Technology catches up to Cameron's vision for ‘Avatar'

There's a concept in sales known as “undersell, overdeliver.”

The idea is that a good salesman can pitch a product well without boasting or promising too much, thereby allowing his product's quality to exceed customer expectations and ensure satisfaction.

Director James Cameron and the rest of the people behind the new movie “Avatar” have probably never heard of that concept.

“Avatar,” if you don't know, is supposed to be big. Really big. A 3-D sci-fi epic for the ages. And Fox, the company behind the movie, has been busy spending millions trying to make sure you know it. If you want proof, just check out an “Avatar” trailer (which should be on your TV if not at this precise moment then within the next few): “On December 18th,” says a baritone voice over images of explosions, gunfire, snarling monsters, robots and blue, humanlike cat things, “movies will never be the same.”

It's a bold claim, one that's been reverberating around the Internet for more than a year.

The idea that the director behind all-time box office champion “Titanic” — not to mention “The Terminator,” “Terminator 2,” “Aliens” and “True Lies” — might just change modern cinema is not too far-fetched. But it is a big expectation to live up to.

We don't have to wait long to find out if he pulled it off. “Avatar” hits theaters on Friday.

Before the big unveiling, you need the essential “Avatar” info. Be it plot, cast, historical importance or even a cool hometown connection, we've got you covered.

What is an avatar, anyway?

“Avatar” is a term most commonly used in computer gaming. A person's avatar is his or her in-game representation, a character that acts on the user's behalf in the computer world. It can often be made to look like the user — like a Mii on the Nintendo Wii. The word has origins in Hinduism, where it is used to denote the incarnation of a higher being (such as a god) in the form of a lower being (a man or fish or what have you).

The plot of “Avatar.”

It's the year 2154, and humanity is still up to its old habits: destroying nature and displacing native groups in search of natural resources. Except this time, “nature” is a far-off jungle-filled moon called Pandora, and the “native group” is a species of 10-foot blue alien warriors called the Na'vi. Paraplegic war veteran Jake Sully (played by Sam Worthington, “Terminator: Salvation”) has his mind linked with a genetically bred human-Na'vi hybrid (the titular avatar) in order to help infiltrate their culture and help humanity conquer Pandora. Instead, he finds himself falling in love with a Na'vi woman (Zoe Saldana, “Star Trek”) and torn between the two cultures as war erupts.

The film also stars Sigourney Weaver as a scientist and Stephen Lang as a colonel.

What are the critics saying?

Though it's still a bit early, a few major film critics were able to screen the movie last week. Their reactions? Overwhelmingly enthusiastic. Rottentomatoes.com, a film criticism aggregating site, has the movie rated at 92 percent positive — a very strong score. Todd McCarthy, critic for daily Variety, put it like this: “Cameron delivers again with a film of universal appeal that just about everyone who ever goes to the movies will need to see.” More reviews should trickle out over the next few days. Look for The World-Herald's on Saturday.

And that hometown connection?

One of the film's two cinematographers — also known as directors of photography, responsible for the image quality of the film — calls Omaha home. Mauro Fiore, originally from Italy but currently based in Omaha, also has done work on movies including “Training Day,” “The Island,” “Smokin' Aces” and “The Kingdom.” He is currently in Canada working on an upcoming film version of “The A-Team.” Yes, that “A-Team.” Hey, it's not “Avatar,” but it's work.

So why might this movie be such a big deal?

Technology, technology, technology. The visuals were created using several new computer imaging techniques. The goal is to make the real-life characters and artificial elements indistinguishable.

After dreaming up the story, Cameron actually waited a decade before making the movie to allow the technology to catch up to his vision. If the real and fake imagery truly are seamless, it will be a step forward in filmmaking.

Second, “Avatar” is being positioned as the harbinger of a long-term 3-D movie era. Modern 3-D movies, around for only the past two years or so, have made a lot of money for movie studios because of their higher ticket prices.

But many theater owners fear that it's only a fad, like the 3-D of yesteryear. If “Avatar” — by far the biggest 3-D film yet — succeeds, it could mean 3-D is here to stay.

Why is it risky?

Mostly because it's so costly. The high-end estimates put the budget at around $500 million, which would make it the most expensive movie ever. Though Fox Filmed Entertainment denies that number, CEO James Gianopulos acknowledges that it's the most expensive movie it has ever made as a company.

Also a risk: notoriously fickle sci-fi, film and comic fans. Among them, there has been a strong negative reaction. (Sample: commenter “presto117” from the Web site Slashfilm: “The Na'avi just look terrible to me. Their skin doesn't look realistic. Their features are ridiculous.”)

It's not all bad, though. “From what I've seen (‘Avatar') looks kind of epic,” said Jason Dasenbrock, owner of Omaha's Legends Comics. “Everything else out there is recycled from a book or comic. I'll definitely be checking it out.”

Contact the writer:

444-1339, wesley.taylor@owh.com

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