Pretty pictures a good movie do not make

Rating: 6/10 (1 March 2010)

Avatar is quite the paradox.
On one hand you have a film of such stunning, breathtaking technical skill and imagination, that it should, and almost certainly will, reap several top awards at the Oscars, to go with its $2.5 billion (and counting) worldwide gross.
On the other, you have a unoriginal, almost dull story which has somehow been stretched to a excruciating 3 hours! James Cameron is a visionary. This is not a revelation. 3D is a gimmick. This not a revelation either. But surely he needn't have relied on a fad that has come and gone many times over the years, and will continue to do so til the same effect is achieved without the glasses. Fads have their time in the sun though, and Avatar's position at the top of box office charts attest to this. Here though, it's an unnecessary distraction. Maybe that's it point.
Furthermore, how will Avatar be seen in five or ten years time? When the marvels of its technical achievements become commonplace, Avatar will surely be seen as an overblown, dumb action flick that simply doesn't have enough assets to warrant another viewing. Remember the first time you saw the dinosaurs in Jurrasic Park? Like the characters, i was stunned. It's a goddamn dinosaur! That memory stays with me, and I still enjoy the movie, because it's a thrill ride and a great adventure story, even though CGI is now as common as Windows.
Sadly, Avatar will be recalled for its breakthrough technology, but when that novelty becomes the norm, i doubt much else will raise an eyebrow.