Pretty? Yes. Timeless? No.

Rating: 5/10 (11 September 2014)

Man, how life changes. 5 years ago, in the theater, I really liked the movie. Half a decade later, I catch an FX screening on cable. Darn, did my rating this time around drop. It could be my refined tastes, or the increased abundance of CGI. But this re-watch convinced me that, unless the sequels are amazing, Avatar will be forgotten as CGI technology improves. At least it deserve to be. :/
Nothing about the plot or character stands out as unique (beyond the setting) or realistic. The themes of prejudice, war, and environmentalism have been done to death. Of course, practically anything can be great with good writing, characters relateable to the human condition. But no. The characters are universally stock and bland. There's the good, native aliens and there's the evil, modern, greedy humans. There's no shades of gray. A film that runs 161 minutes should have more depth than this. Oh, and let's be honest: nobody actually believed the main romantic interest...did they?
Why don't I hate Avatar? Well, because visually, it is a beautiful movie. The CGI is very good and used abundantly. Its practically more of an animated film than "Who Framed Roger Rabbit?". It does a great job at portraying an alien jungle, its inhabitants, and the sci-fi elements. The battle scenes are alright.
I'd only watch it if you're really attracted to its style. As the years go by, there will be more and more movies that can match Avatar's specs. Sooner than later, Avatar will be average and forgettable. Its already surprisingly ignored for the highest-grossing movie of all time. Without its effects, its completely derivative, so I wouldn't recommend it highly.