Avatar (2009 film)
2009 film directed by James Cameron
Avatar is a 2009 American epic science fiction film produced by Lightstorm Entertainment and released by 20th Century Fox. It tells a story about about a paraplegic Marine who dispatched to the moon Pandora on a unique mission who becomes torn between following his orders and protecting the world he feels is his home. The film broke several box office records and became the highest-grossing film of all time in the U.S.-Canadian market as well as worldwide. The sequel, Avatar: The Way of Water was released on December 16, 2022.
- Written and directed by James Cameron.
Enter the World (taglines)
Jake Sully
edit- [first lines] When I was lying there in the VA hospital, with a big hole blown through the middle of my life, I started having these dreams of flying. I was free. Sooner or later, though, you always have to wake up.
- [watching his brother's dead body burn while at the morgue with his employers] One life ends... another begins.
- There's no such thing as an ex-Marine. You may be out, but you never lose the attitude. I told myself I could pass any test a man can pass.
- Everything is backwards now, like out there is the true world and this is the dream.
- This is how it's done. When people are sitting on stuff that you want, you make 'em your enemy. Then you justify taking it.
- [after the Ikran shouts] SHUT UP AND FLY STRAIGHT!
- Sometimes your whole life boils down to one insane move.
- [To Quaritch] Are you out of your goddamn mind?! [Quaritch: You crossed the line.]
- [While watching the RDA fleet fire incendiary missiles at Hometree] NO!!!
- [as Selfridge is furiously disabling the Avatars to place them under arrest by Quaritch's force] I was a warrior who dreamed he could bring peace. Sooner or later, though, you always have to wake up.
- [explaining his attempt to tame the legendary Toruk] Way I had it figured, Toruk is the baddest cat in the sky. Nothing attacks him. So why would he ever look up? But that was just a theory.
- The Sky-People have sent us a message, that they can take whatever they want and no one can stop them. Well, we will send them a message. You ride out as fast as the wind can carry you. You tell the other clans to come. You tell them Toruk Makto calls to themǃ You fly now, with me, my brothers, sistersǃ And we will show the Sky-People that they cannot take whatever they wantǃ And that this...THIS IS OUR LANDǃ
- [closing narration] Well, uh, I guess this is my last video log. Because whatever happens tonight, either way, I'm not going to be coming back to this place. Well, I guess I better go. I don't wanna be late for my own party. Yeah, it's my birthday, after all. This is Jake Sully signing off.
- [in cool & understanding voice] You don't choose your Avatar... your Avatar chooses you.
Neytiri
edit- I See You.
- [to Jake] You have a strong heart. No fear – but stupid! Ignorant, like a child.
- I'm with you now, Jake. We are mated for life.
Dr. Grace Augustine
edit- [to Jake] Just relax and let your mind go blank. That shouldn't be hard for you.
- Yeah, that tends to happen when you use machine guns on them.
- [after getting shot] This is gonna ruin my whole day.
- [about the Tree of Souls] I would die to get samples...
- [last words about the Navi' goddess, Eywa] I'm with her, Jake. She's real.
Colonel Miles Quaritch
edit- You are not in Kansas anymore. You are on Pandora, ladies and gentlemen. Respect that fact every second of every day. If there is a Hell, you might want to go there for a little R&R after a tour on Pandora. Beyond that fence, every living thing that crawls, flies or squats in the mud wants to kill you and eat your eyes for Jujubes.
- As head of security it is my job to keep you alive. I will not succeed. Not with all of you. If you wish to survive, you have to cultivate a strong mental attitude. You have to obey the rules. Pandora rules.
- You haven't got lost in the woods, have you? You still remember what team you're playing for?
- You let me down, son. So, what – you, you found yourself some local tail, and you just completely forget what team you're playing for?
- Our only security lies in pre-emptive attack. We will fight terror with terror. Now, the hostiles believe that this mountain stronghold of theirs is well protected by their – their deity. And when we destroy it, we will blast a crater in their racial memory so deep that they won't come within a thousand klicks of this place ever again.
- Nothing's over while I'm breathing!
- [last words before Neytiri killed him with two arrows] Hey, Sully, how does it feel to betray your own race? You think you're one of them? Time to wake up.
Trudy Chacon
edit- [while flying past the floating Hallelujah Mountains] You should see your faces.
- [refusing to participate on the attack on the natives] I didn't sign up for this shit!
- [after having attacked Col. Quaritch's ship] Oops. You're not the only one with a gun, bitch!
- [last words before she got killed in a fiery blaze by Quaritch] Rogue one is hit. We're going in. Sorry, Jake.
Dialogue
edit- Dr. Grace Augustine: [upon meeting Jake] Yeah, yeah. I know who you are, and I don't need you. I need your brother. You know, the Ph.D. who trained for three years for this mission.
- Jake Sully: He's dead. I know it's a big inconvenience for everyone.
- Dr. Grace Augustine: How much lab training have you had?
- Jake Sully: I dissected a frog once.
- Dr. Grace Augustine: [to Max] Ya see? Ya see? I mean, they're just pissing on us without even the courtesy of calling it rain!
- Jake Sully: [As sacred seeds gather around him, and land on him] What are they?
- Neytiri: Seeds of the sacred tree – very pure spirits.
- Mo'at: Why did you come to us?
- Jake Sully: I came to learn.
- Mo'at: We have tried to teach other Sky People. It is hard to fill a cup which is already full.
- Jake Sully: My cup's empty. Trust me, just ask Dr. Augustine. I'm no scientist.
- Mo'at: What are you?
- Jake Sully: I was a Marine. A, uh... A warrior of the "Jarhead" clan.
- Trudy Chacon: We're VFR from here on.
- Norm Spellman: What's VFR?
- Trudy Chacon: Means you gotta see where you're going.
- Norm Spellman: I can't see anything!
- Trudy Chacon: Exactly. Ain't that a bitch.
- [after Jake and Grace returned to Hometree to warn them]
- Neytiri: You knew this would happen?
- Jake: Yes. Look, at first it was just orders, and then everything changed. Okay? I fell in love. I fell in love with the forest and with the Omaticaya people. And with you.
- Neytiri: I trusted you.
- Jake: With you. With you.
- Neytiri: I trusted you!
- Jake: Trust me, now. Please.
- Neytiri: [in Na'vi] KAWKRR! Ke slayu nga Na'viyä hapxì! [furiously pushes Jake] YOU WILL NEVER BE ONE OF THE PEOPLE!
- Jake: I shouldn't have...
- Grace: We tried to stop them!
- Jake: Neytiri, please.
- Mo'at: [in Na'vi] Kawkrr Na'viyä, Kawkrr! (Never of The People, never!)
- Eytukan: [in Na'vi] Mefoti yìm. (Bind them.)
- [The avatars prepare to tie Jake and Grace up]
- Grace: [in Na'vi] Set hivum! (Leave now!)
- [after Hometree is destroyed; Neytiri is finding her father]
- Neytiri: [in Na'vi] Ma sempul! (Father!) [notices Eytukan dying and starts crying, drops her bow] [in Na'vi] Ma sempul, ngati oel kin. (Father, I need you!)
- Eytukan: [in Na'vi] Ma 'ite, tskoti munge. Omatikayaru tìhawnu... sivi. (Daughter... Take.. my bow. Protect... The People.) [dies]
- Jake: [enters] Neytiri!
- [Jake then sees Neytiri breaking down and tries to comfort her.]
- Neytiri: [crying; in Na'vi] Ma sempul. (Father.)
- Jake: I'm sorry.
- Neytiri: [tearfully] Get away. GET AWAY! GET AWAY FROM HERE! NEVER COME BACK!
- [Jake's feelings starting to hurt. Neytiri starts bawling over Eytukan. Then cuts to the lab, the time is up.]
- Parker Selfridge: Pull the plug.
- Neytiri: Now you choose your Ikran. This you must feel inside. If he also chooses you, move quick, like I showed. You will have one chance, Jake.
- Jake Sully: How will I know if he chooses me?
- Neytiri: He will try to kill you.
- Jake Sully: [after a brief pause] Outstanding...
- Neytiri: You are Omatikaya now. You may make your bow from the wood of Hometree. And you may choose a woman. We have many fine women. Ninat is the best singer.
- Jake Sully: But I don't want Ninat.
- Neytiri: Peyral is a good hunter.
- Jake Sully: Yes, she is a good hunter. But I've already chosen. But this woman must also choose me.
- Neytiri: [smiles] She already has.
- [they kiss]
Theme song
edit- "I See You", written by James Horner, Thaddis Harrell, and Simon Franglen, sung by Leona Lewis – YouTube video
- Walking through a dream, I see you
My light in darkness breathing hope of new life
Now I live through you and you through me, enchanted
I pray in my heart that this dream never ends.
- Now I give my hope to you, I surrender –
I pray in my heart that this world never ends.
Tagline
edit- Enter the World
About
edit- Well, he wanted them to be very beautiful. And I do believe that, at some point, he said something to the effect of...the audience has to want to fuck her. I mean, Jim is very plain in his language.
- So, I went, "All right?" So I made something that, I don't know if I really particularly wanted to fuck it, but it was certainly a beautiful alien. He definitely, he wanted it — because he really prefers women that are kind of athletic, and buff and stuff like that, so I, you know, designed something with big hands and feet, a big presence that felt really big and strong.
- Oh, honestly, I believe that they're blue because it's unusual and weird. I mean, maybe there's some ecology-based sense that it makes in the context of the story. I don't remember reading anything in the script that went into — I mean, everything on the planet has kind of aqua to blue palette, at least what I remember seeing. But no, he didn't go into detail at least to me about the specific ecological or environmental reasons why they were the color they were. But I know that he wanted that from the start. He said, "I really want them to be unusual. I want them to have these weird patterns," and so that was definitely what he wanted.
- Concept designer Jordu Schell [1]
Cast
editHumans
edit- Sam Worthington – Jake Sully
- Stephen Lang – Colonel Miles Quaritch
- Sigourney Weaver – Dr. Grace Augustine
- Giovanni Ribisi – Parker Selfridge
- Joel David Moore – Dr. Norm Spellman
- Dileep Rao – Dr. Max Patel
Na'vi
edit- Zoe Saldana – Neytiri
- CCH Pounder – Mo'at
- Wes Studi – Eytukan
- Laz Alonso – Tsu'tey