When it comes to modern masterpieces, there is not film that is more deserving of that title than Avatar.
James Cameron has always been a visionary filmmaker, but Avatar really saw him lift the bar when it came to 3D filmmaking.
In my opinion, no other 3D movie has lived up to Avatar since it hit the big screen, and Avatar remains one of my best experiences in a cinema of all time.
Avatar is the story of an ex-Marine who finds himself thrust into hostilities on an alien planet filled with exotic life forms.
As an Avatar, a human mind in an alien body, he finds himself torn between two worlds, in a desperate fight for his own survival and that of the indigenous people.
Avatar is such a visual spectacle of a movie that it really does take you breath away - it is just as stunning in 2D as it was in 3D.
It is very rare that a movie surrounded in so much hype lives up to it... however, there is an exception to every rule, and Avatar is it.
Cameron may have made a stunning looking film, but that didn't mean that he skimped on the story in any way. From start to finish, Avatar is packed with interesting characters and relationships, and you really do invest in the central characters of Jake and Neytiri.
The performances from Sam Worthington and Zoe Saldana are truly fantastic - I have always been a fan of motion capture work, and Cameron really does use this method of action to its full potential.
With performances such as these, and the ones given by Andy Serkis in recent years, you do have to ask, why have they never been nominated for an Oscar? With more and more performances being captured in this way, I feel that this is a question we are going to be asking time and time again.
Avatar is a really ambitious film; you can see just how much Cameron has invested in this film from the opening scene to the closing credits. It may have been ambitious, but Cameron really does pull it off, as he has delivered an enthralling film that is truly beautiful.
And you can't talk about this film without giving a little mention to the special effects: they really were top notch!! Everything about the way the film looked was vibrant and alive, and Cameron successfully transported the audience to a new world.
Avatar went on to become the first film to gross over $2 billion at the global box office, but missed out on scooping the Best Picture Oscar: The Hurt Locker triumphed that year.
Work is already underway on the sequel, but it will be a couple of years before we finally see it hit the big screen. However, Cameron has set himself an incredibly high bar. Just how will the second film live up to the first?
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