Bleurgh

Rating: 6/10 (8 July 2011)

Right then lets just preface this by saying that i am a big fan of Camerons genre work to date, Terminator, Aliens etc but Avatar in NO way stands before those movies as an equal.
Yes the visuals are technically flawless, and i appreciate that this film was made at all, in a increasingly re-make happy Hollywood it's encouraging that avatar pulled in the crowds, BUT (and it's a big but) there is nothing in the story that hasn't been done and said before, where is the ORIGINALITY ? (spoilers) soldier starts fighting for the wrong side, attempts to infiltrate the locals, goes native and swaps sides, leads the locals in epic fight back and gets the girl, it's all been done so many times before (Man Called Horse, Last Samurai, Silent Running, Dances With Wolves and a dozen others i could mention) we know Cameron has the nounce and weight to pretty much make what he wants so why stick to such a weary formula?.
I haven't read all 3000 plus reviews for this movie (God Forbid) but flicking through the titles i was struck by how many people raved about what a revolutionary movie it is, how it will change the way movies are made and how "Real" Pandora was, just to straighten things out a bit the answers are NO it isn't, NO it wont and NO it wasn't respectively. Of course this film has taken a zillion dollars already so i am obviously in the minority, however here are a few specific points that i will take issue with
1. Where is the character development? 2. Where is the damn backstory?, WHY is earth dying?, what does unobtanium DO? HOW was Pandora discovered? 3. That "Epic" final battle.....waaay too short 4. That pesky cockpit glass sure changes density fast! 5. That whole "Living world" thing, just didn't cut it for me, it was like watching an animated Roger Dean album cover.
But the one thing that kept me from immersing myself was the fact that a big part of me was screaming IT'S A CARTOON, a well made cartoon certainly but at no time did i feel that any of it was "Real", this is now i believe the most successful film of all time and all power to Cameron, but c'mon Jim for the next project let's have something that's REALLY out there......please