Actually insulting to avid film lovers

Rating: 1/10 (8 April 2010)

I heard that this film was going to be the benchmark in modern film making. I heard this film was to be the largest grossing film of all time, and perhaps even the most captivating. As a film lover I could not miss it, and to make sure I didn't miss out on everything James Cameron had to offer me, I saw it in the largest iMax cinema in England, in 3d.
Keep in mind, I am now writing this review a week or so after seeing it so as to let my initial reactions subside and compose and sensible, rational and correct report on what I experienced, and yet my first words are still WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT?!
Let me try and address this in an ordered fashion.
Plot: Terrible, shameful and embarrassing. Not only to mention that it was almost an exact copy of Pocahontas (literally), it just wasn't at all interesting. You knew from the outset exactly how the film was going to end, it was cliché, boring and hamfisted from beginning to end. Anyone who can honestly say that the plot was captivating must be drunk, an idiot, or joking.
Also, I know people go on about this, but seriously, UNOBTANIUM??? I understand trying to make a commentary on our endeavours as mankind, but calling the object unobtanium reduces the intellectual level to Sesame Street.
Also, the fact that the Na'vi who could speak English went from relatively stunted English to perfect English and back again through out the film bothered me more than a little.
And when the natives win that one battle, the humans, who desperately want this 'unobtanium' as it will make them all mindboggingly rich, and can afford to pay for whole armies to try and get it, give up? They just aren't going to come back? That's ridiculous, they'd nuke the place.
Characters / Characterisation: Uni-dimensional to the end. No depth whatsoever. Prime example of this is the military captain who is, in all senses, a cartoon stereotype military captain, there was no reason or rhyme behind his actions apart from the fact that he is a military captain. The self-interested capitalist, who in the end was nothing more than a self-interested capitalist? No! Surely not! And the hero, who, from beginning to end, portrays no real traits that give him away to be anything other than a complete hero. Wow. I'm so impressed.
Acting: No one captivated me. No one stood out. Even Sigourney Weaver, an actress who I usually hold in quite high esteem, was pretty poor. I blame Cameron.
Special Effects: Yes. They were impressive. This is where my 1 star comes from. But, forgive me for being a bit of a traditionalist, but I think in any film no more than 1 star should ever be entirely devoted to special effects. That being said, they were impressive, they weren't biblical. It's not like I walked out of the cinema unable to speak from awe. Furthermore, aside from the technical quality of the special effects, the world itself was not that inventive, intelligently designed or beautiful. They were essentially in a jungle with a few animals that just looked like mutated versions of Earth animals. And some odd jellyfish type things. If you want truly beautiful films watch something like "Pan's Labyrinth" or "House of Flying Daggers", I'd say both of these have more impressive scenery than Avatar does.
Directing:
Uninventive. Nothing really new there. Impressive shots of scenery perhaps, but pretty much normal camera-work throughout. A very cheesy montage to show the hero and his woman getting closer and closer. A standard battle scene. No James Cameron, not impressive.
The bottom line is this, I know and you know that if it wasn't for its 3D effects, and the fact that it had James Cameron's name attached to it, Avatar would probably have been straight to DVD. Some people have said that people don't like it because they don't understand Sci Fi. That's ridiculous. I love Sci Fi, it's my favourite genre. But compared with classics like Alien, or 2001, this was an affront.
So shame on you James Cameron, for insulting our intelligence by thinking that nothing more than pretty lights are needed to make a good film. Though, in the end, I guess you were right, as most people seem to be inexplicably raving about it. Maybe all people want in a film are just pretty lights, and that's pretty sad to see.
Poor, poor show.