Stunning visuals, good acting, but a cliché storyline

Rating: 7/10 (30 April 2010)

First and foremost, this is a must-see movie.
Seeing this movie in the theater was one of the most spectacular and awe inspiring experiences I've had in a while. The visuals were simply incredible, and I truly felt like I was on the moon on Pandora.
Since I received the Blu-ray version of this movie for my birthday, I've watched it twice, and it still amazes me. I can't get over how amazing the movie is to look at.
So now that I'm done drooling over the CGI, I'll move onto the acting. I enjoyed Sam Worthington, and I'm glad he was chosen for the role of Jake. Sam has become one of my new favorite actors, and I enjoyed his performance. The rest of the acting was pretty fair, nothing really stood out until Zoe's character came into play in the movie. Even though her character was all CGI, her acting and facial expressions were still used, and I was impressed.
Now onto the storyline. Jake's occasional video logs in the film helped move the plot along and explain some things that may seem confusing. The beginning of the movie started out well, with a very original plot and setting. Yet as the movie progressed, I realized all I was watching was a futuristic version of John Smith and Pocahontas. At that point it was difficult for me to take the storyline seriously. I kept thinking to myself, "if the humans have the technology to control genetically cloned "avatars" with their minds using crazy cool super computers, you would think that they would have the technology to find an easier way to harvest the metal, instead of simply digging it out of the ground. I mean there was a lake right next to home tree, why not dive to the depths and get it there instead of cutting down trees? I don't know, I think the overall reasoning behind the destruction of the forest could have been more original. But all in all, it was still a solid plot.
With so many amazing visuals to back it up, this movie receives an 7/10 review from me.