A spectacle for our time, for all time...

Rating: 10/10 (18 December 2009)

As I'm writing this, the time is well passed 3 AM, and I don't feel tired at all. I'm on a high that comes from a compelling work of art –the kind of art that leaves a good taste in your mouth. The kind of art where you wake up in the morning and your breakfast tastes better. Yes, I'm on a high, and I may just be an addict, as I would love nothing more than to walk into another screening this very moment.
About 12 years ago (about the time that Titanic hit theaters), legendary director James Cameron wrote down a science fiction story that he had, more or less, carried in his head since youth. What Cameron realized right off the bat was that his story, a classical amalgam of influences from My Lai and Wounded Knee to self actualization and the "reborn" nature of spirituality, could only achieve cinematic greatness in the manner of its execution, not in the uniqueness of its elements -much the same as Star Wars.
What Cameron saw in his head was the important thing, and I'm happy to say that the special effects technology is finally able to catch up to his vision (and probably surpass it). James Cameron's Avatar is nothing short of the most splendid buffet of visuals that my eyes ever did feast upon in a science fiction film.
Is the film perfect? Certainly not. There are a few instances of relatively stale dialogue, but never in a distracting way (I'm looking at you Hayden Christenson). Most of the dialogue isn't very quotable in a "Star Wars" way either, but then again, Star Wars never had the same level of elegant visual storytelling that Avatar does.
Many reviewers have cited 1 dimensional characters: for this I must cry foul. Consistency does not equate to single dimensionality; it is true that most of the characters remain consistent in their moral drive for the duration of the film and most follow well-proved archetypal character journeys, but I fail to see why minimal moral ambiguity is a problem here if it wasn't for Star Wars, The Lion King, Lawrence of Arabia or It's A Wonderful Life. Regardless, the movie is about Sully, and I happen to think that Sully's character was developed in a rich way. It didn't feel "samey" to the culture crossover main characters in Last of the Mohicans, Last Samurai, or Dances with Wolves.
As for the "Dances with Wolves" plot mold of indigenous folks vs. Western greed (the most common "flaw" mentioned at rottentomatoes.com), what with the film's "mcguffin", unobtainium: natural resources driving the narrative, the story more closely resembles Dune than anything else. And it's executed in such a way that it more fully realizes the story mold than nearly any previous effort; fantastical exaggeration of the symbiotic interdependency between the N'avi and their environment (which they share in a literal, biological way - beyond just food) creates a new benchmark of dramatic urgency in science fiction storytelling.
Much of modern sci-fi boringly necessitates pessimism in its narrative to achieve "respectable" status, but Cameron beautifully strays from the pack on this outing. Hopeful, spiritual optimism through rich, epic cultural exploration mirrors that found in classics like The Lion King or Lawrence of Arabia. Horner's score emphasizes this as well.
The 3D is stunning,never gimmicky, and simply must be seen in Imax.
Perhaps when I see Avatar again, I won't like it as well as I do now. Perhaps I must first be sobered from my initial excitement of seeing something crazy and new before I can make an objective analysis worth reading For the moment, I don't care. All I really need to say is: Everyone, see this movie.
James Cameron, I see you.
(Edit: Saw it again... Still awesome)