Overrated...

Rating: 8/10 (12 October 2010)

This film...a visual masterpiece, stunning and glorious...is nevertheless one of the most overrated films I have come across. There has never been anything like it from a special effects standpoint, but the story has been done before - many, many times, and a good deal better. My problems with this film all fall into the realm of character development. Or, more truthfully, the lack thereof. No emotional arcs, no character development...I knew 15 minutes into the film exactly how it was going to go. I knew who would be on which side, I even had a pretty solid guess who was going to die. I was so frustrated because as much effort as Cameron clearly put into the visual aspects of the film, he should have devoted as much to the story. This film had potential to be one of the greatest ever...instead, it is simply the next in a long line of visually impressive films that will fall by the wayside once something brighter and flashier comes along. Definitely watch it, feast on the visuals, but if you want this story...go watch Dances With Wolves or The Last Samurai. They give much better execution of the theme.