Review of Avatar (2009) by Donna D — 26 Aug 2017

I probably would have liked it better if James Cameron hadn't tried to compare it's status to Star Wars, a movie to which there is NO comparison! But that aside, the Avatar characters (or indigenous people) were definitely intriquing, original and interesting.

The feather duster-like creatures in the forest were very cool. Zoe Saldana's performance was gritty, powerful and authentic. I loved and "felt" her character. She sizzled with passion and intensity.

And there was good chemistry between her and Jake Sully. I like Sigourney Weaver, but I didn't like her in this movie. I think her role needed to be less hard-ass and someone who could draw more empathy for herself and for the indigenous people.

I truly didn't care much if she died under the Aiwa tree or not. As far as originality - there truly hasn't been anything original in Sci-fi since Star Wars. All alien creatures, spaceships and cities in the sky in today's sci-fi are inspired in some manner by Star Wars - sorry but it's true.

Star Wars is a landmark, benchmark, standard that will never be surpassed in my opinion. The only criticism I have of Avatar is that the violence in the end battle was a little too dark for me and I think too dark for a PG-13 rating.

Way too much gun fire for a sci-fi movie. There should have been more sophisticated weapons. The movie could have been lightened up with humor and a happier ending which would have made it more enjoyable for me.

There was also a very prevalent native American theme or feel about the indigenous people. I'm not sure if this was intentional by James Cameron, but it stirred up a lot of emotion about how America's native americans were treated by the white man.

Overall, a good movie. The Avatar characters/beings are unique and memorable.