticisms of Sam Worthington’s casting are valid and have only been reinforced in the years since. Linda Hamilton, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sigourney Weaver, Bill Paxton, Leo DiCaprio, Kate Winslet, and Zoe Saldaña all shot to fame working with Jim Cameron. Sam Worthington did not. With the exception of the Wrath of Titans movies he was a nothing actor before he was cast, he was a nothing actor after Avatar was released, and he continues to be nothing actor despite being the star of two of the three biggest movies of all time. Everyone knows the story that Matt Damon was offered the role and Avatar would be probably be an easy 5 star movie and significantly more rewatchable with him in it.  Saldaña is a revelation. Arguably no actor has ever been more well suited for big picture film making. Even working either first-of-its-kind mocap technology, Saldaña seems to have an innate understanding of when and how to push through the limitations of the tech and emote.  Stephen Lang absolutely rules as the bad guy. He perfectly walks the line between commanding authority and being totally unsympathetic. If this role were played by someone like Bill Paxton, we would still find some semblance of likability. With Lang, we just want to see this fucker get killed, and it’s so satisfying when he does.  Something I really appreciate about James Cameron is how despite having a reputation for being a tyrant and despite his films being so meticulously engineered that they often feel soulless, he is at his core remarkably sentimental and optimistic. I’ll bet he’s a great dad. Is Avatar my favorite James Cameron movie? Not even close. But the fact that is ranks at best in the middle of anyone’s list is more a testament to the strength of his filmography than any weakness in Avatar. This movie rules all on its own. As Chris Ryan says: doubt Big Jim at your peril.