We would SO do that.

Rating: 9/10 (31 December 2009)

We were given proof that James Cameron knows a thing or two about the movies in 1986 when we were horrified by "Aliens" and again in 1997 when we relived the tragedy of the "Titanic". This year, he's raising the bar with his new 3-D adventure into a different world, not so unlike our own.
This world is a feast to the human eye, delivered using the very best and most up-to-date animation of our time. Bright glowing plants and floating islands with inexplicably beautiful waterfalls captivate you. For the first hour of the movie, I found myself physically flinching, convinced repeatedly for a second that I was actually there. But along with the beauty, there are powerful and mighty beasts, decorated with deadly teeth and claws, and boasting near-perfect physics. Every move is calculated; from the way everyone jumps and runs, to the slightest quivers in one's lip, Cameron dares film makers to keep up.
Animation and other visuals aside, this movie carries a message all Americans, if not people around the world, can relate to. This world is pure and untouched, but the Americans, ever Gung-ho, want nothing more than to gain it's treasure, using whatever means necessary.
Jake Sully, played by Sam Worthington (Terminator: Salvation), is a US Marine appointed to gain the Native species' trust. Once all the gears are are in place, we take what we want. That's the plan. But Jake's new split life starts to make him see things with a much needed appreciation and respect for the world we are so inconceivably lucky to inhabit.
It's not uncommon that we're reminded metaphorically by the media of our society's negative impact on our environment, and on our world as a whole. Cameron shows us a reality that if we do not address, we are bound to face. Fret not, for it's not in a way that has you heading home feeling bad for leaving your heat on or driving a pick-up truck. Instead you walk out feeling a renewed affection for our mother nature and her own (somewhat less astounding) beauty. Unfortunately, all Cameron can do is deliver the message, and he does so with remarkable story-telling and character development.
It follows his pattern of an extensive duration, with the feature length reaching upwards of three hours, so get there early to find a seat, because I sat all the way up top on the floor with a bar covering a large percentage of the bottom left screen. My fault, though, I know. All this considered, however, there was still no point during the feature that I thought to myself "Gosh this is taking too long!". In summary, you could tell each small plot development was lending measurable significance to the very suspenseful, very explosive climax.