Avatar - review

Predictable, cliched and absolutely fantastic.
There's a lot to sneer at here, should you choose to do so- but it would absolutely be a choice, and one that is more to do with yourself than the film.
Despite lacking the emotional connection I had with Titanic, the film still drew me in with its interesting premise- basically Aliens meets Pocahontas- and a lot of this is down to Zoe Saldana's performance as Naitiri, one of the most alluring characters in recent memory. If the CGI hadn't convinced you before you meet her, she certainly will.
Even Michelle Rodriguez is likeable here, and Sam Worthington is oddly far more charasmatic in his Avatar body than in his real one. Sigourney Weaver is awesome as always, stealing the scene with her very first line, Giovanni Ribisi manages to out-worm Paul Reiser's Carter Burke (from Aliens), and Stephen Lang simply makes you wonder why you haven't heard of him before.
But the true stars of the show are the visuals. James Cameron proves he is indeed King of the World; not Earth, but Pandora. This is Up's Paradise Falls turned up to 111. We again see the beautiful bioluminescence he first showed us in The Abyss, and the blues, whites and pinks have never looked bluer, whiter or pinker.
The 3D is the clearest I've ever seen, no trace of ghosting here, even on an unforgiving IMAX screen, where this film truly must be seen.
I could go on and on, but believe the hype, the critics are right- go see this film. Move over, Peter Jackson- James Cameron is back.


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