Avatar (2009)
Written and directed by: James Cameron
Starring: Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, Sigourney Weaver

Now I’ll admit I was one of the people turned off by the hype surrounding Avatar. “The greatest adventure of all time” is how every major blockbuster is touted, but to say this film will reinvent movies seems a little absurd. Avatar is a major technical and artistic achievement, though, and it should be seen by everyone, even if it won’t actually change how you experience movies forever.

Plain and simple, Avatar is one of those films that is made to be a theatrical spectacle, and it totally succeeds on that front. It’s colorful, loud, exciting, without being overwhelming or obnoxious (save for maybe the fact that every plant on Pandora is neon and bioluminescent). Seriously some of these shots are literally breathtaking, and regardless of whether or not the stuff was stolen from Delgo becomes a moot point when you see how cool this shit is compared to the crappy CGI in Delgo (and for the record, flying alien things that look like dragons wasn‘t original even a decade ago).

The story isn’t great and will likely seem pretty familiar. A little Dances with Wolves, some Last of the Mohicans, and a dash of The Last Samurai. But it’s lack of originality doesn’t make it bad. Besides some hokey acting, Sam Worthington’s constantly slipping American accent, and a handful of supposedly main characters that never get any development, I really didn’t have any major complaints.

I think Avatar is likely to get a nomination for Best Picture, but I’d be surprised to see it win. It’s definitely worth seeing in the theaters (and in 3D because that’s how Cameron directed it).

And if it makes a difference to you, the cat people are in loincloths (or less!) for most of the film.