Comic-Con: James Cameron’s Avatar Blows Minds

A lot of hype has been building around James Cameron’s latest film, Avatar. Considering he has not done a movie since Titanic, which launched the careers of two of Hollywood’s most successful stars, visually immersed the audience with cutting edge graphics, and made enough money to bailout the auto industry, a lot of questions have come with the excitement. Will it live up to his previous sci-fi work, which includes The Abyss, Aliens, and Terminator? Does he fulfill his self made promise to always keep his work ahead of the curve in terms of graphics and impressive visuals? Is Sigourney Weaver going to be in it? The answer to all of these is yes.

The panel opened with James and some of the cast answering questions about the project. In attendance was Sigourney Weaver, Zoe Saldana, and Stephen Lang. Sam Worthington is shooting Clash of the Titans in Wales, but filmed a taped message for the audience. We were lucky enough to not only hear from the incredible director himself as he described the project and how close to his heart it is, but to also be the first to see a stellar 25 minutes of the film, all in 3D. Cameron did not bother explaining the plot before the scenes ran, he figured we could gather enough to know what the story was about. The movie follows a soldier named Jake, who although is paralyzed below the waist, serves on the front lines on a planet called Pandora in their dealings with a race called the Na’vi. Created by human scientists, Jake controls an organic robot called an Avatar, which allows him to look like the Na’vi but have total control over its functions. While the plans for the Avatars was to help bridge the gap between the humans and the natives, some unexpected accidents cause Jake to become separated from his squad, and ends up meeting a Na’vi princess. Engrossing landscapes, incredible creatures, and intense action filled our eyes for what seemed like mere seconds of a beautiful film.

One of the biggest draws concerning the film has been its implementation of 3D technology. Considering we had sat through multiple screenings of footage of 3D, this was by far the best looking I have seen here, and probably have ever seen. The Na’vi unit Jake controls looks like a cross between their race and him, and the graphics are so incredible there were times I had to remind myself it was CG and not Sam Worthington. The human scenes looked decent in 3D as they were live action, but the 3D with the Na’vi and their beautiful planet were phenomenal. Sometimes 3D feels like a gimmick for sub par films, but the 3D does not distract or lower the film at all. As a matter of fact, as Jake was being chased by a vicisous monster through a forested area, I felt like I was right there with him. More then I have ever felt involved in a film.

Cameron described the amount of effort it took to get the film made, and his notorious attention to detail shows on film. Everything from spending a year going over the designs for the aliens, the ecosystem, the technology to creating a language for the Na’vi, James has done his best to not only create a sci fi film, but the universe it takes place in as well. Whether or not the audience will appreciate his hard work and look deep enough to see the artwork under the film will be determined when the film opens December 18, 2009. Does any of this news spark interest in the project like it did mine?