My Avatar Review

Of course you already know it's visually AMAZING. Most of the movie takes place in a world that does not exist...wherein everything you see is created digitally. Avatar's accomplishment is that you forget this fact. Everything, from each blade of grass to the skies and views to the faces, eyes, and skin of the characters looks completely real. The main character states, at one point, that Pandora feels more real than his real life with the other humans. As a viewer you are with him on this.

You can read other reviews for what Avatar does incredibly well...I'm going to continue with things that bothered me. James Cameron is a great "idea man" for movies...he envisioned something amazing and created it. However, he is not a great screenwriter. In movies like The Terminator this isn't a big deal. Even "Titanic" was not ruined by his mediocre ability as a writer. It was still a visual treat and (for most people) a touching love story. For me Avatar suffers from some of the same fate as George Lucas's "Star Wars" movies. Big, sweeping vision...captivating ideas...an overall story arc that is compelling but when you get down to the nitty gritty...the details...there is A LOT to nit pick about. Questions that don't get answered, corny dialog and cheesy names for things. Really you couldn't come up with a better planet name than Pandora? And the whole movie is based around the fact that humans NEED a substance called unobtanium..not sure how that is spelled. Really? Why not hard-to-getium? Impossible-ium?

I'll be honest, I'm hard to please when it comes to a good script and quality acting. I think I was about 60% through "Avatar" before the script started to bother me. I was dazzled...engrossed in the world as I should have been. The story was compelling enough that I was happy being taken along for the ride and not questioning the direction it was going.

However, at that point I started to think. I started to notice I was in a screenwriter's grasp and began looking towards the horizon and wondering where we were going between here and the end of the movie. It's at this point that Avatar runs out of tricks and has nowhere to go but the same place a thousand movies before have. Dances With Wolves. Braveheart. Fern Gully. 300. Visually you're on an alien planet but story-wise you're in a movie you've seen many, many times.

I only say this because at a certain point the movie spoils the momentum it builds...as far as the story and emotions go. There is tragedy but you never cry. There is love but you never feel head-over-heels. There is so much POTENTIAL for this...but the magic never *quite* climaxes enough for a good emotional payoff. The battle is incredible, the love story is beautiful. But there is a *connection* that is missing.

Now...the ONLY reason I care, the only reason I'm critiquing here is because for me Avatar is a solid 4 stars. It's incredible and I'd recommend it to anyone. I just feel a little sad that it isn't 5. You can't go back in time before the thousands of hours of animation and polish...but if you could I think this could easily be a 5 star movie...one of best...with a little work on the script. It needs a little more Shakespeare and little less James Cameron.

If you were blown away EMOTIONALLY as well as visually Avatar would be...well...awe-inspiring well after the screen goes dark.

Pity.