Entertaining... but #25?!

Rating: 5/10 (20 December 2009)

I enjoyed this film like I enjoy watching movies like The Patriot, or Independence Day. I wasn't expecting a complex plot or detailed character development, and that's what I got. I do not think this movie belongs in the top films of this decade, and certainly not the top films of all time.
The plot was unoriginal. I can think of at least three movies off the top of my head that follow the same basic story; Pocahontas, Fern Gully, and The New World. Two of them are animated films for children. I knew from watching the trailers that the marine would fall in love with the culture and eventually have to fight against the humans to save them. The fact that they win is so predictable. A quarter of the way through the film, I knew that he was going to find a way to permanently live in the avatar body.
The characters were extremely shallow. Every character fell into an ancient archetype; the child, the mentor, the hero, the devil, and the list goes on and on. The protagonist is Jake Sully, but really how many people can relate to his situation; his brother is dead, an ex-marine(with traumatizing battle experience), and no use of his legs. It's not until late in the movie that the viewer could make a connection with him (feeling empathetic towards being misunderstood).
One of the film's redeeming qualities is it's stunning visual effects. The world is so real and so complex. The creatures, plants, and landscapes are breath taking. The Na'vi are wonderfully generated and the battle scenes are what Cameron does best.
You must enjoy this film for what it is. It is not high art. It is not a puzzling or complex film embedded with deep meaning. It does not make you think. It is entertainment. Don't think you are going to get this beautifully crafted story or complex character study. You are going to be entertained and to escape. This film does not belong in the top 250. 5/10