Some very impressive visuals make this worth watching despite flaws

Rating: 8/10 (4 June 2010)

Normally if a film has an underwhelming plot it takes a lot to make up for it. Visuals, for me, contribute little when weighing up pros and cons. In the case of Avatar thought it is safe to say that the visuals are something special. I knew that they were good after hearing other reviews, but they really blew me away, they have to be some of the best I have ever seen. Marks also have to be given for the sheer imaginative genius involved. The story isn't particularly brilliant or original for that matter, but the amount of effort that has obviously been put into the creation and the design of world kind of makes up for it. The story obviously draws on influences from fiction and real life. There is some Pocahontas in their as well as some Star Wars, and it obviously has something to say about conflict, especially in the wake of recent military campaigns in the Middle East. I did enjoy the film, even if the plot sometimes did move at a snails pace despite the action sequences running at full speed. I sometimes felt as though nothing had happened to further the plot for a good while, but I was still generally interested in what was going on, it could have done with being maybe half and hour shorter.