One of the most satisfying movie-going experiences in years.

Rating: 9/10 (24 December 2009)

I'd heard a lot of hype about Avatar, about its innovative technology and groundbreaking special effects, about all the anticipation, about the strong reviews and very strong opening weekend and Golden Globe nominations, and as much as I was intrigued, as much as I was wanting to see it, I was a little apprehensive. More often than not, hyped-up movies disappoint me, or at least underwhelm me. But this time, the hype was right. And this is one hell of a movie.
True to the hype, the special effects are astonishing. And the 3-D used in the film was spectacular. Visually, it's one of the most amazing films I have ever had the privilege to see.
Now, some people had indicated prior to my viewing of the film that the story and dialogue were a little weak. While I won't say it was the best-written movie of all time, and while I wouldn't hold my breath for a Best Screenplay nod at the Oscars, it was far from a bad script. At least, it didn't distract from the movie and leave a bad taste in the my mouth. Whatever it lacked in originality it more than made up for with the way it sucks you into its world and takes you along for a ride.
And its world is well worth being sucked into. Such depth, such sheer creativity, in the world and its ecosystem, is unequalled. As alien as Pandora is, by movie's end, it seems perfectly natural, and the beauty and grandeur of its scenery and life-forms is staggering.
Finally, the acting was competent, and "right" enough not to distract, though, again, Oscars are unlikely. The music is another matter; I expect Horner will at least get a nomination for his powerful score.
Basically, all the individual pieces of this film are well-crafted, and they all seem to fit together into one tapestry that surpasses just about everything else in the movies of the past several years. I won't say it was 100% flawless, but whatever flaws it did have were minor, and completely shadowed by the magic of this film. I thoroughly enjoyed it, and will eagerly await its DVD release. Highly recommended.