Great Visuals, Great Cast - Even Better Story

Rating: 10/10 (28 December 2009)

I went to see this without any preconceptions at all. I'm not a fantasy fan (I haven't even watched Lord of the Rings yet, although I do own all three instalments), but as the owner of over 500 films and a thousand books, it's fair to say that I'm an entertainment lover.
My usual problem with fantasy is that it's often silly. You'll hear a lot about Avatar's breathtaking graphics, and rightly so, but for me the story of this film was beautiful. It was straightforward and logical, funny and sad, and it had some real poignant moments that echoed real life wars we have watched in recent times around the world.
The casting was perfect, and there was a real heat beating at the centre of the action that makes the film an absolute triumph. The characters were incredibly well-cast, and the potential for merchandising lines from this movie is just limitless. It has to be experienced in 3D to be truly experienced, for sure, but I for one cannot wait for the DVD release.
Excellent.