Tommy Snöberg Söderberg 
Pandora, a world located far, far away, is rich in enormously valuable minerals. Humanity exploits its natural resources indiscriminately for its own gain and stops at nothing to achieve its goals. Standing in the way is the indigenous population, which lives in symbiosis with nature. At the same time, a team of scientists is conducting a project to understand how Pandora and its indigenous inhabitants function, using so-called avatars, artificial bodies that the researchers can control remotely and that look exactly like the natives, the Na’vi, allowing them to get closer to them. Jake Sully, who isn’t actually a scientist but a Marine, takes on the mission of infiltrating this strange new world in exchange for an expensive spinal operation that will restore the use of his legs. However, as he becomes more deeply involved, his love for this new world grows, and eventually he stands ready to sacrifice everything to protect it from humanity’s relentless advance.
I’ve seen this movie praised, and I’ve seen it torn to shreds, which naturally makes me even more curious about what it has to offer. It’s impossible to be unaware that this is a big-budget production costing hundreds of millions, of course, but I hadn’t looked too deeply into the details of the actual story before sitting down to watch it.
The supporters naturally argue that the movie’s visual splendor makes it a magnificent masterpiece and that it matters little that the story being told isn’t new and doesn’t feel entirely fresh. I can largely agree with that. The movie’s visual presentation is beautiful and appealing, and even if the content isn’t the most inventive thing ever created, the story is told in an engaging way and manages to evoke emotions in the viewer. I certainly had a moist eye or two during my viewing.
The detractors, on the other hand, argue that this story has already been told enough times and that if you simply ignore the fact that the inhabitants are blue, among other things, it’s just like any other Native American movie. There is certainly some truth to this as well, because if you ignore the visuals, the story really isn’t new. Nor are there any particularly unexpected events, and you can figure out most of the movie right away. I wouldn’t call it predictable in the negative sense of the word, though. Rather, I find it reassuring that it follows the formula so well. You know from the beginning how it’s going to end, and you can describe the journey there in considerable detail before it actually unfolds on screen.
And I don’t think the ambition was ever greater than that, either. James Cameron wanted to create a visually flawless movie, and I would argue that he has succeeded! Not all the creatures and so on necessarily look as though they could exist in reality at all times, but the movie is consistent, and everything fits into the world it creates. The characters work very well and convey their emotions convincingly. I can’t complain about the acting performances, either, even if some of the roles are somewhat caricaturized. It works to have them that way, and that’s what matters.
So I would like to recommend this movie to anyone with even the slightest interest in a story about an entire people being oppressed and attacked, driven back, and ultimately left with no choice but to unite and strike back against their oppressors – hard! And if you also enjoy fantasy and adventure mixed with science fiction, there is no reason to hesitate any longer. This is a movie you simply have to see!
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