Parent Movie Guide, Parental Site.com

	Film Title: Avatar		Best for ages: 8 and up.

	Movie Website: Click Here	Year Released: 2009	Rated: PG-13 (US)

The Review
Click Here I first saw Avatar in theaters a few weeks after its release. I thought I avoided the crowds seeing it six weeks past its release date, but to my surprise I was in a packed out theater late at night with a bunch of people who probably were thinking the same thing I was. It’s no wonder this film has gone on to be the highest grossing film of all time, and rightfully so. Never in my life would I have expected to have the experience in a movie theater with a film, than I did watching Avatar in 3D. it was one hell of an experience and now that it is out on DVD and Blu-ray the experience might not be the same as watching the film on the big screen, but its still an experience all the same. I’ve heard people who don’t care for the film call it a rip off of Ferngully: The Last Rainforest and Pocahontas. In a sense they re right as Avatar does have the same plotline that those films do. Yet so do dozens of other films I can think of. The majority of critics fail to recognize that there are thirty six basic plots that screenwriters follow. Basically, every story we read, see or hear bases themselves off of one of these thirty six basic plots. Avatar uses them, and so do the majority of all the other films out there. With that said, Avatar is very similar in its basic plot to that of the above mentioned. The film is about an army of human in the far off future that invade the planet of Pandora inhabited by the Na'vi, a race of spiritual driven aliens that are one with the planet. They are peaceful beings who want nothing more but to be left alone. The reason why humans have invaded the planet is simple; Money! A rare valuable mineral called unobtanium is found in abundance on the planet and it just so happens to right under the home tree of the Na’vi. Sully (Sam Worthington), a paraplegic former Marine, replaces his twin brother, a scientist trained as an avatar operator but murdered in a robbery. Dr. Grace Augustine (Sigourney Weaver), head of the Avatar Program, considers Sully an inadequate replacement for his brother and assigns him as a bodyguard. Though a transformation, scientists grow Na'vi-human hybrid bodies called avatars that are operated via mental link by genetically matching humans. Sully and Grace enter their avatars and are able to join up with the native Na’vi and try to convince them to help out the human invaders. However, as they begin to see what the Na’vi are like and the way they respect and treat all things around them. Sully begins to spend more time in his avatar and less in his human form. Deciding to do what is right, Sully and a small group of other humans join up with the Na’vi to fight off the greedy Parker Selfridge (Giovanni Ribisi) and the war mongering Colonel Miles Quaritch (Stephen Lang) and defend the planets life forms and do what is right. Avatar is a film that runs over three hours. At times the film can drag a bit, but one can’t help but be dragged in by its great complex story and stunning visual effects. With a budget well over two hundred and thirty seven millions dollars, and not to mention the money used to create the technology to create the film, it’s no wonder that it’s one of the most appealing eye pleasers in cinema history. For Kids, Parents might want to be reserved about some of the more explosive and even mildly erotic scenes. There is no nudity involved but there are some revealing looking clothes and odd love scenes. The film is also packed with a lot of explosive actions and death. Some of which might be to much for a younger child to handle. On a safe bet, even though the film has a PG-13 rating I think it's safe for kids eight and up to watch. However, as a parent its up to you to make the right judgment. James Cameron is an exceptional filmmaker. With the exception of maybe Piranha Part Two, I cannot think of one film of his that I disliked. Titanic, no matter what anyone’s personal preference and maybe dislike of some of the actors in the film is nothing more than a masterpiece and with films like The first two Terminator films, Aliens and The Abyss the man has become more of a legend in the world of Science Fiction. Avatar is film that solidifies him as the most successful director in box office history and a great Master of Science fiction story telling. The Avatar Blu-ray disc and DVD do not include any kind of bonus or special features. I know this kind of ticked of a lot of people who bought the disc, and I’ve seen all the complaints on almost every message board on every single popular movie website on the web. The thing is Avatar is such a big film that putting out a bare bones Blu-ray and DVD combo pack was done to get it out to the people who don’t go out to theaters so they can enjoy it at home. Fox and Cameron have been open about this, and expect a release in the future with a whole bunch of special features and maybe even the film in 3-D. Putting together a disc for the film that is the highest grossing movie of all time is going to take some time to put together, and James Cameron is not going to let Fox throw out a disc that was rushed to be put together. No! He is going to make sure that we get the best product ever made, and I don’t know about you, but I’d rather wait for a great product, than something that’s not going to be worth the time and money to buy. Avatar is to this generation of movie goers as Star Wars was to me when I was a child. With a sequel recently being announced and the films success, I see Avatar as being the next great science fiction franchise. Other than the fact that the film is long I have no complaints whatsoever about the film. Its visuals are the best I have ever seen in any film that has involved any kind of effects to enhance the movie going experience. Whether or not you got to experience the film in 3D or not, it is one of the best movie going experience that you’ll ever have.
BUY THIS MOVIE.