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First a disclaimer. I have not seen this movie in 3D. I am hoping that the rumored re-release gives me an opportunity to view it the way James Cameron intended it to be. This is so far one of the toughest movies I have had to review yet. And the feedback from those who have seen the movie in 3D has been tremendously positive.

So where to begin? Where to begin with James Cameron's box office king, Avatar? Let's begin with the director himself. Most people know Cameron from his previous box office reign with a little movie called Titanic. He created the Terminator franchise, gave us one of the most popular sci-fi movies ever in Aliens, showed us wondrous visions in The Abyss, and had Jamie Lee Curtis hanging from a helicopter in True Lies. Why is it then that out of all of his movies, Avatar feels the least original?

I'm not going to go into the plot itself. I feel most already know the story. The story is filled with cliches that we have seen time and time again. There's man versus nature, and science versus the military. Great themes but this is all too familiar territory. There is the protagonist trying to integrate his way into a foreign society and finally winning them over with, of course, his true self inside. Halfway through the movie, I realized I had seen it before. It was called Dances With Wolves.

The performances are horrible. I do not know what the big interest in Sam Worthington is. He has been cast in blockbuster after blockbuster, from Terminator: Salvation to Avatar to Clash of the Titans. He is the new Gerard Butler. The problem is Butler brings a lot of screen presence, something Worthington lacks greatly. He cannot act. And what happened to Giovanni Ribisi? This was his worst performance yet. And Michele Rodriquez? Another horrible acting job. Cameron should know better then that. The only two notables are Stephen Lang and Zoe Saldana. Lang plays the gruff army commander and Saldana is our main Na'vi character. But what is up with the cast anyways? James Cameron knows the anticipation for this project is huge. So why not get a Gerard Butler or two to star in your movie instead of B-listers and no-names?

Then there is the Na'vi themselves. There are times when they look very very odd. It may be the blue tint of the skin, but sometimes they look like big violent Smurfs. Sigourney Weaver's Na'vi body is horrible looking. The faces of the Na'vi are cartoony. Which comes off very poorly in scenes that require a lot of emotion. And the way the Na'vi interlink with the animals and trees through their hair braids is.......well.........really flippin' weird.

Wow, looking up at the previous paragraphs, that is a lot of negative stuff. Well. let's get to the good then.

The world of Pandora is amazing. And this is where Cameron delivers. I have to admire a director who refuses to compromise his vision because the technology does not exist. Instead, he opts to develop the tech himself. That's serious film-making. And that is why, visually, this film delivers. In Pandora, Cameron may have created his most original character yet. The jungles are lush. The animals are bright and colorful. The water and sky clear and refreshing. You want to be there, to visit this world yourself. And then there are these epic scenes of action and disaster. World Tree being destroyed and the last great battle was breathtaking to see. I watched them over and over again, trying to make sure I did not miss anything, but always finding something I did miss. And this is what saves the movie and makes it watchable. I have not seen the 3D version. But I cannot imagine seeing it that way. The 2D is more then adequate enough.

Avatar is now the all-time box office king. I do not know if that is saying much nowadays. With rising ticket prices and 3D surcharges, it is not hard for a movie to gross $100 million anymore. If one were to factor inflation into the mix, Gone with the Wind is the all-time king, domestically. Gone with the Wind is the anti-Avatar, a movie strong on story and performances. But both are strong representatives of the power of Hollywood and the different perspectives in what we find entertaining.

Grade: B+