I am Joe, Dragonrider of Deathworld

Rating: 7/10 (9 January 2010)

So, we went and saw Avatar last night at the 3D IMAX.
It is a beautiful movie. It absolutely sells the mix of 3D animation and live action on a level I haven't seen before. The art direction is simply stunning and highly imaginative. The 3D is used not to poke you in the eye but to immerse you in the space. It was well worth the few extra bucks we paid to see it in large format 3D. It is, in a word, breathtaking.
The story is well written and executed but is mostly a mix of semi- standard science fiction plot vehicles. I wont go into spoilers here beyond the title of this review, but suffice it to say there are no ideas here that will excite or surprise anyone with a decent knowledge of classic speculative fiction.
I wouldn't call it a great movie, in the way, say, The Godfather is a great movie. This is, in the end, B movie fare. But, of course, thats what Cameron has always been good at.
It does have stupendous A-plus production values and is worth watching for the visual spectacle alone. That the story is decent and competently told, is an added bonus. That it is hardly original and thus somewhat predictable, well, you forgive it that for all the eye-candy it gives you