Movie Review: Avatar Isn't Perfect, But It Blows Your Mind Away

Avatar is a visual smorgasbord. It fully lives up to it's hype as a game-changer, a revolution, a technical achievement, and every hyperbole adjective directed to James Cameron's lovechild for the past year or so. Never before has an effects-loaded event film look this beautiful, this dreamy, and this realistic.

But to acknowledge it's accomplishments without pointing out it's glaring setbacks would be mere advertising.

For all of the wonder appearing non-stop on Pandora, the story is old school instead of new school, which isn't a bad thing, until one recognizes the stereotypes, the predictable plot, the ad-copy dialogue and above all, a middle part (or second act, according to traditional Shakespeare), in which the film painfully invokes yawns.

To sum it all up, I was a bit smorgas-bored at some points throughout the whole 2 1/2 hours or so...

Until the final battle that is,

in which Cameron reclaims his throne as King of the World (and reclaims half a star in this mini-review) by unleashing all hell loose.

Michael Bay, please bring a notebook and a pen, because this is the way to do it.

At the end of our journey, a few light years away from Earth, I can only be taken aback by this level of artistry, one that seems nearly impossible to match for years to come.

Cameron might have stumbled in creating the ultimate sci-fi fantasy, but he succeeds with aplomb in invigorating your imagination,

and blowing your mind...

Away.

8/10

-R: Live Long & Prosper