A delightful huggermugger of technical wizardry versus a vengeful Gaia.

Rating: 7/10 (6 January 2010)

I'll say this for James Cameron: he always entertains, good and bad.
First up, if there was an Academy Award for Best Imagination, Cameron would get the nod for Avatar, in my opinion. This production takes Cameron's visionary approach to story-telling to a new level and has indeed set a new benchmark in film art. When viewed in 3D at the cinema, this experience will leave all but the jaded in a state of awe, almost, with the most thrilling mix of fantastic creatures and battle scenes that may not be equaled for a long, long time.
However...don't pay too much attention to this story. Because it's been told too many times before, in different ways. Think of Dances with Wolves (1990); recall Broken Arrow (1950); remember The New World (2005); consider Apocalypse Now (1979); or, even On the Waterfront (1954) – in each of which, the protagonist hero turns his back on his own kind to fight on the side of the 'alien' or 'hostile' gang or horde. The fact that Cameron's setting is hundreds of years in the future is neither here nor there: thematically, it's the same story.
The most imaginative feature for me is the application of the Gaia principle – the entire moon of Pandora is an interconnected living thing – to assist the Na'vi in defeating the hated invaders i.e. us. And it's no accident the moon is called Pandora: if you recall your Greek mythology, you'll know what happens to those who open Pandora's box: full of horrible nasties ready to kill you. And, oh yeah, this movie also rehashes the timeless Pocahontas theme.
So, the real power in Cameron's story is entirely allegorical: in the same way that we humans are slowly poisoning and destroying the Earth around us, so also the invading army on Pandora – the mythical moon to a much larger planet – is intent upon pillaging or destroying whatever necessary to gain 'unobtainium', that rarest and most expensive of rare metals. On that point, you have to admire Cameron's chutzpah in using that name - almost the best joke in the story.
The best, however, comes at the end – naturally – when the Na'vi indigenes corral all the Earthly mercenaries to ship them back to their own dying planet: a nice self-referential twist on Pogo's sentiment that 'We have met the enemy and he is us.'
The cast and script are up to the job, but nothing to garner awards. Those will come, deservedly I think, for a host of technical aspects – cinematography, editing, sound, special effects etc – that make this film unique. And maybe even for best director. Some lines and scenes bear striking resemblance to aspects of prior Cameron movies; but, I guess it's okay to rehash bits of your own stuff.
Anyway, go and see it on the big screen – you'll be sorry if you wait for DVD. I broke my fifteen year hiatus from actual cinema-going just to experience this one as it should be. You might even go twice, as I did...