Amazing eye-candy

Rating: 9/10 (31 December 2009)

I can't add much to the story line others have posted regarding the journey of a paraplegic marine to the world of Pandora, but I would like to add to some of the commentary.
Nobody is going to watch this movie for the story and acting, both of which were decent, but not ground-breaking. But the visual mastery of James Cameron's work is just so beyond the current level that cinema has been able to produce, it will benchmark a new era achievement much like Star Wars did over 30 years ago. Because you are seeing a story unfold with the full force of state of the art CGI, it makes the story and characters come alive with faultless realism. Creating a race of humanoids such as the Na'vi with amazing consistency, and yet individualistically, it captures the mind, heart, and soul of the viewer as they are enveloped in this strange new world.
I saw this at an IMAX theater in 3D and if there was one complaint, I think the 3D system incorporated lacked a little bit of clarity that viewing without glasses would have provided. Is the 3D effect benefits outweigh the detraction in less clarity? This is something worth investigating. I am certainly willing to see the movie again in 2D just because the experience is worth repeating. It is also clear that when the DVD version comes out around May or so if they stick to the release schedule typical of these movies, I'll buy one on the first day and play it on my home theater.