Avatar isn’t really a movie as much as it is an experience. 3D is the way to truly appreciate the gorgeous and eye-popping vistas and landscapes created by James Cameron. IMAX makes it pop even more with its huge, wrap-around screen and bone-shattering sound. Avatar has buried every movie in its wake and is doing a lot better than I ever thought it would. The reason why its such a blockbuster is a combination of word of mouth and of course, repeat business. It’s the kind of movie that fanboys will want to watch over and over again, and even if the story isn’t as moving as you’d hope and full of cliches, it’s a lot more entertaining than the latest romantic comedy or standard shoot em up. Avatar is an experience, and that’s why box office records continue to fall.

The unoriginal plot of Avatar is a mash-up of everything from Pocahontas to Dances with Wolves, with a little bit of Star Wars magic. Like George Lucas, Cameron has a vivid imagination and a sense of eye-popping visuals, but has a tin ear when it comes to dialogue. The story concerns a paraplegic soldier named Jake (an effective Sam Worthington) who is used by the miltiary to go undercover as a Navi, a group of blue aliens who live in peace and harmony on a moon called Pandora. The Navi have a precious mineral to Earth (we’ll just call it oil, for the Hell of it) and the military will stop at nothing to obtain it. Conservatives and Fox News disciples will have problems with Cameron’s leftist politics and his thinly veiled shots at George W Bush and the invasion of Iraq, but that woudl be missing the key point. The movie is about living in harmony with nature and not exploiting natural resouces merely for profit, and it’s meant to entertain. The villain of Avatar is a Colonel played by menace in a terrific, hammy performance from Stephen Lang. Lang thinks the only way to fight terror is “with terror”, and he chews on the scenery with relish. After Jake “goes native” and falls for a beautiful Navi warror, Lang snaps. The rest of the cast includes Sigourney Weaver, Giovanni Ribisi (miscast as a nattering evil right-wing corporate type), and Michelle Rodriguez. Special mention must be made to Zoe Saldana for her amazing portrayal of the Navi warrior Neytiri. She’s the heart of the movie.

Even if your favorite station is Fox News, Avatar is worth checking out. A gorgeous mix of action, social commentary, and fantasy, Avatar is a must-see. The story has many cliches and the movie goes on too long, but once you’re into it, it hardly matters. This is a movie all of us can enjoy…….except maybe Sean Hannity. See it in 3D on the biggest screen you can find, get a large popcorn, sit back, and chill. Avatar is the must-see movie of the winter season.

Grade: B+

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