Beautiful World, Mr. Cameron. Too bad you did nothing with it...

Preface: To those of you who will read the title and go off in a huff, sorry. I write this by way of a review, and that trade demands honesty. I will try to refrain from giving much of the plot away (not to say that there are many surprises, but I digress.) That said...

Fit the First: The visuals.

Truly stunning. That is all that can be said. Whatever else one feels about this movie, James Cameron and his team have created a beautiful, fully-realized vision for how to make a theatrical 3D experience leap from the screen and into your lap. The use of 3d truly immerses you in the moment, including several moments of sheer vertigo-inducing sense of scale. The blending between real actors and visual effects is seamless and believable. This is a movie that must be seen in 3D.

Fit the Second: The world.

I actually like what Cameron has done in the creation of Pandora. It is plain to see that he went out intending to create a world, and while there are some decisions that strain the suspension of disbelief (not to mention the laws of physics), the whole does fit together in it's own internal logic.

There are more than a few concessions to the market, but nothing totally unforgivable. As with most Hollywood fare (District 9 being a notable recent exception) the "alien" Na'vi are physically attractive, and not so far from human as to be truly alien. Also, the interconnectedness of the life on Pandora, while a wholly interesting idea, went to the point of incredulity at a few points. I'm actually a believer in the idea of "Gaia" on a philosophical level, but this goes quite a bit beyond that. Which brings us to...

Fit the Third: The story.

Here is where I feel a bit cheated by James Cameron. He gave us an incredible, interesting and beautiful world to play in. He showed it to us in a stunning format. And, as someone told me, he gave us "Dances with Smurfs." His story is so formulaic that I knew the whole of it within the first few minutes. If you've seen "Ferngully," you've already seen this movie. I know that with such a big budget, Cameron had to hedge his bets, make the story easy for people to swallow; but he makes it so easy to take that it leaves you with nothing but "oh, that was pretty!"

As a final note, I am a bit tired of the meme that the natives can't get their act together till the noble white guy shows up to learn their ways and lead them. I know that the message is well intended, but in the end it comes off a bit insulting.

Fit the Last: The total.

In all, I would tell you to go see this movie in the theater in 3D, because the visual impact is so stunning. It is a wonderful roller coaster ride. That said, don't go in expecting more than a good ride. Like most roller coasters, once you've ridden it, the thrill is over, and the memory of it isn't nearly as exciting.

Note: all images are from Avatar's Official Flickr Site.