Truly is Dances with Wolves in Space

Rating: 3/10 (22 November 2010)

I finally got to see Avatar on HBO this weekend. I can only imagine what the movie looked like on the big screen. I realize that the impact of this type of movie can only be felt when watching in a theater. However, a great movie will come through as great in any format. This is hardly a great movie. Other reviewers have provided a perfect description of Avatar as Dances with Wolves in space. I cannot agree more. I am a hard-core environmentalist, but this simplistic plot filled with cartoon characters is an insult. The acting is frequently embarrassing. The "bad" guys are such a weak caricature of the US military going to Vietnam that one could only think that James Cameron forgot he made Aliens. I think he subconsciously did a mash-up of Aliens, Dances with Wolves, and The Abyss when attempting to be adventurous with special effects. If I wanted great effects with a weak story, I could stand behind a great player of Halo or Call of Duty. James Cameron should hire a screenwriter before he comes up with his next big idea. Decades from now, viewers will be mystified how this movie broke box office records.