Movie Review - Avatar

So I got to see Avatar in 3D yesterday (for free!). In case you haven't heard much about it, Avatar was a movie that James Cameron has had in mind since pretty much after he finished with Titantic. The movie focuses on a conflict between humans and the indigenous people of the planet Pandora. It's also supposed to be a breakthrough in filmmaking technology, using cameras specifically designed for the film.

There was a lot of hype for this movie, and I'd heard great things, so I was excited to see it. And ultimately, I think it was an enjoyable movie. Visually, it was one of the most impressive movies I've ever seen. A lot of times, I felt like I was watching a really long cut-scene in a video game. The 3D was really well done, which gives me a lot of hope for the future of that media. There were no 3D gimmicks - it was just used to add good visual depth to the movie. The environments were incredibly detailed, and you could just get lost in how awesome the scenes were.

The problem with the movie, however, was that it was predictable. And by predictable, I mean it was completely unimaginative. A lot of reviews compare it to Dances With Wolves, Ferngully, and Pochahontas, which are all good comparisons. About 10 minutes into it, you realize you've seen this movie before. You know where it's going. There are no twists (at least, none that you won't anticipate).

Really, without the stunning visuals, this movie is pointless. It's actually a pretty bad movie, just cased in a stunning shell. My friend Dan couldn't get past how bad the story/dialogue was, and he hated the movie. Personally, I think that the simplistic plot allowed me to just focus on the visuals and enjoy that, so I liked it for that.

Ultimately, it comes down to how you feel about this, and what you're expecting. It's definitely a movie that you'll either love or hate watching. I happen to fall into the former camp.