Milestone in movie history

Rating: 8/10 (29 December 2009)

Avatar was better than I expected. The trailers and previews don't do this movie justice. The real strength of this film is its visuals, which ordinary TVs can't come close to reproducing. The visuals are revolutionary and would make this movie worth watching alone.
Its main weakness is the storyline. It's not awful, just pretty standard. There is no chance the screenplay is going to win any prizes. But it's no worse than 75% of movies and better than many, and there are one or two serious messages in the movie, such as the way Capitalism ruthlessly exploits natural resources.
If the storyline matched the imagery, this movie would the best film ever. The 3D effects and special effects and imagery in this film are truly amazing. Don't even consider the 2D version.
Apart from the plot, there are other weaknesses. The back story (why they chose the main character, who is a paraplegic) is ridiculous (in fact, the whole disabled marine storyline is unnecessary), some of the acting is wooden (Sigourney Weaver looks like she is going through the motions), and it's too long (2½ hours).
Apart from the visuals, there are other strengths. The sci-fi is sound (including the concept of an avatar), Pandora (the alien planet) is superbly rendered, some of the acting is good (Zoe Saldana), and the movie doesn't feel like it's 2½ hours long.
A milestone in movie history due to the visuals. In spite of this, I gave it 8/10 because of its routine storyline and ordinary acting. But not one to miss.