Still a mesmerizing experience

Rating: 9/10 (14 December 2019)

I saw Avatar for the third or fourth time yesterday (the 2D, extended version) and I only just realized it was released almost exactly ten years ago!
Since I first watched it, my imdb rating has been oscillating between 7 and 9/10, so I'm very much aware of its flaws and I don't blame other users for their negative opinons on this film: I still have issues with the bluish cat-like design of the na'vis (the male ones in particular), the story's lack of originality, and the weakness of its last act.
That said, when watching it last night, I was again blown away by its immersive qualities: James Cameron and Weta Digital's technical prowesses really manage to make us feel we're part of the adventure, in a way rarely seen on screen. Even in 2D, the progression from the cold, over-industrialized planet earth at the beginning, to the luxuriant yet deadly jungles of Pandora, the amount of visual details, the creatures animations and the way it is all shot and put together is still something to behold to this day.
But most importantly, there's such an incredible amount of talent in the cast and they all appear so committed, just watching them interact kept me hooked and made me feel what a special experience it was for them. Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, Sigourney Weaver and Michelle Rodriguez all deliver very touching performances, Giovanni Ribisi does a great job in the corporate scumbag role (reminiscent of Aliens' Burke) and Stephen Lang simply kills it as the badass vilain.
As far as I'm concerned, these performances, as well as the technical and design aspects of Avatar largely outweigh its flaws, and I'm pretty confident J. Cameron will again push the boundaries of the medium with the coming sequels, as he's done time and time again in the past. He's never let us down so I can't wait to see where takes this story next!