visually outstanding, formulaic yet well managed, but ultimately flawed

Rating: 7/10 (28 December 2009)

First, the graphics of this movie are OUTSTANDING! Pay the extra few bucks and see it in 3D; you won't be disappointed.
Second: yes, this is a formulaic plot. Instead of 'dances with wolves' we have 'dances with Na'vii'. Even so, it was well constructed, moved along smoothly enough, and worked well enough that I was OK with that, except....
(spoiler here)
Third: The ending is completely unrealistic. Assuming 'unobtanium' is as critical and as expensive as stated, and assuming the 'company' has spent as much time, money, and manpower to try to 'negotiate' a solution, either A) they would have NEVER gone in for a direct confrontation as they did, using massive missile assault and unmanned drones instead (are we forgetting Pakistan and Afghanistan?), or
B),they would have come back and bombed the na'vii from orbit. I am ABSOLUTELY OPPOSED to both concepts: be VERY clear on this point. But what I am saying is that something this valuable would've never been left as Cameron did at the end of the film. I wish that it were so, but my 30+ years of study of the last 6,000 years of human civilization tells me otherwise.
...Another thought occurred to me after I wrote this: even with 3 months in cryo, since we clearly have the technology to set up colonies on other worlds WHY WOULD WE STAY ON EARTH IF WE RUINED IT??? Again, not thrilled about this point but if we're going for Willful Suspension of Disbelief Cameron lost me here.
I was OK with 10 foot tall blue aliens that look and dress remarkably like the Navaho, I was OK with floating rocks and triceratop-sized creatures that moved like cheetahs, I was even OK with a green earthlike planet that had an atmosphere unbreathable to humans (despite green plants which require chorophyl and a blue sky which requires nitrogen) ---All of that I could live with, until they beat us and we just left. That. Simply. Would not. Happen.