Tonight I finally went to the movies and got to see Avatar. And I am glad I did. Avatar is one of those Sci Fi epics that is huge . I mean the special effects alone can make you drool with awe from the sheer enormity of the scenery and the CG’s involved. That alone makes the movie a draw. But what got to me was the story. I have heard some reviews that the story was missing and it was not really all to intelligent. I beg to differ. It had a story that made you stop and think , one that made you reflect on issues and raises questions. When you have story that does that especially in an entertaining manner like this movie has done then you then achieved much.
The story takes place in 2154 AD with a mining operation on one of the moons of the planet Polyphemus called Pandora. The mining operation is controlled by a corporation that wants to mine a rare and very valued mineral called unobtaniam and employs mercenaries of ex Marines and other forces to protect and take if needed the land necessary to get the mineral.
Pandora itself is a moon rich with life that are all interconnected to each other and all live in harmony . The primary humanoid life form are the Na’vi. . Which if you ask me are modeled after the American Indians to some fashion . I guess it is the way they view there world and all life. Each animal and plant is part of the bigger picture and all must be respected , The Na’vi are extremely tall about 9 feet with blue skin that have this illuminating sheen to it and carbon reinforced bones. Their religion or the name they give their force if you will is Eywa. I would say the equivalent to Gaya or mother Earth.
Now the humans want to mine the planet but the Na’vi are fighting back especially after some conflicts that was hinted at in passing in the film. So the humans try a different approach by creating AVATARS and the Avatar program headed up by Sigourney Weavers character Dr. Grace Augustine .
Avatars are bio-engineered human Na’vi hybrids that are controlled by a human who shares genetic material with an avatar is mentally linked to it, allowing them to control it while their own body ‘sleeps’. Now this is where the plot begins. These things are so expensive to make that only a person with that if a person dies that one of these are designed for the company looses millions. That is just what happen to Jake Sully the main character of the movie who is a an ex marine that is paralyzed from the waist down.. His twin brother Thomas died , a research scientist that was headed to planet . So instead of taking a bath on an Avatar they enlist Jake Sully for the program .
But being an ex marine the head military officer in charge of the mercenaries recruits him to be his intel for a possible military operation against Na’vi even though his primary job was to protect the scientist gathering up data for research. It becomes your everyday corporate greed and military blindness that makes humans the bad guys in this one. Just like the old west and the American Indians the humans want to move the Na’vi to get at their resources . And in a typical human fashion greed over rules any morals with arrogance and self righteousness that kills any human decency and kills all common sense.
Jakes first mission was to protect a team while gathering scientific information and while on patrol is attacked by a creature forcing him to separate from the team. Eventually while trying to survive he ends up rescued by a female Na’vi (Neytiri ) who later helps him learn the ways of Na’vi. Jake slowly starts to be drawn into their world and understanding that the soul of your being is not what you were on the outside but who you are on the inside. He becomes one of them and falls in love with Neytiri and in the end does what is right and fights the humans who unjustly try to destroy the balance of their world.

I can go on with the plot and give much more away but I wont. It is more fun watching it and having all those subplots and twist filled in for yourself then reading a plot summary and having it all spoiled for you.
I do plan on seeing this again and this time in Imax 3D .
I give this movie 5 thumbs up and no razzes . Its a fun and entertaining movie that is both thought provoking and enjoyable. One warning it has some harsh language and some pretty violent scenes so it is not really for the kiddies.