Wow, just... Wow!

Rating: 10/10 (30 December 2009)

I am in love. Not with a character. Not even with an actor. I am in love with the world called Pandora.
Rendered in exquisite detail, James Cammeron's world is near perfect in every facet. Of course there are little niggles. The obvious horse and deer analogues seem too close to home, as is the Na'vi's Native-American-like society, the majority of humans are very difficult to identify with and the score is not one of Horner's best, being highly fragmented and even more unoriginal than usual. But all this pales into insignificance next to the huge and undeniably beautiful world in which it is set. The story is functional and gives plenty of room for the flora and fauna to steal your heart, to the point that it will break when the inevitable crisis point is reached. It would surprise me if there were many dry eyes in the house at that point.
So I give this film 10 out of 10, not for being perfect, but for what it is: a quantum leap in audience immersion. At no point did I find myself disbelieving the world which was presented me, not for one moment did I think "this is only CG". This seamless presentation of an entirely new world will set Avatar's place in the history books and left me wanting more. Much more.
So go out and see this film. And then see it again. We are told that Cammeron's decision over the next film he will make will depend on the audience reaction to this film, and with a plan for at least two sequels I can barely wait to see what's next. As possibly the best sequel creator in existence (see Terminator 2 and Aliens) he can't disappoint us now, surely.