Visually Stunning and Nothing More

Rating: 5/10 (19 August 2017)

Technologically, this film is a masterpiece. The cinematography, with long, drawn out shots is the perfect fit for the 3d, the colors are consistently vibrant, and the use of microphones was revolutionary. However, once you begin looking past what the film so desperately wants you to focus on, the visuals, you begin to realize a slew of problems with the film as a whole. The plot, a blatant and unsubtle allegory for European imperialism, works only on the most basic level. The film constantly feels the need to justify its existence with an overbearing moral, yet has no valuable social commentary. Even more annoying is the overall lack of any real "plot". The premise is "Humans try to colonize a planet, but the native species fights back". Within that sentence, I have summed up what should be a complex epic. Many other aspects are forced in purely out of obligation, such as the generic love interest, a compassionate character who thinks for herself, and character depth. Every twist and turn is utterly predictable, making this movie nothing more than average in terms of anything but visuals.