The new trailers forAvatar: Way of The Waterfilled the internet with excitement surrounding the serene but dramatic new visuals. The peaceful world of Pandora outshines the beauty of almost any vacation spot on Earth thanks to Pandora’s vast landscapes, natural resources, and exquisite plants and animals. In preparation for the sequel, it is only natural to reflect on the strengths and weaknesses of the original.Avatarstill holds box office world records in many categories for its universally applicable themes and characters. Thejaw-dropping special effectsmerged with complicated performances and rich themes that kept audiences coming back for more.
Since this movie’s debut,Zoë Saldañahas continued to appear in many popular blockbusters. She is famous for her roles as Gamora inGuardians of the Galaxyand Uhura inStar Trek.Even though her science fiction characters have earned her the most attention, she has also played critical roles in several smaller animated projects and movies likeAlicia Keys: Show Me Love,and theNetflix originalFrom Scratch(Netflix original series).
Even though Saldaña’s acting has only improved, her performance as Neytiri inAvatarremains one of her most complicated roles. As we look back on the originalAvatar,here are some reasons why her performance was vastly underrated.
Avatar Effects Distracted From Saldaña
Avatarquickly became famous for its revolutionary special effects. Thefilm used motion capturesuits to track the actors' performances and later render the action digitally. Acting in front of a green screen is hard enough, but if actors add strange costumes and bulky gear to the mix, their job becomes even more difficult. It is hard to convey love for a beautiful planet that does not exist yet. It is even harder to fall in love with someone wearing fake ears and tiny dots all over their spandex-clad body on set.
Despite all of these digital obstacles, Saldaña brings emotional complexity and detailed mannerisms to her character. All the careful actions provide more believability to her digitally animated character. When viewers watch the final film, it is easy to suspend disbelief and step into not only the foreign world, but also the foreign culture.
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Yet the same special effects that enhanced the value of her acting also overshadowed Saldaña’s performance; the effects team did such a great job, that the actually very physical, intense, and complex performance was mistaken for animation. Most of the film takes place in an entirely digital set, and this was the firstfilm captured in Real 3D. For the first time, audiences could ditch the distracting red and blue paper glasses for clear 3D ones. It completely changed the experience of the film.
WhenAvatarwas released on the big screen, everyone was talking about the new Real 3D technology and the outstanding special effects. There are points in the movie when the beautiful backdrop of Pandora steals the show away from the film’s characters. All this attention to the special effects robbed Saldaña of the proper attention that she deserved.
Language in Avatar
The Na’vi (the Indigenous species, or ‘aliens,’ on Pandora) have a different culture than our own. They bond with the land and respect their planet with unique customs and rituals. Part of this unique culture is a distinct language created just for the film. Saldaña spent months learning this language so that she could properly speak it during filming. Thankfully her previous experiences learning languages (raised bilingually) perfectly qualified her for the challenge; however, learning to speak in English with a unique Na’vi accent proved to be a more difficult challenge.
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According to an interview withEllen, Saldaña underwent six months of all-around intellectually and physically “grueling” training. She even learned archery and horseback riding without a saddle during that time. Even before she stepped in front of the camera Saldaña proved her dedication to the performance and her excellence as an actor.
Saldaña Is Emotionally Rich as Neytiri
Even aside from all the extra layers of difficulty thatAvatarrequired, Saldaña’s performance simply portrayed an excellent range of emotion. Her character, Neytiri, is a fierce warrior full of human-like rage and aggression. Yet, Neytiri also has a kind and gentle heart that sees the best in other people.
Throughout the film she displays the utmost joy and bitter heartbreak. When Neytiri feels betrayed, Saldaña’s performance captures the mixture of anger, sorrow, and confusion that everyone feels at the heartbreaking end of a beautiful relationship. The piercing wail and cries she lets out as Pandora is being burned remain some of the most haunting, emotional moments not just ofAvatar, but of recent cinema in general. She wasn’t afraid to look or be vulnerable for this role, and it makes all the difference in the final film. We can only look forward to seeing how this heroine’s story continues in the next films.
