Yes, the CGI are definitively first class, if you like them as an end in itself...
But for me they aren't...
Well, the story background is interesting, confronting the power of force and weapons, and the will of freedom and self respect.
Since I prefer both last ones, some aspect of this movie pleased me a lot.
But nevertheless I think Cameron did it as a pretext to show us a war-movie.
Fighting scenes are never so much of my taste, as long as they represent quiet well what does exist in the real world.
Of course, many graphical aspects of Avatar are beautifully composed and imagined.
Not to mention this would be missing the positive aspect of it.
I don't think, as I read in some comments, this movie is a milestone in art, in any ways, Nope !
It is a milestone yes, but just for the 3D effects, and that's just not enough for me...
Cameron is an excellent money and movie maker, no doubt of it... And as I undoubtedly believe too, it eventually will crash most box-offices records : money, audience, and so on...
Away these business things, for me, something with a high spirit is missing !
OK ! you would say the hero did help to win a war, obviously it seems so...
But to me, win a war is a kind of defeat, as long as you are the one to have started that war.
It means, you have basically not respected someone's else freedom and way of life.
Somehow, the analogy with what main world superpowers do on our Earth jump at our faces (at least mine :-), but I guess, as most people don't analyze things that way, they just will keep on mind how fantastic a Hero could defeat the bad ones, who have powerful weapons.
Generally I like the Hero concept !
But remember the Hero (was not yet one !), in this movie, basically accept to cheat and fake for a good while, then realize, how wrong he is...
For finally shifting to self-respect and freedom, at last.
Too bad, unfortunately it's too late, and therefore destruction is on its way.
So, at the end, things turn out to be normal ; The bad is defeated and the Wise have win.
Coming back to the beginning of my comment, all in all : an excuse to CGI and to a war-movie, just not enough :-)
a film is never really good unless the camera is an eyes in the head of a poet Orson Welles
But for me they aren't...
Well, the story background is interesting, confronting the power of force and weapons, and the will of freedom and self respect.
Since I prefer both last ones, some aspect of this movie pleased me a lot.
But nevertheless I think Cameron did it as a pretext to show us a war-movie.
Fighting scenes are never so much of my taste, as long as they represent quiet well what does exist in the real world.
Of course, many graphical aspects of Avatar are beautifully composed and imagined.
Not to mention this would be missing the positive aspect of it.
I don't think, as I read in some comments, this movie is a milestone in art, in any ways, Nope !
It is a milestone yes, but just for the 3D effects, and that's just not enough for me...
Cameron is an excellent money and movie maker, no doubt of it... And as I undoubtedly believe too, it eventually will crash most box-offices records : money, audience, and so on...
Away these business things, for me, something with a high spirit is missing !
OK ! you would say the hero did help to win a war, obviously it seems so...
But to me, win a war is a kind of defeat, as long as you are the one to have started that war.
It means, you have basically not respected someone's else freedom and way of life.
Somehow, the analogy with what main world superpowers do on our Earth jump at our faces (at least mine :-), but I guess, as most people don't analyze things that way, they just will keep on mind how fantastic a Hero could defeat the bad ones, who have powerful weapons.
Generally I like the Hero concept !
But remember the Hero (was not yet one !), in this movie, basically accept to cheat and fake for a good while, then realize, how wrong he is...
For finally shifting to self-respect and freedom, at last.
Too bad, unfortunately it's too late, and therefore destruction is on its way.
So, at the end, things turn out to be normal ; The bad is defeated and the Wise have win.
Coming back to the beginning of my comment, all in all : an excuse to CGI and to a war-movie, just not enough :-)
a film is never really good unless the camera is an eyes in the head of a poet Orson Welles