Sean Gribbon (Weapon117)

"Everything is backwards now, like out there is the true world and in here is the dream." - Jake Sully

James Cameron returns to the big screen and delivers a true cinematic landmark that has a soul of its own.

In the mid 22nd century, a paraplegic war veteran named Jake Sully, is brought to the planet of Pandora. Pandora is a planet inhabited by a humanoid species known as the Na'vi, who are highly protective about every single aspect of their planet. A human company, SecFor, is mining a mineral called unobtanium that is highly sought after, and they have found a gold mine location of this mineral. Jake Sully is assigned to live with the Na'vi, learn about their culture, find where they keep their treasures, and by his mission's end, he is to persuade them to move to another location so that humanity can get it hands on the unobtanium. Jake Sully isn't going to be living with the Na'vi in his human skin, but he will be transferring his consciousness to an artificially grown Na'vi body that is known as an Avatar. Jake joins the Na'vi as a wolf in sheep's clothing, but as each day passes by, he becomes more adept as a Na'vi. He sees new sights, hears new sounds, smells new smells, tastes new tastes, and begins to feel a love and appreciation not for just Pandora itself, but for a unique and special Na'vi named Princess Neytiri. Jake eventually comes to a crossroads; will he turn his back on the Na'vi or his native species? More importantly, will he sacrifice his human body and become one, once and forever, with his Avatar?

12 years. That's how long it's been since the self proclaimed "King of the World," James Cameron, has directed a feature fictional film. His last fictional film was the highly acclaimed and universally watched, Titanic. Since Titanic, he had directed three documentaries, Expedition: Bismarck (2002), Ghosts of the Abyss (2003), and Aliens of the Deep (2005). It may have been a long time since James Cameron has made a big screen film, but Avatar has technically been in development for an even longer period. James Cameron had begun work on Avatar in 1994, where he then wrote a possible script for the film. After he had finished his work with Titanic, Avatar was scheduled to be his next big screen film, but he decided to wait a number of years until technology caught up. When Cameron saw Gollum go crazy for his "precious" in The Lord of the Rings, he knew technology was at a stage that would satisfy his vision for Avatar. James Cameron is truly a visionary. He has directed The Terminator, Terminator 2: Judgment Day, Aliens, True Lies, and like I said earlier, Titanic. These films are some of the best ever in cinema, and his work doesn't stop there. He also has done work on the small screen, where he created Dark Angel. Dark Angel ran for two seasons, and Cameron cast Jessica Alba in the lead role, showing the world yet another piece of eye candy. James Cameron has directed and created a phenomenal universe with Avatar. Much as how Star Wars and Jurassic Park are considered special effects landmarks in cinema, Avatar too, is one of those landmarks as well.

Sam Worthington stars and leads the cast in Avatar as Jake Sully. He becomes part of the Avatar program because his brother had died, and Jake was a necessary replacement. SecFor Colonel Miles Quaritch (Stephen Lang) promises Jake that if he is successful in his Avatar mission to get the Na'vi to move to another location, Jake will be able to get an operation done on him that will allow him to walk once again. Jake is assisted in his Avatar mission by Dr. Grace Augustine (Sigourney Weaver) and Norm Spellman (Joel David Moore), who are both botanists and use their own Avatars as well. Another scientist helping them, though not by using an Avatar is Dr. Max Patel (Dileep Rao). Flying them to and fro on the planet of Pandora is marine Trudy Chacon (Michelle Rodriguez). Overseeing all of SecFor's operations, and one of the reasons why the company is remaining on Pandora, is Parker Selfridge (Giovanni Ribisi). The character that we follow most on the Na'vi side of the story is Princess Neytiri (Zoe Saldana). She does not care much for Jake at first, but as time goes on, she begins to admire him for his bravery, his determination, and his willingness to learn and succeed. Neytiri and Jake eventually fall in love, and this love story has an undertone seen in Cameron's last film, Titanic. The love story here is not boring and does not drag the film down to hell. It's important and even though a young punk teenager may disdain having to sit through such horror, people who actually understand the value of a relationship and what it can mean in one's life will be touched by it, maybe they will even shed a tear. There are several other Na'vi who play supporting roles in the story and they include Mo'at (C. C. H. Pounder), the Na'vi spiritual leader; Tsu'Tey (Laz Alonso), heir to the chieftain leadership of the clan, and Neytiri's betrothed at the start of the story; Eytucan (Wes Studi), leader of the Omaticaya clan, and Neytiri's father. The entire cast does a great job in their roles in this film. They all feel comfortable, and all show the necessary emotions that the viewer expects to see. Sam Worthington kicked ass in Terminator Salvation, and he doesn't disappoint in this epic either. He is a major star in Hollywood now, and it'll be interesting to see what ass kicking he delivers in the future. Stephen Lang just personifies his role as the tough as nails and complete hard-ass, Colonel Miles Quaritch. The guy is jacked and packed, sliced and diced, ripped and well, you get the picture. He first appears in the story as just a jarhead commando wanting to do his job. He, along with the rest of the marines and mercenaries on Pandora, are a throwback to Cameron's colonial marines in Aliens. The Colonel becomes the central villain of the story. He does whatever he can do to unleash a monsoon of fire on Pandora, and he is clearly trying to twist Parker Selfridge's arm so that he can do what he wants. He believes that the Na'vi are nothing but primitive lifeforms who do not deserve to live. They are nothing but an obstacle and a thorn in his ass that is making his life that much more difficult on Pandora. This guy, along with many of SecFor, represents the theme of racial discrimination that has been seen in human history with the white man coming to the Americas and killing the Aboriginal people. Quaritch is a damn good villain and a damn good commanding officer. Even though he is a villain, I still feel he belongs in the category of badass sergeants such as Sergeant Al Apone (Al Matthews, Aliens) and Sergeant Avery Johnson (David Scully, Halo).

What this film has to show you is just incredible. The CGI, special effects, motion capture, the creatures, flora, and whatever else is on screen, is just beautiful and mesmerizing. I was one of the many unfortunate bastards who had to see this film on a 2-D screen, and even though I saw it on a 2-D screen, I can safely say that it would be astonishing to see it in IMAX 3-D. Cameron came up with the idea and script for Avatar himself. He also worked with USC to create a new language for this film, and also helped invent the technology that was used for the visual effects. The man is one of those talents in Hollywood who isn't afraid to pursue his own dreams and bring his cinematic visions to life on screen. At first, I was thrown off a bit with the look of the Na'vi. However, it didn't take too long for that attitude to wear off, and I just learned to appreciate the look of the Na'vi. The Na'vi look very realistic; the motion capture technology with them is astounding, and you can clearly tell how the actor's facial features were used in the final design. Pandora features some of the weirdest and yet awesome creatures even seen in movies. The first big creature we get to see is a Hammerhead Titanothere (angtsì), and it is basically a chimera of a rhino, a hammerhead shark, and an H-bomb that'll charge at whatever tries to infiltrate its territory. The beasts only get crazier onwards, but after you have seen it all, you know that Pandora has many more creatures that are screaming for screen time in a possible sequel someday.

Avatar may be a cinematic landmark, but it is not a perfect film. A lot of people claim that this film isn't as original as it has been touted. To me, it is an original science fiction tale that borrows elements from Dances with Wolves, At Play in the Fields of the Lord, and The Emerald Forest. At the end of the day, there isn't anything wrong with borrowing themes from other stories. If these stories are considered great storytelling, then there is nothing wrong with learning from them, and incorporating that kind of material to create a great cinematic work. One of the major problems for me in the story was when Jake's associates, Dr. Grace Augustine, Norm Spellman, Dr. Max Patel, and Trudy Chacon, all want to help Jake fight for the Na'vi. But when Jake makes that decision, the viewer never really knows how much those supporting characters actually cared or felt about the Na'vi. Prior to this moment, the only message I was getting was that these people were just doing their mission and were with Colonel Quaritch 100%. Even though their decision didn't make complete sense, they still proved pivotal in the final epic battle. Another thing I didn't like or I felt was missing in the film was that we never understand how important unobtanium is for humanity's homeworld. We also don't get to see their homeworld either, or see how it has been destroyed environmentally. Maybe we may see it someday in a sequel or maybe we won't, time and box office reception will only reveal that.

The final battle in this movie is very epic in every sense of the word. There are awesome machines and creatures on each side of the front. SecFor has massive aerial gunships, an entire band of marines, and dozens of mini-mechs ready to bring the pain. The Na'vi have their knowledge of the environment, winged dragons, and whatever else their mother nature decides to provide for them in the battle. It is a very entertaining moment in the film when these two forces collide, and there is nothing quite like it in cinema.

Avatar has been released to the world in a time where we are really starting to look at our decisions on the environment. Will we become like SecFor and rape other planets someday for their rich liquid gold? Or will we learn from our mistakes, and become in tune with nature and respect it like the Na'vi? Some may say that we could never appreciate nature like the Na'vi, but if there was world peace, maybe we would learn to just gaze into it and let it gaze back at us. "When you gaze into the abyss, the abyss gazes also into you," - Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche. Remember when you look at something, who is to say it is not also gazing into you? Jake Sully first lands in the jungles of Pandora, and he gazes into it day in, and day out. He comes to the realization that the nature of that world looks at him also, day in, and day out.

Hopefully someday there will be an Avatar sequel. Maybe it will be called Avatars or Avatar 2: Judgment Day. Whatever the case may be, it is possibly that the next sequel will outdo its predecessor and usher in the 3-D format for good. This film is a very important piece of history in cinema and should be watched and enjoyed by all. Avatar has romance, action, suspense, thrills, and so much more that will give pleasure to every movie watcher. It must be watched to be enjoyed, and should be seen on the best screen possible.

"They've sent us a message... that they can take whatever they want. Well we will send them a message. That this... this is our land!" - Jake Sully

"I have all the characteristics of a human being: blood, flesh, skin, hair; but not a single, clear, identifiable emotion, except for greed and disgust. Something horrible is happening inside of me and I don't know why. My nightly bloodlust has overflown into my days. I feel lethal, on the verge of frenzy. I think my mask of sanity is about to slip." - Patrick Bateman

Christian Bale kills the competition in this cult classic.

Patrick Bateman is a young, well educated man working on Wall Street and believes in taking good care of himself. He exercises everyday, eats well balanced meals, gets massages, and regularly applies cleansing lotion on his body. He has money, friends, a girlfriend, dresses properly, and eats at all the right places. Beneath this image is something deeply wrong with Patrick Bateman. With a deep hatred for the world, he is a twisted murdering monster who enjoys killing men and women from all walks of life. Night time is when this soul-less man descends into madness and executes gruesome homicides. This Patrick Bateman truly is an American psycho.

Mary Haron has directed this adaptation of the controversial novel of the same name. This film was released years after the novel's inception and didn't do well at the box office, but has since gained cult status on home video. The novel was controversial for its graphic depictions of murder and sexual content. Even though this movie was marketed as a horror/thriller, the murder sequences are not the film's highlight but may shock some people. The film is really an examination into Patrick Bateman's strange life and to find out if this psycho really has any limits.

Delivering one of the best performances in 2000 is Christian Bale as the narcissistic Patrick Bateman. The term 'Psycho' clearly suits Bateman as the guy doesn't control his murderous tendencies and just kills, kills, and kills after he has formed some aspect of a relationship with someone. He may start talking to a homeless man and then kill him after he has expressed his disgust towards the poor guy. Or he may bring two prostitutes to his home, explain who he is, apply names to them, go on a rant about music, and then slice them apart after or during sex with them. Bale brings intensity, wits, and humor to this butcher roaming New York. Bale spent several months getting into shape for the narcissistic Bateman and bonus points goes to him for having such dedication for this role. You never know what Bateman is going to do next and Christian Bale just provides fuel to the character's murderous fire and moves the film along.

The supporting cast of Willem Dafoe, Reese Witherspoon, Chloe Sevigny, and others, work admirably well with Bale. The murder scenes may strike a nerve with some viewers as they are bloody and gruesome. The first hour of this film is really interesting as we learn of Bateman, his narcissism, greed, and his taste for 80's materialism. After that this film's steady flow runs out of steam and the movie repeats itself over again but it is not as interesting. By the end of it all we don't know who or what pushed Bateman over the edge in the first place and it appears he will go on in life not being found for his crimes.

The ending may leave more questions than it answers, but American Psycho is funny, nerve striking, and smart in this telling of Patrick Bateman, one of Bale's iconic performances. This film may not appeal to the average movie watcher at first, but the film makes you think about Patrick Bateman, and you may be brought to the point to watch the film over and over again. Repeated viewings of American Psycho may change your rating of it each time, because this isn't considered a cult classic for nothing. People who can handle what this film is should check it out.

"There are no more barriers to cross. All I have in common with the uncontrollable and the insane, the vicious and the evil, all the mayhem I have caused and my utter indifference toward it I have now surpassed. My pain is constant and sharp and I do not hope for a better world for anyone, in fact I want my pain to be inflicted on others. I want no one to escape, but even after admitting this there is no catharsis, my punishment continues to elude me and I gain no deeper knowledge of myself; no new knowledge can be extracted from my telling. This confession has meant nothing." - Patrick Bateman