So, let's get right down to business. Were the skeptics (including myself) justified about Avatar?
Unfortunately, for the most part, yes.
The biggest flaw with Avatar is it's lackluster plot.
One of the biggest criticisms this film has received since the plot was released was how unoriginal it sounded. Well, it is unoriginal. Very unoriginal. It truly is Dances With Wolves/Pocahontas meets the Matrix. Not only is it unoriginal, but it is so formulaic and predictable, you know everything that will happen.
Honestly, if you've seen Pocahontas, you know everything that happens in this movie. In short, invaders bad, natives good, one of the invaders turns good, etc. etc. It's nothing you haven't seen before, there are no surprises, twists, turns, none. It's a direct plot-line, and easy to follow and predict what's coming next.
The characters (most of them, at least) are also disappointing. They're your average characters in this type of movie. Typical archetypes of the film genre.
This leads me to my next point, the cliched nature of the story. There are a Smurf-load of cliches in Avatar. You've got the sniveling corporate representative who wants only money (you could pretty much replace all his dialogue with "Nyah! We need money! Nyah! Nyah!"), the boyfriend to the tribe princess who at first hates the newcomer but comes to accept him later on, and the buff, war-hungry military dude who just wants to shoot something all the time.
It's unfortunate that Cameron seems to have put the special effects of Avatar as his primary concern while leaving plot, characters, and dialogue as afterthoughts.
Now, what about the acting?
The performances are actually one of the saving graces to Avatar. The most important is obviously that of the protagonist, Jake Sully, played by Sam Worthington. Now, you have heard me criticize Worthington countless times, especially during the Captain America debates. I frequently said that he was unproven and was mediocre. But, after Avatar, this guy certainly can act. He was charismatic, funny, compelling, and just all-around like-able. You really do come to connect with Jake and understand him as a character.
Zoe Saldana, who plays the Na'Vi love interest to Jake Neytiri, was also excellent in this role. You never got to see the beautiful Saldana in person, but she made up for it by giving one great performance. She was fierce, elegant, and strong-willed, and Saldana embodied the character.
The rest of the supporting cast is pretty good, for the most part. Sigourney Weaver is delightful as always, and she and Worthington play fantastically off of each other. Joel David Moore, who plays Jake's friend Norm, was decent, if a bit annoying at times. Michelle Rodrigeuz is sub-par, which didn't surprise me. I never liked her as an actress, and this is no different. Giovanni Ribisi is a walking cliche as the corporate representative on Pandora, who fulfilled his role I suppose, since you're supposed to hate the character. Last, but not least, we have Stephen Lang as the antagonist Colonel Quaritch. Yet another cliche on legs, Lang was hammy, and just gave a bad performance.
The last criticism I'll lob at Avatar is it's lacking dialogue. Specifically, the dialogue is especially bad with Quaritch. Lang had some serious dialogue issues to work with. "You're not in Kansas anymore", "Shut your piehole", and "Let's boogie" to name a few.
Now, with all that said, you should go see Avatar. Why? Not because it's a great movie, but because it is a fantastic EXPERIENCE.
The most talked-about aspect of Avatar is it's "revolutionary" effects. While I don't think that they will exactly change movies forever, they might change the way special effects are done from now on. The special effects that make up the majority of this film are phenomenal. Screen-caps do not do them justice. Once you see the plants and creatures move around on Pandora, you'll be star-struck. Things move like you're watching them right in front of you. Environments look breath-taking and realistic, and made me think they were really in front of me a couple times. The 3D does work very well. I wanted to stick my hand out and try to touch objects, the only reason I didn't because it would be embarrassing. Pandora really comes to life once you watch the movie, trust me.
The last thing I will talk about is the action. It's awesome. All of it. No one directs action quite like James Cameron, and it is totally apparent in Avatar. The fights are intense, thrilling, and heart-pumping. The last battle alone redefines the word epic. From now on, dictionaries need to put "Avatar's Final Battle" under the definition of "epic." Believe me, it's that good.
So, is Avatar really the sci-fi epic of the decade? No. Is Avatar that great a movie? No.
Is it an amazing experience like no other? Absolutely.
If for nothing else, just see Avatar for the experience alone. It's worth the cash. Should it win awards for being a quality movie? No, and it is disappointing in quality considering what we got with the amazing District 9, but it truly is a movie-going experience no one has ever seen before. And for that reason, you should shell out the money and see it.
This is Tyler, signing out.