‘Avatar’ had a deleted scene that shed more insight into Jake’s history before he ever met the Na’vi.
The Big Picture
- A deleted
Avatar
scene shows Jake’s backstory and heroism on Earth, enhancing his character’s depth and motivation. - Earth’s dystopian future highlights the environmentalist themes of the film franchise.
- Showing Earth is crucial and shapes the audience’s understanding of the universe beyond Pandora in the Avatar series.
One of the oddest arguments made in the aftermath of the blockbuster success of James Cameron’s science fiction epic Avatar is that despite becoming the highest-grossing film of all time, the film did not have a significant cultural impact. Even ignoring the equally impressive critical and commercial success of the sequel, Avatar: The Way of Water, it’s evident that audiences were enamored with the rich world of Pandora that came directly from Cameron’s imagination. Despite how impassioned fans of the franchise are about worldbuilding, Sam Worthington’s performance as Jake Sully is not often cited among Avatar’s best qualities.
Cameron is certainly a strong writer of characters, and Avatar has more than a few memorable performances. Zoe Saldaña’s performance as Neytiri is an astounding achievement in motion capture acting, and Stephen Lang’s role as the ruthless Colonel Miles Quaritch is undoubtedly one of the most intimidating villains in recent years. In comparison, Jake is a rather bland hero whose purpose is mostly to introduce viewers to the world of Avatar for the first time. However, Avatar had a deleted scene that shed more insight into Jake’s backstory on Earth.
Avatar
A paraplegic Marine dispatched to the moon Pandora on a unique mission becomes torn between following his orders and protecting the world he feels is his home.
- Release Date
- December 10, 2009
- Director
- James Cameron
- Cast
- Sam Worthington , Zoe Saldana , Sigourney Weaver , Stephen Lang , Joel David Moore , Giovanni Ribisi
- Runtime
- 162
‘Avatar’ Had a Different Opening Scene
Despite its epic length, a majority of Avatar’s opening act takes on the responsibility of introducing viewers to the world of Pandora and explaining the role that the Resource Development Administration plays in acquiring unobtanium. While the singular focus on the alien planet certainly makes for an immersive cinematic experience, Avatar’s deleted scene showed the mundanity of Jake’s life on Earth. It’s revealed that Earth has been stripped of many of its natural resources, and that the economy has been crippled. Earth’s shimmering holograms, neon advertising signs, and massive cityscapes resemble a dystopian future not that dissimilar from science fiction noirs like Blade Runner.
The deleted scene shows the challenges that Jake faces as a result of his physical impediment. Despite his heroism in the Marines, Jake has not been properly treated by the United States government and has not received the funds that would allow him to get surgery for his shattered spine. As a result, Jake feels like his country has abandoned him. He mentions wanting to join the Marines to protect the weak, but ironically, now feels like he is the one that needs protection. While less exciting than some of Avatar’s biggest set pieces, the alternative opening does a great job at detailing Jake’s mental health struggles. Worthington gives a nuanced performance that gives insight into his later decisions.
Despite his feelings of discontent at not being able to serve, Jake shows that he is still a hero in Avatar’s deleted scene. In a moment showing Jake’s social life at a local bar, he notices that two women are being harassed by a rowdy patron. This inspires Jake to stand up for them, only to be ruthlessly beaten and thrown out of the bar. It serves as the perfect transition to a meeting with two RDA agents who inform him about his identical twin’s death, and offer Jake the opportunity to take his brother’s place leading to his trip to Pandora.
The Deleted ‘Avatar’ Scene Makes Jake Sully a Better Character
As the title would suggest, Jake is really the audience’s “avatar,” as he is experiencing the wonder and possibilities of Pandora at the same time as the audience is. While this gives the viewer an inherent connection to his curiosity, the deleted Avatar scenes make Jake more empathetic by showing his motivations. Jake mentions that the only thing he ever wanted “was a single thing worth fighting for.” It’s suggested that his life on Earth no longer gives him that possibility. This may explain why Jake is so enthusiastic about taking part in the exploratory mission, even though Quaritch hides many of the operation’s real intentions from him. By helping transport unobtanium back to Earth, Jake hopes that he can make a difference for those still left on the planet’s surface.
Beyond shedding more insight into his motivation, the deleted Avatar scene reveals that Jake always had an inclination toward heroism. He willfully puts himself in danger to protect the women at the bar, mirroring the sacrifice that he makes for the Na’vi at the end of the first film. While this decision is heavily inspired by his romantic connection with Neytiri, the earlier moment indicates that selflessness was always part of Jake’s personality. Needlessly putting himself in danger takes strength, but the deleted scene shows that it wasn’t just because of Jake’s recklessness, he genuinely wants to help people who he feels have been mistreated. He continues to reflect this quality when he first encounters the Na’vi on Pandora.
Showing Earth Is Important for the ‘Avatar’ Franchise
The details about how Earth has evolved by the year 2154 are only briefly mentioned in the Avatar franchise, as the action takes place almost entirely on Pandora. Showing Earth in the Avatar deleted scene explains why humanity is so desperate to find habitable planets. It’s evident that Earth is starved of resources, and may not survive for much longer on its current trajectory. The environmentalist themes of both films are made even stronger by showing how Earth has been affected by an overuse of technology.
In addition to providing more context on the larger universe beyond Pandora, Avatar’s deleted opening scene serves as a compelling pair with the first moments of Avatar: The Way of Water. Although the first two films have very similar plots, it’s evident that Jake’s life has changed significantly. While in Avatar he was an angry and depressed loner, he becomes a loving community leader and family man by the time Avatar: The Way of Water begins. But in giving us a fully realized look at who Jake Sully was and how far he’s come, this deleted scene feels like an important part of our hero’s evolution.
Avatar is streaming on Disney+ in the U.S.
This article was originally published on collider.com