Science in the Movies: Avatar

I went to see Avatar last Sunday night at the gigantic IMAX theater in the Jordan’s Furniture in Reading, MA.  (I admit it’s the second time I saw it, but who can resist the IMAX cinematic experience and the “butt-kicker” personal speakers behind every tempurpedic seat?)  Sitting far too close to focus during the frequent aerial action scenes and feeling rather woozy, I realized that maybe there may be something to a Slate article I read a while ago about why 3D may just be a passing fad.  But, on to what people really want to know:  how did James Cameron’s new block-buster, action-packed, fantasy-filled adventure fare when it came to the science it portrayed?

From interstellar space travel for mining the rare mineral, unobtanium, to remotely controlled alien-human hybrids, Avatar’s creators tried to draw on known science, although most not practically applicable yet.  They imagined the technological advances that might plausibly take place in the future to allow much of what goes on in Avatar.

First off,  here is a fantastic commentary by Cameron and others from Discovery on the Science Behind Pandora.

One quote I love is Cameron describing how the creature design team for the movie referenced real animals’ features and anatomies:

“We were going back to nature the whole time and using nature’s resourcefulness and imagination to fuel what we were doing which is why the creatures feel real.”