An Absolute Masterpiece

Rating: 10/10 (28 December 2009)

James Cameron has never failed me. Ever. So what if he takes 10 years to make a film? So what if the limited screen shots of Avatar showed weird blue aliens? I believed. I believed it would amaze. I stood in line at midnight and was rewarded with an unbelievable 3D experience that may never be rivaled. I am so thrilled when a movie arrives that actually warrants the hype behind it.
Avatar and the world of Pandora is a wonder. Every blade of grass, every animal fits seamlessly alongside the real-world actors. Never before has CGI looked SO REAL! The 3D aspect makes the film come alive. When the characters walk across a tree limb hundreds of feet in the air, you can look down and feel it! You soar through the air and ride the wind. You are most certainly along for the ride.
Science fiction is about story-telling. It allows you the freedom to tell a story without limitations. I do not believe in spoilers so I will be careful of what I say, but many people complained that the story was nothing special. To these people I say, James Cameron told a story about the interference of cultures. How imposing oneself and one's beliefs into a world can have consequences. He told a story that would have been at home in any science fiction story from Ray Bradbury to Philip K. Dick. Cameron told this "basic" story (and love story) with such stunning clarity, power, and sheer film-making thrill that I cannot believe any would fault him for being un-original. Especially in a film this ground-breaking.
This film was the opening salvo in a movie making revolution. 3D powered blockbusters may be the wave of the future. In the here and now, James Cameron is once again king of the world and leading the way.
From Aliens, The Abyss, and the Terminator series (HIS TWO FILMS!!!) this man is THE MAN you want directing a science fiction epic. He has topped them all with Avatar. Stunning, masterful, every other superlative. I only hope the next wait is slightly less than 12 years...
Either way, it will be worth it.