I have something to confess: I had never seen Avatar until this year, which feels like something a movie buff should never admit. It seems like many people are rewatching Avatar for the first time in many years to prepare for its highly anticipated sequel Avatar: The Way of the Water which is among the remaining theatrical releases on the 2022 movie schedule. However, I was over here immersing myself in the world of Pandora for the first time, and I have some thoughts.
I gotta say, I do get it now, I understand why Avatar is such a big deal. However, watching it over a decade late, I was left with a lot of thoughts that may not have come about if I would have seen the movie like everyone else in 2009. So, without further ado here are the thoughts I had while watching James Cameron’s Avatar for the very first time.
I Get The Hype Now, However, I Also Get Why No One Seems To Remember What Happens
I vividly remember when Avatar came out in theaters, and the fact that for some reason everyone went and saw it. I now understand the visual masterpiece that the movie is, and back in 2009 CGI and 3D were just starting to evolve into what they are today, and what James Cameron made was groundbreaking. Being able to see a spectacle like this in theaters would have been astounding, especially since the special effects used at the time were not commonplace. For that reason, I totally understand why it became one of the biggest movies of all time. However, now that I’ve seen the film, I also understand why no one can seem to remember what happened in it all these years later.
When I decided to watch this movie, my friend (who did see it back in 2009) watched it with me. I asked her what the movie was about and she responded with something along the lines of “I think it’s about blue people who explore a planet, and something bad happens.” While she’s not wrong, those things do indeed happen, she couldn’t remember anything specific about the plot, and I can’t say I blame her. The story of people fighting over land is a tale as old as time, and sadly it made the plot quite forgettable. What's memorable is the gorgeous world of Pandora.
It’s Impressive That The CGI From A Movie Made In 2009 Still Holds Up
I was genuinely shocked by how well the CGI in this movie holds up. I expected to go into it cringing at outdated special effects, like I do with just about any action movie I rewatch from the early 2000s. However, I was actually stunned by the beauty of Pandora and the people who live there. While it took me a second to get into the movie – I’ll be honest, I felt like I was watching a video game for the first 30 minutes – once I was in, I was immersed and truly bought into the film. I’m 100% positive if I would have seen this movie when it actually came out, I would have been shell-shocked by the CGI and absolutely blown away.
Considering how well the computer-generated world and characters held up all these years later, it makes me so excited to see how technology has advanced in the years since. Just from the Avatar: The Way of the Water trailer alone, these new underwater effects seem to one-up the already stunning CGI from the first movie.
In 2022, I Found The Villains One-Dimensional
Maybe in 2009 the villains of Avatar, Colonel Miles Quaritch and Parker Selfridge, were more interesting bad guys. But, today, in 2022, I had a really hard time buying into either of the characters because they were quite one-dimensional. Throughout the entire movie, I felt like they were two guys purely driven by greed and nothing else. They really had absolutely no reason to be destroying the Na'vi's land, and by the end of the movie, it seemed like they were causing destruction for destruction's sake.
These days, having complex villains who have motives that almost make you understand why they do what they do is really important. For example, in the MCU Thanos in the last two Avengers movies, and Killmonger in Black Panther both had motivations behind their villainous choices that go past just wanting power. While what they did is unforgivable, their motives are almost understandable. I wish this would have been the case with the main villains in Avatar, and then maybe the plot would have been a bit more memorable.
I Appreciated The Film's Complex And Critical Take On Colonialism
While the overarching plot of this film is kind of generic, I do think when you really start to think about the commentary the film makes on colonialism it’s quite critical and complex. The overarching story centers around a group of people from a different planet attempting to colonize the indigenous people of Pandora. Watching this film reminded me a lot of everything I learned about Western Civilization throughout school, and just how much damage colonizers did to indigenous peoples and their homes. Overall, I think this movie does a really good job of re-contextualizing the issue of colonialism and forces the viewers to see the settlers through a critical lens.
Zoë Saldaña Is A Powerhouse, And I’m So Happy She’s Become So Successful
I feel like Avatar was really the movie that started to turn Zoë Saldaña into a household name. For good reason too, her performance as Neytiri is extremely powerful, and for sure a standout among the cast. I mean to see her be absolutely gutted when she learns Jake’s secret truly broke my heart. To see her reach the level of success she has in the 13 years since her first outing as Neytiri brings me so much joy, and it’s so well deserved.
To break it down for you, since the release of Avatar Saldaña has gone on to star in many massive franchises and critically acclaimed films. If you’ve watched the Marvel movies in order you would have seen her as Gamora in the Guardians of the Galaxy movies. Along with the MCU, she joined the Star Trek universe as Uhura and is set to reprise her role as the lieutenant in an upcoming sequel. She will also appear as the wonderful Neytiri in three more Avatar films following Way of the Water. Proving she is a true powerhouse.
I’m Happy They’re Making More
Even though I was 13 years late to the party, I’m thrilled that I watched Avatar, and I’m so happy James Cameron and co. are making more. It’s become incredibly clear to me just how much Cameron cares about these movies and this universe, and his passion for them is infectious. I mean, he loves this world so much he played the Titanic card on the studio during the making of the first film so he could show audiences more of Pandora.
Plus, with his stellar track record for sequels that are better than the original. and his confidence in releasing a sequel a decade later, I’m sure Way of the Water will likely be better than the first one.
Overall, I am so happy I finally watched Avatar and I can see why it was, and still is, such a major moment in modern movie history. While I wasn’t in the theater to witness Pandora in all its glory back in 2009, you can bet your bottom dollar I will be in the IMAX to see Avatar: The Way of Water on December 16.
Additional Thoughts
- Papyrus was a choice for the title font.
- I understand the whole tail connection concept, but did it low-key weird anyone else out?
- I really loved the Na'vi people's connection to nature, especially the tree.
- Watching this movie really made me want to go to Pandora at Disney World.
- I thought Michelle Rodriguez's character was badass, and I'm really bummed her helicopter went down.
- I loved the banshees, and I really hope there's more flying around the world in Way of the Water.
