How is this the first review for this movie? I know some of you have seen this and if not, then you should. Especially in 3D. I haven't seen any other movies in 3D in the theater, but this seemed to really be infused into the movie seamlessly. It wasn't like some of the other ones that just have axes and knives flying out at you to make you flinch and think you're actually watching a good movie despite the drivel that is being portrayed on the big screen. It really felt like they were trying to make the viewer feel like they were on the planet. For the extra money, go 3D. (2/15/2010)

Avatar was a technological feat like no other film before it, even if the visuals themselves were borrowed from numerous sources. James Cameron did the impossible by breaching the uncanny valley, which was expertly described by 30 Rock as the difference between the endearing qualities of R2D2 and the creepiness of The Polar Express. His newly invented method of mapping the facial expressions of his actors onto their CG likenesses made this film possible. I don't need to delve into the story because everyone on the planet has seen the movie. I enjoyed the story and the raw emotion made for a powerful film but this movie fell flat in the casting department.

The cast as a whole was barely average at best. Two actors really felt out of place - Sigourney Weaver and Giovanni Ribisi. Beck's brother in law was poorly cast as a high powered company executive. His role felt utterly cheesy and an actor with some gravitas would elevated the quality of the entire film by adding more weight to the decisions the company was making. Weaver's live action character was decent enough, but her avatar looked out of place and I felt shocked back to the real world every time she came on the screen. I'm sure it goes without saying that Michelle Rodriguez and the character of Norm Spellman were equally uninspiring.

All in all, a fun movie to watch but I likely won't be buying it and probably won't see it again. Like 300, it was a fun cinematic experience but further home viewings probably won't offer much. (2/15/2010)

Rarely do films leave you wanting more as Avatar did for me. A visual feast of epic proportions (aided by dramatically effective 3D), James Cameron’s return to fiction is an all-encompassing epic. Well-realized characters in both the human and alien N’avi realm help to portray what is essentially a series of fantastic action pieces connected by a fairly simple story; humans corrupted by the promise of financial gain on a new world.

I know people have taken the time to bash Avatar for “ripping off this” and “dumbing down that” but I have no interest in nit-picking something that left me smiling so often. I’ve seen this twice, and can’t stress enough about what a terrific movie-going experience this is. See it on the big screen (and in 3D) if you can. (2/18/2010)