Great Introduction of the 3D technology to the mass market but far from being a masterpiece.

Rating: 7/10 (3 January 2010)

What makes a great movie? Or to put things in IMDb context, what makes a movie deserve being in the top 250 movies of all times? (Avatar currently being #26).
There are several elements. The quality of presentation, The presented story, the characters and their development, the soundtrack and the sound, the CGI if applicable etc.
My point is that a movie is a whole bunch of things and the overall mark that people give it represents the overall impression that has made them.
Usually that impression is balanced and it represents the true average of their opinion for all elements of the movie, but in the case of Avatar i am afraid it is not.
It is generally agreeable between people who have watched a lot of movies that AVATAR does not break the ground when it comes to story originality, character development or script quality. So what makes this movie receive 9 and 10 from so many reviewers?
It is the ground breaking CGI presented in ground breaking 3D technology that is the reason behind the phenomenon.
Although you realize all the weaknesses (or not) the visual result is so stunning that you cant help have a really enjoyable time although 3 hours are challenging.
So yes it is a really enjoyable movie in 3D. and the CGI and the technology deserve 9 and 10..but the rest of the elements are probably between 4 and 6.
You also have to factor in the effect it will have on global production of movies that more companies will engulf the 3D technology and perhaps produce masterpieces in 3D in the near or distant future, and for that reason only, Avatar is already part of the history of cinema.
Not because it is the best movie ever.
And to challenge a little bit the people who insist on this movie being the best ever, i want you to imagine how cinema is going to be in 10 years, how the computer generated graphics or actors will be looking then...unavoidably much better than Avatar. Can you imagine somebody watching this movie in 10 years and giving it a 10? Thats what makes a masterpiece deserving 9 or 10...it is timeless..and Avatar is not, it is just a bit ahead of the game...but that means it will soon fall behind.
Does this mean you should avoid watching the movie? Absolutely not. Entertainment is guaranteed and actually watching it now you will get more entertainment for your money than waiting for 10 years when you willb probably be able to afford home 3d presentations. Because in 10 years it will look average and too long and boring and maybe not worth the three hours you need to invest in it.
So for the moment (3/1/2010) i give it 7/10