The horror.... The horror...

Rating: 1/10 (23 April 2020)

Like everybody else I eagerly awaited James Cameron's return. And this looked like such an ambitious return at that. Then the movie started. Between the crappy narration, stupid story, terrible dialogue, awful writing and unoriginal everything I don't know where to start. Of course Sam Worthington can't act.
Really the worst part about this is the writing. Everything that's said is dumb and the good actors try their best. The story is of course ripped off of Dances with Wolves. It would be one thing to take the basic idea, but this goes far beyond that. The main guy falls in love with the chiefs daughter, they fall in love while she's teaching him the language, he narrates the movie through writing his journal... I'm sure there's more.
This story isn't worth telling, it's been done so many times: evil corporation, money, invading native culture... Yada yada yada.... We need something new not the same message. and it's really hard to believe that with how PC everything is these days that in 200 years all of that would be completely gone.
Looking back on it the seeds of this started with Titanic. When Cameron used generic storytelling devices to get to his worlds. Titanic is original enough to work but this isn't. Also I'm sure after making the biggest movie ever that you're not going to hear a single criticism from anyone reading you script.
The world is really cool looking. But since it's all fake I wonder why they didn't go for it and make something completely fantasy? The Avatars look like humans with makeup basically. If I was going to CG everything I would take advantage and really utilize the CG and make something that couldn't be a guy in a suit.
But the worst part of all: Colonel badass. No subtly, over the top and borderline cartoonish. I don't know why he has a big duel with the main character at the end when they have absolutely no connection whatsoever.
I guess everything in this is heavy handed. It feels like Cameron hasn't watched a movie since 1997 so he's taking the next step in 97 terms. Now we know why he wrote this so long ago, it was right after watching Dances with Wolves.
I hope that Cameron just got lost in his love for the world and returns to the original film maker that he was.