entertainment ? yes. technical achievement ? yes . but...

Rating: 7/10 (26 December 2009)

*The first duty of a movie is to entertain.* someone said on a blog's commentary section. and by all gods, Cameron's Avatar does that. pity it stops there
It's a 3D special effects extravaganza. It's a movie written and directed by James Cameron, post-Titanic. 'nuff said.
But the characters are sketchy, the lines are clicheistic, and the only one who saves the day, in more ways than one, is Sam Worthington. ( Ribisi is great too, but his part is more of a cameo than a real part ) Strip away the effects and the score and the beautiful CGI scenery of Pandora, and there isn't much to the story. At least not what I ask of a 'good' movie. It's entrancing to watch in 3D on the big screen, yes. But when it ends, I yawned and stretched and felt the need for a coffee. And that was all. Didn't make me want to take a deep breath and reconsider the reality around me. Didn't make me want to buy a ticket for the next show, just to see it again. Didn't make me almost miss a traffic light. Other movie(s) did that. Not this one.
"He's designed it to bring people back to the cinema. [] Jim has always said to me that he wants to bring people back to the movies, and he's a smart enough man for that to be tactical." Worthington said about Avatar. Yes, the movie does that. It's a return to the glorious Hwood kind of movies. It does bring people back to the theater. But I'm missing that 'something' ... the 'splinter' the first two Terminator movies left in my mind... Roger Ebert likes it, the Academy will like it but it leaves me wanting more. More what ? Dunno. Maybe real quality storytelling over astonishing cinematography?
Okay, Cameron lured people back to the movies. Now it's time that someone uses this opportunity and gives them also some food for thought. Not only great visuals and popcorn.