A unique experience unlike any other

Rating: 9/10 (18 December 2009)

I was one of those people who went in thinking the 3D would be terrible. -I love it when I my expectations are completely shattered.
Avatar (which would have been more suitably titled Pandora) is an epic, that follows Jake Sully, a Marine confined to a wheelchair who is given the chance to explore Pandora and his subsequent experiences with the Pandora natives, the Na'vi, and the result this has on his perspective of the planet's resources and Colonel Quaritch's goals. Pandora is fleshed out by the wonderful array of flora/fauna, and the unique way in which the moon functions.
The use of 3D is impeccably employed. A fitting way to describe it would be with the use of focus/layers. There are two layers to almost every scene, the foreground and the background. We are in the foreground, and we are watching the background from this foreground. James Cameron uses this as a story-telling technique. We are the Na'vi. We are Jake. We are what the director wants us to be at any given moment. By being brought into the experience of events so closely it feels personal, it feels like what is happening to them is happening to us. It is immersive.
Common words used to describe the CGI are 'realistic' or 'photo-realistic'. Photo-realistic seems the more appropriate term. It is very other-worldly (as it should be) yet very convincing. At times the film tricked me into believing in instances that the Na'vi could have been a result of brilliant make-up work, but simultaneously it is clear by their shape that they aren't. What they are is the result of motion capturing, and years spent on intensive computer work.
The story is very Disney but this isn't the negative trait people make it out to be. It is very reminiscent of Star Wars, and most certainly has been done before. Parallels can be made (unnecessarily) to events in history and currently events, if one feels inclined to do so. Yet unfortunately one of the weakest parts about Avatar is the character development, the other being the musical score. It is definitely safe to say James Cameron's use of visual elements to develop the relationship between the two main characters whilst wonderful could have been supported by some more dialogue between them. Is it all supposed to be implication? Were important scenes cut out from the film?
Ultimately we know what's going on between the characters in a very limited way, and we feel for them even though we don't get to know them. The main cast all does a brilliant job, particularly Zoe Saldana and Sigourney Weaver. But although technically amazing and extremely entertaining it feels lacking... incomplete. Apparently the director, James Cameron, kept the film under three hours because of studio concern and also because of the 3D (which unfortunately, after all my aforementioned praise, doesn't work well for everyone, with some people I know complaining of headaches and vertigo).
James Cameron has released extended versions of three of his previous films before (Aliens, Terminator 2, The Abyss) so hopefully there is footage that was cut that will be released in an Extended Edition because as it stands it is not quite as good as it could have been, whilst still being a unique and incredible experience. Hopefully it manages to be as impressive in 2D, once padded out with sufficient material.
Avatar is excellent; Avatar is inspiring; Avatar is a film that will be remembered. Something about it everyone should be able to connect to. But see it first, in 3D.