‘Avatar’ falls rather flat off big screen

Cert 12, 155 mins, Action

Paraplegic war veteran Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) signs up for a tour of duty on the planet of Pandora, which is home to the peace-loving Na’vi, including the Omaticaya tribe led by Eytukan (Wes Studi) and his wife Mo’at (CCH Pounder).

Jake works alongside pioneering scientist Grace Augustine (Sigourney Weaver), who has developed a method of fusing the minds of human ‘drivers’ with Na’vi avatars, which can move through the forest and gain the trust of the indigenous people and hopefully move them away from the site of lucrative underground deposits.

As his Na’vi alter ego, Jake falls in love with Eytukan and Mo’at’s daughter, Neytiri (Zoe Saldana), who has been promised to warrior Tsu’tey (Laz Alonso). When the company employing Jake sends in warmonger Quaritch (Stephen Lang) to clear away the Na’vi using extreme force, Jake and Neytiri join forces to repel the barbaric attack.

If ever a film demanded to be seen on a big screen it’s James Cameron’s monster blockbuster. On DVD and Blu-ray, this special effects extravaganza doesn’t pack half as much punch and without the benefit of the dazzling 3D format, Avatar falls rather flat the second time around.

Worthington’s hero has a simple narrative arc from spy to defender of the Na’vi realm. Villains are crudely sketched including Lang’s hilariously muscled brute and Giovanni Ribisi’s corporate weasel, who dismisses the Na’vi as “blue monkeys”.

Underlying messages about the relentless pillaging of Earth’s natural resources are hammered home with Cameron’s typical bluntness.

Rating: 3/5