A patchwork quilt of clichés.

Rating: 1/10 (1 February 2010)

I struggle to understand the furore surrounding this movie. The story line could only be described as painfully banal; I couldn't even draw satisfaction from guessing which cliché was going to be drawn upon next.
Sitting in the theatre, I quickly established that the script was something that I could have written in high school, and realised that the only way I was derive any pleasure from the movie was based on the presentation. Sadly, I was to be disappointed in this respect also. I couldn't form any connection with the characters due to the overwhelming cheesiness of the whole set-up, in the same vein that I largely ignore pop songs due to being unable to shake the feeling of an executive in the background, whispering that they want my money. With this roaring schism between myself and the happening on-screen, I am unable to judge the impact of the synergy between soundtrack and the picture.
Overall, I was simply bored and am exasperated that masses of intelligent adults can be moved by what essentially boiled down to a flashy light-show; simply a vehicle for exploring the potential of special effects. To clarify, I am not opposed to special effects on principle, however I AM STRONGLY opposed to special effects being the main focus of a movie. The Matrix used special effects cleverly, to supplement, explore and enhance understanding of an intriguing and thought provoking plot. Compared to that masterful integration, Avatar felt to me like an attempt to build a palace on a swamp. It failed because it lacked a solid foundation.