I saw this movie on a small screen on a bus in 2-D. I didn't even see it in HD

Rating: 4/10 (22 July 2010)

As a result of the circumstances under which I saw this movie, it was pretty forgettable. I mean, the visuals still looked pretty good, but I wasn't able to get the full experience. So, I was left to rely on the story, and so many people have ripped the story for being derivative or an outright rip-off of FernGully, Pocahontas, and various other movies that I don't need to go into detail about why I didn't like the story. To keep it simple, it's unoriginal and preachy; the colonel is so obvious as a villain that you can tell it just by looking at him. To be honest, I'm tired of being guilt-tripped because my ancestors (whom I've never met) did something bad to someone else's ancestors (whom they have never met). My other big complaint about this movie is that it's just way too long. I got tired of the movie in the middle of it and kept looking at my watch. It didn't make me want to pay attention to it. However, I'm caught between a four and a five rather than a 3 or 4 because there are some really breath-taking visuals, and Pandora looked really nice.
I'm going to be generous and give it a 5 because I do think I would have enjoyed it more if I had the benefit of the complete experience. But, that might not even be such a great compliment to the movie. Shouldn't a movie be enjoyable no matter where or how you see it? If Avatar is more of an experience than it is a movie, then why isn't it exclusively an IMAX film or a theme park ride or show? Part of me thinks that the 3-D and the big screen couldn't have helped me for a whole 2 hours and 40 minutes or so. But, I'll give it the benefit of the doubt and give this movie a five.