Wow - Riven without the story.

Rating: 3/10 (4 September 2010)

An open note to those who helped make this film:
For God's sake, why won't you Hollywood execs pay for a writer?? It seems like a good plot is harder to come by than unobtanium. For all the time, money, and effort that went into this film, the best you could come up with for a story was 'orphan outsider joins harmonious natives against rainforest bulldozers'? Really? Gee, I've never seen that movie before. Thanks.
Even the much-lauded special effects were disappointing at best. Granted, a lot of work went into making beautiful scenery, but it's nothing that hasn't been seen in video games for over a decade. Where was the wind, the rain, the storms, the extreme temperate zones that all planets have? Even Fantasy Island had bad weather. As for the character animation - again, OK, it was very nice, but Pixar has been doing better, more creative, and ultimately more believable work for 15 years. (In both cases, nothing against the animators, just the material they were given.)
This film is a marvel of marketing and flash-and-glitter, and an unbelievable waste of work and money. And with all the terrific and original stories out there that could be made into great films, this one is nothing less than a shame.
Fortunately, Avatar will be forgotten in a few short years. Unfortunately, those of you who shaped it will never understand why.