BOTTOM LINE: Although the story is less original and quite generic than what you would expect from director James Cameron, his expertise in engaging you in the 3D world he creates in this film are absolutely first rate, making ‘Avatar’ a stunning cinematic experience.

THE GOOD: “Avatar” is being hailed as a game-changer, being the first live action film to use 3D and computer animation to create a world rather than a gimmick, and while it does not quite hit that mark, director James Cameron has lost none of his cinematic touch in the twelve years since “Titanic”. The world he creates in this film is breathtaking to behold; sure, the technology helped him do that as he obviously had the best animators that money could buy, but Cameron has not lost sight of the human touch, which incredibly, makes this film created in a computer quite real in terms of narrative and character. In the year 2154, a paraplegic marine Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) is sent to the moon Pandora on a mission to communicate with the natives, the blue-skinned Na’vi. A special ‘avatar’ body, that looks like a Na’vi, is created for him, which he can control with his mind, and he is sent in to negotiate a way for the natives to leave their land so humans can mine a precious mineral on that land. As Sully delves deeper and deeper in to Na’vi culture, he becomes torn between his orders and the natural beauty of the world he is exploring and the spiritual nature of the culture he becomes a part of. “Avatar” wins big with its stunning representation of the moon “Pandora”; all the landscapes look real, and much care and detail has gone in to the creation of everything, from the biggest creature to the smallest blade of grass. In 3D, which this film must be seen in, it looks real, particularly the landscapes. Despite all the technology, Cameron manages to keep the narrative and character interactions very real, and by the time the big action climax rolls in, you can feel the emotion of the fight as the Na’vi fight to protect their land. “Avatar” is an example of great filmmaking, with Cameron still showing that he is at the top of his game.

THE BAD: The one real criticism of “Avatar” is that although it has a compelling narrative, that narrative is not original in any way, shape or form. Essentially, this is the science fiction version of “Dances With Wolves”. In that respect, the film becomes somewhat predictable, but this is compensated by the original and unfamiliar environment that Cameron presents on Pandora. Some of the characters are a bit two-dimensional (particularly the bad guys), and the use of corny cliches is unfortunate, with the best example being the name of the mineral the humans want to mine: ‘unobtainium’. Surprisingly, the first act is somewhat devoid of a clearly definable setup; Cameron just throws you in to the deep end and it is not until thirty minutes in that you are settled in to where the story is going. As a result, Worthington’s character Jake Sully has a less than adequate introduction, with his character only becoming truly developed when he becomes his Avatar alter-ego. These criticisms are minor however in that Cameron’s shaping of this world is second to none and must be experienced on the big screen.