Steven
Payne	
  	
  Avatar	
 (2009)	
  Dir.	
 James	
 Cameron	
 
Unit	
 Two	
 Space	
 
Fig	
 1	
 Avatar	
 Movie	
 Poster	
 
	
  Avatar	
 is	
 known	
 widely	
 for	
 its	
  revolutionary	
 visual	
 special	
 effects,	
 having	
 a	
 hand	
  in	
 effectively	
 rebooting	
 3D	
 in	
 cinemas.	
 In	
 terms	
 of	
  story,	
 the	
 film	
 is	
 not	
 particularly	
 renowned,	
 as	
 it	
  truly	
 is	
 the	
 stunning	
 visuals	
 that	
 carry	
 the	
 film.	
 	
  	
  The	
 digitally	
 created	
 world	
 meshes	
  pretty	
 much	
 seamlessly	
 with	
 ordinary	
 reality	
 in	
  an	
 undoubtedly	
 impressive	
 way.	
 But	
 Cameron	
  has	
 always	
 been	
 a	
 technical	
 pioneer.	
  Schwarzenegger's	
 T1	
 robot	
 chassis	
 was	
 a	
 marvel	
  of	
 special	
 effects.	
 (Bradshaw,	
 2009)	
  	
  Taking	
 around	
 twelve	
 years	
 to	
 go	
 from	
  concept	
 to	
 reality,	
 Avatar	
 is	
 a	
 typical	
 Cameron	
  movie	
 in	
 terms	
 of	
 spectacle	
 and	
 the	
 masses	
 of	
  awards	
 pushed	
 in	
 its	
 direction	
 confirm	
 that,	
  although	
 not	
 for	
 the	
 story.	
 The	
 film	
 has	
  revolutionized	
 the	
 way	
 visual	
 effects	
 are	
  integrated	
 into	
 movies,	
 with	
 Cameron	
 waiting	
  since	
 the	
 1990s	
 for	
 filmmaking	
 technology	
 to	
  advance	
 and	
 catch	
 up	
 with	
 his	
 vision.	
  	
  "Avatar"	
 is	
 more	
 than	
 a	
 visual	
 effects	
  movie.	
 It's	
 also	
 a	
 rousing	
 action	
 film,	
 a	
 cautionary	
 
eco-fable,	
 a	
 tale	
 of	
 clashing	
  cultures,	
 and	
 a	
 love	
 story,	
 all	
  rolled	
 into	
 one.	
 (Plath,	
 2010)	
  	
  The	
 film	
 has	
 gone	
 on	
 to	
  become	
 the	
 highest	
 grossing	
  film	
 ever	
 made	
 (followed	
  closely	
 by	
 another	
 successful	
  Cameron	
 movie,	
 Titanic)	
 and	
  has	
 amassed	
 around	
 70	
  different	
 awards	
 since	
 its	
  release.	
  	
  The	
 film	
 touches	
 on	
  several	
 themes	
 including	
 the	
  9/11	
 attacks	
 (through	
 the	
  destruction	
 of	
 the	
 Home	
 Tree),	
  anti-Americanism	
 and	
 the	
 war	
  in	
 Iraq,	
 as	
 well	
 as	
 themes	
 of	
  Fig	
 2	
 The	
 Highly	
 Detailed	
 Facial	
 Visual	
 Effects	
  religion,	
 race	
 and	
 civilization.	
  	
  Even	
 with	
 his	
 colorless	
 dialogue,	
 old-time	
 storytelling	
 and	
 surprise-free	
 plotting,	
  Cameron	
 is	
 smart	
 enough	
 to	
 layer	
 in	
 intriguing	
 ideas	
 about	
 identity	
 and	
 the	
 different	
 ways	
  avatars	
 reflect	
 the	
 values	
 of	
 those	
 that	
 control	
 them.	
 (Meyers,	
 2009)	
  	
  Although	
 Avatar	
 isnt	
 the	
 most	
 intriguing	
 film	
 in	
 terms	
 of	
 story,	
 its	
 a	
 compelling,	
  visual	
 marvel	
 and	
 in	
 terms	
 of	
 social	
 impact,	
 it	
 is	
 on	
 the	
 same	
 level	
 as	
 films	
 such	
 as	
 Star	
 Wars.	
  	
  	
  	
  	
 
Steven	
 Payne	
  	
  	
  	
  Bibliography	
 
Unit	
 Two	
 Space	
 
Quotes	
  Bradshaw,	
 Peter.	
 (2009)	
 Avatar.	
 In:	
 theguardian.co.uk	
 17/12/09	
 [online]	
  http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/2009/dec/17/avatar-james-cameron-film-review	
 (Accessed	
 on	
  24/11/11)	
  	
  Plath,	
 James.	
 (2010)	
 Avatar.	
 In:	
 dvdtown.com	
 07/12/10	
 [online]	
  http://www.dvdtown.com/review/avatar/blu-ray/8665	
 (Accessed	
 on	
 24/11/11)	
  	
  Meyers,	
 Jeff.	
 (2009)	
 Native	
 Tongue.	
 In:	
 metrotimes.com	
 23/12/09	
 [online]	
  http://www2.metrotimes.com/screens/review.asp?rid=25860	
 (Accessed	
 on	
 24/11/11)	
  	
  List	
 of	
 Illustrations	
  Fig.	
 1.	
 Avatar	
 Movie	
 Poster	
 From:	
 Avatar	
 Directed	
 by:	
 James	
 Cameron.	
 [film	
 poster]	
 US:	
 Twentieth	
  Century	
 Fox	
  	
  Fig.	
 2.	
 The	
 Highly	
 Detailed	
 Facial	
 Visual	
 Effects	
 by:	
 James	
 Cameron.	
 [film	
 poster]	
 US:	
 Twentieth	
  Century	
 Fox