‘Avatar’ an entertaining yet empty exercise in advanced movie technology

“Avatar”

Starring: Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Zoe Saldana

Director: James… “Avatar”

Starring: Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Zoe Saldana

Director: James Cameron

Studio: Twentieth Century Fox

Grade: B

By the time you read this review, you’ve probably already heard the hype surrounding “Avatar,” James Cameron’s astronomically budgeted epic 15 years in the making.

“You’ve never experienced anything like it,” The Los Angeles Times assured us. “Avatar is a state-of-the-art experience that for years to come will define what movies can achieve,” Time Magazine prophesized. Some of your friends may have even declared it the best movie of all time on their Facebook statuses.

While this final claim can be dismissed immediately — “Citizen Kane” and “The Godfather” still trump this blockbuster — the others are worth considering. Is “Avatar” a revolutionary cinematic experience?

Well, yes and no. From a technical standpoint “Avatar” dazzles, but if you remove all the special effects you’re left with a very familiar narrative.

The story is essentially a sci-fi take on the “Becoming One with the Natives” theme: A crippled former marine named Jake (Sam Worthington) is dispatched to the moon Pandora, which is home to the blue, elongated Na’vi people. His mission? To bond with the Na’vi through use of an “avatar,” an alien body controlled by his conscious. Not long after landing on the planet, comically exaggerated Colonel Quaritch(Stephen Lang) informs him that they’ve been trying to excavate a mineral called Unobtanium (get it?) that lies under the surface of the Na’vi’s home. If Jake doesn’t find some way to get the Na’vi to peacefully vacate, the colonel and his soldiers threaten to do it by force.

Of course, Jake’s mission derails, as he ends up falling for the chief’s daughter, Neytiri (Zoe Saldana). Inevitably, Jake switches sides and becomes the champion of the natives, resulting in an epic war between the Na’vi and the invading humans.

Let’s get this out of the way: The entire movie is a wondrous demonstration of special effects. That much is inarguable. Even when the story falters, the physics, textures and sounds remain dutifully perfect. And the final battle sequence — a giddy testosterone-fest featuring missiles, flying creatures and giant

armored suits — solidifies this action movie’s reputation as packing that essential badass factor.

But in 20 years, when our cinematic technology is 10-to-the-nth-times more sophisticated, will people still be amazed by “Avatar”? Does the movie have enough longevity to become a classic? That’s up for debate.

“Avatar” doesn’t stand out as a particularly poorly written blockbuster, but it doesn’t excel on that front either. The morals and characters are painfully unambiguous, and because this is essentially an old story retold through the lens of science fiction, most audience members will be able to predict twists before they happen. Some of the dialogue, as well — pretty much anything the colonel says, actually — ventures into the realm of camp.

In the end, what “Avatar” offers is immediate thrills, not deep-seated emotion. Its goal is to trick you into believing you’re on Pandora, not to make you think about it after you’ve left the theater. With or without the 3-D (really, it only makes things pop out a little) this is a movie to see if you’re looking for good escapist fun.

Make no mistake: For two and a half hours, you, like marine Jake Sully, will feel one with the Na’vi. Just don’t expect that feeling to linger after the movie’s finished.