Talkie Zoo: AVATAR

Ok, so yes, it's taken me this long to view one of the most talked-about movies around. I watched Avatar (PG-13; 2009) last night, and I must say, it's everything others have said about it. It was easy to see why it received so many film awards and nominations.

The story is that of a former Marine, Jake Sully (Sam Worthington), who is paraplegic due to a war wound. He signs on to go to the planet Pandorum in his deceased brother's place. Thinking he's going on a war-type mission, he soon finds himself torn between his mission and the indigenous people who live on the planet. He meets a scientist, Dr. Grace Augustine (Sigourney Weaver) who has uncovered some amazing and wonderful facts about both the planet and the people. The mission commander, Colonel Miles Quaritch (Stephen Lang), is a cold, heartless military man whose only directive seems to be destroy all and everything.

When Jake meets Neytiri (Zoe Saldana), one of the native females, he is almost immediately captivated and falls in love.

What's different about this sci-fi flick? Those who visit the planet cannot breathe the atmosphere. Therefore, avatars have been created combining the DNA of the natives people and the humans who control the avatars. This is the only way they can move freely on the planet and possibly be accepted by the natives.

The graphics are stunning, no doubt, and the story line is captivating and real. I think this is one I'm going to purchase for my own library!