Avatar, written and directed by James Cameron, was released December 17, 2009. The idea was thought up in 1994 by Cameron but he said that "technology needed to catch up," with what he wanted the film to be like.
The film takes place in a fictional world called Pandora that humans have discovered and are beginning to mine precious minerals on. The native population, the Na'vi, and Pandora's ecosystem are threatened by this so they begin to fight back.
Jake Sully, a disabled marine, is the main character. He travels to Pandora after his twin brother is shot and killed. Sully goes because of the Avatar program where a Na'vi body is grown using a human's DNA. Sully's matches his brother's genes and as the bodies are extremely expensive, they need someone to take his place.
As the movie progresses, Jake is accepted into a Na'vi clan and he eventually realizes what the humans are doing is wrong. In the final battle he fights for the Na'vi and ends up staying on Pandora.
The movie itself is chock full of propaganda. The producers use the exciting, action packed story to promote eco-friendly feelings and while this is not necessarily wrong, there is no subtlety to the message. Throughout the movie, they make unfair accusations towards the U.S. military and humankind's industrial progress. The producers also try to promote the reactionary viewpoint of tribalism over modernization.
With all of that said, it is one of the best movies of the year for its amazing special affects. They ensure a thrilling, action-packed experience that help promote Cameron as one of the best directors of the year.
The story itself is also very creative and fun to watch. There are many extremely good ideas and the amount of detail made by the producers is amazing. On the whole, it is a good movie as long as you think about the ideas presented for yourself and don't just accept what it says.
