AVATAR ...Style over substance?

Rating: 5/10 (10 January 2010)

It's as if not a bad word can be said about Avatar. I tried at work the other day and was promptly shouted down.
"The Emperor's New Clothes" has nothing on this, though perhaps in reverseyou can see everything. Yes brilliant CGI effects. Outstanding! But take away all the CGI and within the first 30/40 minutes of this almost 3 hour performance it had ticked nearly every predicable Hollywood cliché. People seem to be so overwhelmed by the CGI and fail to notice just how poor and predicable the script/storyline is. Style over substance?
A ridiculously familiar and predictably story of a man separated from his comrades and lost in a hazardous environment. He is saved from certain death by a pretty heroine/native who eventually warms to him. They both fall in love with one another. She then brings him home to meet mum and dad who just happen to be the leaders of her group/tribe. Needless to say she also has a brother who immediately takes a dislike to the hero, and also is threatened by his presenceThey have the predicable encounter and the hero proves himself to be worthy. And on it goes... until the all too predictable climax battle between the hero and Mr. Bad Guy.
It seems to me that during the reported 10 years(?) it has taken to bring Avatar to the screen 99% of the creative powers/money must have been spent on the CGI and the script/storyline was just tacked on as an after thought. Having spent so much time and money on such a venture I would have expected a much higher calibre of story/script.
The only positive thing I can find to say about Avatar is hopefully when all the media fuss about Avatar and the CGI has died down other films may be made using equally as brilliant CGI effects but with much more imaginative/original storyline/script.
Finally I didn't hate the film I expected more for the $100s of millions spent just massively disappointed.