At first glance, I figured  Avatar  was not the film for me.  I’m not a big fan of the science fiction movies. In fact, I’d much rather watch Legally Blonde than Star Wars. But, with all of the hype Avatar has been getting over the past few weeks, I decided to give it a try. One word: Wow!

James Cameron and wife, Suzy Amis, at the Avatar premiere.

James Cameron, the director of the film, began writing the script for Avatar back in 1994, two years before he even finished his most famous film, Titanic. The $240 million budget for the film included all of the synthetic and computer equipment needed for the movie’s visual effects—the equipment that Cameron had to wait nearly fourteen years to get, delaying the production of the movie. Bottom line—a lot of new technology and a lot of money went into Avatar. No wonder it brought in nearly $230 million its opening weekend, making it the ninth largest opening-weekend income of all time. Note: James Cameron’s Titanic was the highest-grossing movie ever at $600.8 million.

All viewers have the option of seeing the movie in 3-D, something that I would absolutely recommend. Not only did you get to keep the stylish 3-D glasses, but, hey, any science-fiction movie using alien warfare looks better in 3-D. The film, which is being called a “breakthrough in filmmaking technology,” is advanced beyond belief.

Jake Sully, played by Australian hottie Sam Worthington, lands on Pandora – a planet in which humans and native aliens, the Na’vi, are engaged in a military fight over land that contains a valuable rock. Through a series of events, Sully becomes an “Avatar,” a being that is half human and half Na’vi and must choose a side (which, quelle surprise, is quite difficult). 

That’s all I’ll give you of a synopsis, but I will say that there’s some romance involved and an interesting lovemaking scene between the two aliens— just not quite like that steamy car scene between Jack and Rose in Titanic.

I was slightly nervous going into the movie. Two and a half hours with no bathroom break (the theatre was packed and I was in the middle of the row) and the incapability of checking my text messages seemed a little bit long. But, the film really flew by. Cameron did a great job fully developing the story and capturing the audience with vivid images (flying dragons, ultimate warfare, floating jellyfishes, cloud-islands). You name it, Cameron found a way to include it. And, with that new technology, it’s like no other movie I have ever seen.

Roger Ebert, one of my all-time favorite movie critics, gave Avatar four out of four stars and was quoted saying, “Watching Avatar, I felt sort of the same as when I saw Star Wars in 1977. That was another movie I walked into with uncertain expectations… Avatar is not simply a sensational entertainment, although it is that. It’s a technical breakthrough.”

Another interesting thing about the film is its obvious symbolism. The Na’vi tribe was one with Mother Nature, fully appreciating the forest in Pandora. It was the human militia that was trying to destroy the land. Perhaps this was Cameron’s way of showing the importance of Going Green and of displaying how humans are currently destroying the Earth. In addition, the film showed the detriments of war—innocent people dying, children screaming, tribes falling apart in the hands of a powerful enemy. It reminded me of the American Indian Wars between the Americans and the native people hundreds of years ago or even the current War in Iraq. Either way, it’s clear to any viewer that Cameron was really pushing for an anti-war, peaceful message.

Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) and Neytiri (Zoe Saldana)

The film left me speechless, truly. I didn’t even feel like I was leaving a movie, I felt like I was leaving a different world. It’s like when you find out Santa Claus isn’t real and Christmas is never the same. Once you see a movie like Avatar, any other movie is just not going to be as good. The technology isn’t as advanced, the images aren’t as mesmerizing, the director isn’t as talented. Although it absolutely changed the film entertainment business, it has made every other film look so sub par, so average, so… 2-D. And, I’m not the only one that loved it. Avatar has already been nominated for Best Action Movie, Best Art Design, Best Cinematography, Best Director (James Cameron), Best Editing, Best Makeup, Best Picture, Best Sound, and Best Visual Effects for the Critics Choice Awards. As far as the 2010 Golden Globes are concerned, Avatar has been nominated for Best Director of a Motion Picture (James Cameron), Best Motion Picture (Drama), Best Original Score (Motion Picture), and Best Original Song. Clearly, winning an award is nothing new to James Cameron, as he won eleven Academy Awards and nine Golden Globe Awards for Titanic.

I’ll be honest, the alien Avatar, Jake Sully, has nothing on Jack Dawson (Leonardo DiCaprio). But, the movie is sure to be just as ground-breaking. No icebergs involved, but lots of great 3-D imagery. If there’s any movie I’d suggest seeing this holiday season, it’s James Cameron’s Avatar.