Synopsis: In the year 2154, a paraplegic marine dispatched to an alien planet on a unique mission becomes torn between following his orders to gain information and protecting the world he now feels is his home.You would be hard-pressed to find a more impressive looking movie, especially if you're a sci-fi geek (guilty!) and most especially if you see it in 3-D. It's simply breathtaking. Story wise? Well we've all seen the simple story before (how about Dances With Wolves?), it's just that this time it's in a really imaginative and fantastic looking world. You've seen most of the cardboard characters before too, they're just taller and bluer now with funny ears. But to complain about this plot and characters would be akin to going to see Jimmy Hendrix play and complaining about the bass player. You're missing the real main event.
The CGI is so fantastic and ambitious I actually felt like I was right there in the alien world and by the end I was wishing I was it was laid out so beautifully. The Pandora jungle and life forms are both fascinating and interesting and I couldn't wait to learn more. I could actually hear the bar for future sci-fi films being raised. The mythology behind their culture is immersing to the point where it could be compared to the fantasy lands of Lord of the Rings or Star Wars.
Was there a hidden agenda in this? Yes, it's a bit preachy with how we should treat the planet and it's our friend and etc. but who doesn't think that's a good message at least? I also couldn't help but think about the native Americans and a similar situation when our ancestors came and fought them and their bow and arrows as they tried to worship this beautiful land we've pretty much raped since.
The mercenary military guys are a bit over-the-top and too gung-ho for the slaughter, but the Colonel was actually one of my favorite characters in the film. You need a great villain sometimes and he's a perfect heartless jerk.
Overall I look at this way... my Grandpa was a master storyteller. He could tell the same story over and over and if I heard it starting I'd rush into the room to hear it again. He had a knack for making it interesting. James Cameron has the same gift. Yes, you've heard it before, but you need to hear how he tells it because the man can tell it like few others. This is a beautiful and enormously entertaining film and why I go to the movies.
9.5/10
