Avatar (2009)

Somehow James Cameron has pulled it off again. Like Titanic, Avatar suffered some bad early press, excessive cost, mishandled early advertising, relatively untried leads, and a general sense that the project was too grandiose, the director a little delusional. Though the writing is not to much above George Lucas, the truly breakthrough special effects, imaginative conceptualization, likeable leads, and untaxing story make Avatar work (not unlike the better, early George Lucas movies). This is one of those event movies that actually deserves to be an event movie, see it in 3D its worth the extra money, in fact I’m having a hard time imaging seeing it without the glasses. I think this film may cement Cameron as the De Mille of our time, he knows how to do spectacle that people want to see, and I think word of mouth is going to do wonders for this picture at the box office. Not a perfect movie, but enveloping in its fantastic sense of place, and boasting of some genuine old fashioned excitement. A bit of a pleasure. Thumbs Up.

Note: Plot felt like an odd cross between The Mission and Silent Running.