Avatar , the fantasy masterpiece of the decade

Rating: 9/10 (10 January 2010)

Let me start off by saying I went into this film, holding my expectations at bay. I didn't want to be underwhelmed by hyping things up too much. I couldn't have been more happy with the film.
Let me actually start with the 3D aspect. Even in the previews, 3D was used. I have to say, there was quite a bit of neat 3D eye popping effects during previews. So what happened when the film started? You saw less of things popping out of the screen right at you, and there's a reason for that, that most people will not* understand. The point of the 3D effect was to immerse you in the action, the screen, the fantasy, and it does that job beautifully, bringing out the world of Pandora, and magnifying the films emotional and action charged sequences. You feel* like you are there, and in that most important aspect, 3D succeeded, James Cameron succeeded, and the feeling of 3D being a gimmick was gone from my mind. Some people will argue it wasn't cool 3D because it didn't splash you with water, that wasn't the point. You get such depth, realism, and sense of amazement from being IN the film rather than watching outside it.
To the film itself. The film does start off slow, but that is the purpose, to build such a phenomenal world, a rich story of another world. We first see an outpost, manned by humans, but we do not know why they are really here till later in the film. To sum it up, the humans are manly here in privatized form, a large company it seems is after the people of Pandora's energy resources, but they will not easily give in. That is where the character of Jake Sully comes into play. You don't feel for Jake so much early in the film, but that soon changes after halfway in the film, where he soon finds out what makes the people of Pandora so great. The film pulls you into their world so completely, that you could care less about the cool Mech suits and airships.
Take this film for what you will, some people simply don't care for the fantasy sci-fi almost genre of this film. But for those who do, you will find the film to be completely captivating, and full of a world so rich and meaningful, you will almost wish you lived there at the end of it. It was the only* movie I have I ever watched that the length of the film (almost 3 hours), didn't even phase me, you won't even notice the time gone by. I give this movie a 9.5/10.