Not the best movie ever, but certainly a great one.

Rating: 8/10 (3 July 2010)

The first time I saw this movie I was amazed just like everyone else. The second time, however, I found to be considerably less exciting. One would say that this is because I know what will happen, but I've seen movies such as the Matrix and District 9 countless numbers of times and the experience remains almost identical.
Avatar is a great movie, don't get me wrong (I did see it two times, and paid the extra price for 3D both times), I personally think it's not deserving of the, "best movie ever" title given by the rest of my age group. Mainly, what I think what gave it it's ultimate charm was it's special effects. They certainly are amazing, and it's even more so in 3D. Special effects can affect the viewer experience, but saying that's what makes a movie alone would place high budget films such as Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen superior above low budget ones such as District 9.
That's not to say Avatar relies solely on special effects. While it's plot can be considered used (I'm not going to say what it's identical to in order to keep out spoilers) it's a fun one nonetheless, and it renews this used storyline with new perspective. The acting is above average as well. It also brings us to question what motives our society holds, and the motives of the individual.
Avatar certainly is a fantastic movie. But I feel that the main reason it's being so overrated is it's special effects. Special effects can be used to magnify the viewer's sense of involvement and therefore his emotional attachment, that kind of gives an unfair advantage to low budget films worth seeing. And when you remove the special effects, you have a 7/10 story plot with the clichés put in as well.
To conclude, Avatar is a wonderful movie. Just remember to see it for the movie, not just for the special effects like the majority of people have.