Avatar (2009)

A paraplegic Marine dispatched to the moon Pandora on a unique mission becomes torn between following his orders and protecting the world he feels is his home.

Director:

James Cameron

Writer:

James Cameron

Stars:

Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, Sigourney Weaver

Won 3 Oscars. Another 86 wins & 130 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Sam Worthington	...	Jake Sully
Zoe Saldana	...	Neytiri (as Zoë Saldana)
Sigourney Weaver	...	Dr. Grace Augustine
Stephen Lang	...	Colonel Miles Quaritch
Michelle Rodriguez	...	Trudy Chacón
Giovanni Ribisi	...	Parker Selfridge
Joel David Moore	...	Norm Spellman
CCH Pounder	...	Mo'at (as Carol Christine Hilaria Pounder)
Wes Studi	...	Eytukan
Laz Alonso	...	Tsu'tey
Dileep Rao	...	Dr. Max Patel
Matt Gerald	...	Corporal Lyle Wainfleet
Sean Anthony Moran	...	Private Fike
Jason Whyte	...	Cryo Vault Med Tech
Scott Lawrence	...	Venture Star Crew Chief

Storyline

When his brother is killed in a robbery, paraplegic Marine Jake Sully decides to take his place in a mission on the distant world of Pandora. There he learns of greedy corporate figurehead Parker Selfridge's intentions of driving off the native humanoid "Na'vi" in order to mine for the precious material scattered throughout their rich woodland. In exchange for the spinal surgery that will fix his legs, Jake gathers knowledge, of the Indigenous Race and their Culture, for the cooperating military unit spearheaded by gung-ho Colonel Quaritch, while simultaneously attempting to infiltrate the Na'vi people with the use of an "avatar" identity. While Jake begins to bond with the native tribe and quickly falls in love with the beautiful alien Neytiri, the restless Colonel moves forward with his ruthless extermination tactics, forcing the soldier to take a stand - and fight back in an epic battle for the fate of Pandora.

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Plot Keywords:

spiritualism | paraplegic | marine | future | forest protection | 

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Taglines:

Enter the World

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Genres:

Action | Adventure | Fantasy | Sci-Fi

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for intense epic battle sequences and warfare, sensuality, language and some smoking

Did You Know?

Trivia

In the UK, the film was shipped in two parts, under the code name "Redbird." Reels 1-5 were delivered first; 6-10 came the following day.

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Goofs

When Jake is recording his first video log entry, he moves the recording camera around a little to get a better view of his face, and is looking directly at a screen to his right to see if he's centered his face correctly. In the very next shot, he is staring straight forward at the camera. This is not a goof ; he has checked the angle and then looks at the camera, so that it does not film the side of his face.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Jake Sully: [Narrating] When I was lying in the V.A. hospital with a big hole blown through the middle of my life, I started having these dreams of flying. I was free. But sooner or later, you always have to wake up.

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Crazy Credits

The initial end credits soar over the world of Pandora.

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Alternate Versions

"Avatar: Special Edition" was released theatrically less than a year after the original release, it contains approximately eight minutes of extra footage, including new creatures and action scenes.

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Connections

Referenced in AniMat's Reviews: How to Train Your Dragon (2010)

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Soundtracks

I See You (Theme from Avatar)
Performed by Leona Lewis
Music by James Horner and Simon Franglen
Lyrics by Simon Franglen, Kuk Harrell, and James Horner
Produced by Simon Franglen and James Horner
Leona Lewis performs courtesy of Syco Music

User Reviews

Technically outstanding. Originality: oh well....

Well, I just saw Avatar this morning, one of the press premieres which are running on these days. My opinion: you've seen this story a hundred times, but never like this. Finally 3D is what it's supposed to be, an instrument at the service of the movie. You'll enjoy the visual experience, no doubt.

As for the story, some of the "inspirations" are so huge and so obvious that mentioning two or three of them would REALLY ruin the movie for you, and I'm not willing to do that. Lots of mysticism and ecology, if you like that stuff. If you're 15 or so, you'll have a great time thinking that it's the first time somebody makes something like this. If you're an experienced movie watcher, better leave your skepticism at the door, bring lots of pop corn and enjoy with the usual action-flick-with-moral-and-loads-of-clichés.

I liked it, however: "the movie that re-invents movies"??? No way.

Details

Official Sites:

Hotstar Official Facebook

Country:

USA

Language:

English Spanish

Release Date:

18 December 2009 (USA)

Also Known As:

Avatar: An IMAX 3D Experience

Filming Locations:

Chicago Illinois, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$237,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$77,025,481, 20 December 2009

Gross USA:

$760,507,625

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$2,846,089,541

Company Credits

Production Co:

Twentieth Century Fox, Dune Entertainment, Lightstorm Entertainment

Technical Specs

Runtime:

162 min 171 min (special edition) 178 min (extended cut)

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital DTS SDDS Sonics-DDP (IMAX version)

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1