Avatar (2009)

Plot

In 2154, the RDA corporation is mining Pandora, a lush, Earth-like moon of the planet Polyphemus,^[21] in the Alpha Centauri star system.^[5] Parker Selfridge (Giovanni Ribisi) heads the mining operation, which employs private military contractors (mainly former Marines) for security. The corporation intends to exploit Pandora's reserves of a valuable mineral called unobtanium. Pandora is inhabited by the Na'vi, a ten-foot-tall blue-skinned species of sapient humanoids.^[22] The Na'vi live in harmony with nature, worshiping a mother goddess called Eywa.

Pandora's atmosphere is toxic to humans, forcing them to use breathing masks. Attempting to improve relations with the natives and learn about Pandora's biology, scientists grow Na'vi-human hybrids called avatars, controlled by genetically matched, mentally linked humans.^[23] Jake Sully (Sam Worthington), a paraplegic former Marine, replaces his murdered twin brother, a scientist trained to be an avatar operator. Dr. Grace Augustine (Sigourney Weaver), head of the Avatar Program, considers Sully an inadequate replacement for his brother and assigns him as a bodyguard.

In their avatar forms, Augustine, biologist Norm Spellman (Joel David Moore) and Jake leave the base to take biological samples and reestablish peaceful relations with the Na'vi. A predator attacks them and Jake becomes separated and lost. Neytiri (Zoe Saldana), a female Na'vi, rescues him, bringing him to Hometree, which is inhabited by her clan, the Omaticaya. Neytiri's mother Mo'at (C. C. H. Pounder), the clan's shaman, shows interest in the warrior "Dream-walker" and instructs her daughter to teach Jake their ways. Colonel Miles Quaritch (Stephen Lang), leader of the security forces, enlists Jake to bring him intelligence about the natives that could help RDA convince the Na'vi to leave Hometree so the company can mine the unobtanium that lies beneath it. He promises Jake that he will help him obtain the treatment needed to restore his legs.

Jake delivers information to Quaritch, but Augustine becomes suspicious and relocates herself, Jake and Norm to a remote outpost with avatar link units. Over three months, Jake grows close to Neytiri and the Omaticaya, eventually rejecting RDA's agenda. He is initiated into the Omaticaya, and he and Neytiri choose each other as mates. Jake reveals his change of allegiance when he disables a bulldozer as it destroys the tribe's Tree of Voices. Quaritch presents Selfridge with Jake's video diary, in which Jake admits that the Omaticaya will never abandon Hometree. Selfridge orders Hometree destroyed.

Augustine argues that the destruction of Hometree could affect the bio-botanical neural network that Pandoran organisms are connected to, and Selfridge gives Jake and Augustine one hour to convince the Na'vi to leave Hometree. Jake reveals his original mission to the Omaticaya, and Neytiri accuses him of betrayal. Jake and Augustine's avatars are taken captive. Quaritch's forces destroy Hometree, killing Neytiri's father, the clan chief Eytucan (Wes Studi), and many others. Jake, Augustine and Norm are imprisoned. Trudy Chacón (Michelle Rodriguez), a security force pilot disgusted with Quaritch's methods, breaks them out and flies them to the outpost, which they relocate. During the escape Quaritch shoots Augustine, seriously wounding her.

To regain the Omaticaya's trust, Jake tames a Toruk, a powerful flying beast that only five Na'vi have ever tamed. Jake finds the Omaticaya at the sacred Tree of Souls and pleads with Mo'at to heal Augustine. The clan attempts to transfer Grace from her dying human body into her unconscious avatar body with the aid of the Tree, but she succumbs to her injuries before the transfer is complete. Mo'at declares that "she is with Eywa now".

With the assistance of Neytiri and Tsu'Tey (Laz Alonso), the new leader of the Omaticaya, Jake assembles over two thousand Na'vi to repel the humans, with eighteen thousand still on the way. Jake prays to Eywa, via neural connection to the Tree of Souls, to intercede on behalf of the Na'vi in the coming battle. Quaritch notes the mobilization of the Na'vi clans and convinces Selfridge to authorize a preemptive strike on the Tree of Souls. Because it is a center of Na'vi religion and culture, its destruction would leave the Na'vi too demoralized to resist further encroachment.

As the security forces attack, the Na'vi retaliate but suffer heavy casualties, including Tsu'Tey and Trudy. Suddenly, the Pandoran wildlife joins the attack on the corporation's forces, overwhelming them, an event Neytiri interprets as Eywa answering Jake's prayer. Jake destroys the bomber before it can reach the Tree of Souls. Quaritch finds the avatar link unit where Jake's human body is located and attacks it, exposing Jake to Pandora's atmosphere. Neytiri kills Quaritch and saves Jake. With the attack repelled, Neytiri and Jake reaffirm their love as she sees his human body for the first time.

Selfridge and the remaining corporate personnel are expelled from Pandora, while Jake, Norm, and other scientists are allowed to remain. Jake is seen wearing the insignia of the Omaticaya leader. The clan performs the ritual that permanently transfers Jake from his human body into his Na'vi avatar.

BasNic opinion

We liked this movie and the special effect are awesome it was very interesting what you can do on you computer;) This movie achieved 10 out of 10 points.

Information

Director: James Cameron

Release Date: 10.12.2009

Running Time: 162 min

Budget: 237 million $

Revenue 1,897,359,670$

Inglourious Basterds (2009)

PLOT

Inglourious Basterds unfolds over five chapters: Once upon a time... In Nazi-Occupied France; Inglourious Basterds;A German Night in Paris; Operation Kino and Revenge of the Giant Face.^[10][11]

In France in 1941, SS Colonel Hans Landa arrives at a dairy farm to interrogate Perrier LaPadite about rumors he is hiding the Jewish Dreyfus family. Landa persuades the farmer to confess to hiding the family underneath his floor. Landa orders the SS soldiers into the house to shoot the floorboards where LaPadite has confirmed the Dreyfuses are hiding below. The entire family is killed, with the exception of the teenage Shosanna, whom Landa allows to escape.

In Italy in the spring of 1944, Lt. Aldo Raine recruits a team of eight Jewish-American soldiers for a mission to get behind enemy lines and bring fear to all German servicemen. He tells the soldiers that they each owe him a hundred Nazi scalps. They operate with a "take no prisoners" attitude and come to be known as the 'Basterds'. One survivor of an attack by the 'Basterds', Private Butz, is interviewed by Adolf Hitler. Butz's account of the attack is shown via flashback as he reveals that his squad was ambushed and his Sergeant was beaten to death by Sgt. Donny Donowitz with a baseball bat. Butz then reveals that Raine carved a swastika onto his forehead with a knife so that he will be universally identifiable as a Nazi after the war.

In June 1944, three years after her family's murder, Shosanna has assumed a new identity as 'Emmanuelle Mimieux' and is operating a cinema in Paris. She meets Frederick Zoller, a German marksman whose exploits are to be celebrated in a Nazi propaganda film, Stolz der Nation (Nation's Pride).^[12] Zoller is attracted to Shosanna and convinces Joseph Goebbels to hold the premiere of his film at Shosanna's cinema. Shosanna realizes that the presence of several high-ranking Nazi officials provides an opportunity for revenge and resolves to burn down the cinema during the premiere by using a large quantity of flammable nitrate film. The British also learn of the premiere and dispatch Lt. Archie Hicox to infiltrate the event aided by the 'Basterds' and German film actress and double agent, Bridget von Hammersmark. Hicox and two of the 'Basterds' meet with Hammersmark at a tavern where an SS officer notices Hicox's odd accent and that he gives the wrong three-fingered order for drinks. The resulting standoff erupts into a firefight, leaving everyone dead except Hammersmark. Raine interrogates Hammersmark, and upon learning that Hitler will be attending the premiere, devises a plan where himself, Donny, and Omar will pose as Hammersmark's Italian escorts at the premiere. Landa later investigates the tavern and retrieves Hammersmark's shoe and an autographed napkin.

At the premiere, Landa asks to see Hammersmark privately. He makes her try on the shoe he found and then violently strangles her to death. He then orders Raine to be arrested, as well as Private Utivich. Landa makes a deal with Raine's commanding officer to be granted a full military pension and American citizenship (among other things), in exchange for allowing Donny and Omar—still seated in the cinema—to kill the Nazi high command. During the film, Zoller goes to the projection room to see Shosanna and angrily protests about her rejecting him. When his back is turned, she shoots him multiple times, but he manages to shoot her dead before succumbing to his wounds. The film is then interrupted by a pre-recorded close-up of Shosanna informing the audience that they are going to be killed by a Jew. At the same time, Shosanna's employee, Marcel, who has locked and bolted all the exits of the cinema, ignites the nitrate film stacked behind the screen. Donny and Omar gun Hitler and Goebbels down and begin firing into the crowd. They continue firing until the dynamite Landa planted earlier explodes together with the sticks strapped to their legs, destroying the cinema.

Landa and his radio operator drive Raine and Utivich to the American lines, according to the deal. At the lines, Landa surrenders to Raine and hands over his weapons, allowing Utivich to handcuff him. Raine breaks his part of the deal by shooting Landa's driver dead and Utivich scalps him. Raine then carves a swastika into Landa's forehead, proclaiming that "this just might be my masterpiece."

BasNic opinion

Inglourious Basterds is one of the best movies released in 2009. It shows the actions of the Nazi´s in a ,,funny´´ way. Even if this movie is very long (153 min) it is not like in other movies where you can go and take a piss and come back without loosing the story....This movie achieved 10 out 10 points

Information

Director: Quentin Tarentino

Release Date: May 20, 2009 (Cannes)

Running Time: 153 min

Budget: 70 million $

Revenue 319,131,050$