Saw it last night at IMAX 3D - Truly was an epic movie experience, but didn't top some of Cameron's other classics for me.
The effects have definitely raised the bar coupled with being in 3D, it's in a league of it's own for visual effects, even though that was one of the main things in question leading up to the film's release.
It's not a new story but it felt fresh and was more emotional than I ever would have imagined. I saw lots of eye wiping in the IMAX theater. I was definitely choked up, myself, numerous times. It's a beautiful movie from the relationship that evolves to just the connection to their natural world and how it effects them and what it means to them (Na'vi). Despite feeling like I knew ultimately how the overall plot would pan out, there were numerous times I wondered how exactly they were going get out of this...
There's wasn't excessive action scene explosions, but at the same time it's action was intense and relentless at times. In fact, most of the explosions took a more emotional toll than any kind of "DATS SUPAR BADACE RITE DER!!1!" At times watching some of the explosions made your cringe. ...Although Quaritch was a super badass, lol.
The main thing that kept it from topping Cameron's other classics, for me, was it didn't have that cold dark tone that I love so much in Terminator and Aliens. That's not to say this movie wasn't full of atmosphere in it's own (more effective) way, and in many places, more immersive than anything I've experienced. I think as a whole, Avatar is probably his best film - as I'm sure nostalgia plays a huge part in not being able to admit Avatar as dethroning Aliens or Terminator, as far as Cameron films go. I also found little to be similar to Aliens aside from a few strong female characters and corporate types. Or in other words, it didn't feel like a rehash of Aliens as some thought it would or hoped.
This movie was epic. It had few flaws that are easily subdued by everything that works so well in this movie. The score was fine, but I can see people not being happy with it, and I agree to a certain extent. Again, it's not like Terminator or Aliens' deep industrial theme - something a lot of us expected and love. But.. this is a new movie and I think he did a great job not re-traveling over covered ground from his previous movies, despite a few similarities.. but it is the same filmmaker after all.
