When James Cameron released Avatar in 2009, science fiction overwhelmed all of us with its extraordinary visuals and animations. The movie stars Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, Stephen Lang, Michelle Rodriguez and Sigourney Weaver in the prime roles and is situated in the mid-22nd century when humans are populating Pandora. Pandora is a lavish livable moon in the Alpha Centauri star system. The film aims at how the setup of the mining colony threatens the continued existence of Na’vi – a humanoid species indigenous to Pandora.
The brilliant way Sam Worthington’s paraplegic marine was introduced in Avatar was the film’s standout moment. Through a genetically modified Na’vi body controlled by the brain, Jake Sully enters Pandora. While Jake is assigned to interact with the local tribes, he soon develops feelings for Neytiri (Zoe Saldana) and joins her in the fight against the humans colonising the planet after realising how the mining colony could wipe out the Na’vi tribe. The visually spectacular elements of Avatar paired with the moving scenes provided for a fantastic cinematic journey, despite the fact that the tale itself was full of promise.
Here’s a look back at the first movie and the aspects of it that continue to be memorable today, especially in light of the impending release of Avatar: The Way of Water, the sequel to the film. Here are five Avatar sequences that continue to astound us.
Jake Sully’s development
We witness Jake experiencing his first Avatar encounter early on in the movie. Through his Avatar, Sully is able to feel his desire to run and be liberated from his wheelchair, hence the scenario has a lot of significance. The first time we see Jake’s rebellious side, which eventually shapes up the movie’s plot as he stands by his moral compass to defend the natives of Pandora, is as he experiments with his new body and causes chaos in the lab. A very emotional moment is also created by Sully’s unbridled joy at being able to run on his feet once more.
The introduction of Neytiri
The first time we see Neytiri, played by Zoe Saldana, is one of the most important scenes in the movie. Neytiri is a feisty character, and the first time she interacts with Jake in the movie is a memorable one. It’s crucial to the plot since it gives Jake new insight into the motivations behind Na’vi’s conflict with humanity. As Jake pursues Neytiri, we also get a closer look at Pandora’s beauty and everything that humans are erasing as a part of its history.
An ikran
As we watch Neytiri teach Jake how to live the Na’vi way, he starts to develop a connection with nature and she teaches him that life on Pandora is all about “the flow of energy, spirits of animals.” Neytiri assigns Jake the duty of claiming an ikran, a predatory bird endemic to Pandora that the Na’vi utilises for aerial hunting, during his training after realising that Jake is ready to advance and learn how to fly. Making a connection with an ikran is a difficult task, and the entire scene masterfully conveys the suspense as we see Jake on a sheer cliff attempting to do so. Following success at one of the best scenes in the movie is when Sully takes his maiden flight and connects with an ikran. Watching Jake fly through Pandora’s expansive countryside is a visual pleasure.
The tribe sings Grace’s praises
After the conflict between humans and the Na’vi tribes deteriorates and Jake and Grace (Sigourney Weaver) decide to support the Pandorans, the latter’s Avatar is injured during combat and Jake seeks the tribe’s assistance to save her. The Na’vi tribe comes together in this exquisitely filmed sequence to try to save Grace and permanently transfer her consciousness to her Avatar form. The scene develops into a potent, spiritually rich moment, and audiences cannot get over how beautifully choreographed the entire scene is.
Battle of Colonel Quaritch
Colonel Quaritch is the terrible villain Jake must defeat after he decides to fight for the Na’vi tribe rather than his fellow marines (Stephen Lang). Jake keeps fighting him in his Avatar form as Quaritch enters in a huge metal suit that he controls from the inside. The duel between the two combatants is one of the best action scenes in the movie. On both sides, the tension is high, and Sully briefly seems like his life is in danger.
Do let us know your favourite scene from the Avatar movie below.
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