So I heard about this new movie Avatar in theaters. I thought "what's the big deal, it's just a movie". So I checked out the trailers for the film, and I wasn't very impressed. It looked like a children's film. Like something Disney would put out. I was shocked when my 65 year old father told me that he was going to see it in Imax 3D. He asked if I wanted to go, and I reluctantly said "Maybe". So I gave him money to buy me a ticket, since you had to purchase the tickets in advance for some reason. On the day before we went, I decided not go. I threw my ticket out, which was a stupid decision, because the next day I changed my mind and decided I would go just to humor my Dad. I figured I would just buy my ticket once I got there. Then, once we arrived, I realized why you had to buy them online. The theater was completely sold out. So he went in and watched the movie, while I went back home. Once it was over and he had arrived home, he went on and on about how great it was. He insisted that I just HAD to see this movie, and that it's the biggest thing since Star Wars was in theaters. So to get him to stop talking about it, I purchased a ticket online and went to see the film the next day.

They handed me the 3D glasses as they checked my ticket, just before entering the Imax Theater. I sat down, and the screen instructed me to put the glasses on once the movie began. My initial response.....WOW. I was completely surprised by Avatar. I thought I had seen it all, but this film definitely took me by surprise. The utter beauty of the film's visuals touched every sense I could feel. This movie transports you into the world of Pandora, and actually succeeds in making you feel like you are actually there. When I was sitting there watching this spectacle, I just kept thinking "this is going to change movies forever".

Now lots of people have stated that the storyline wasn't so great. Some have compared it to Dances with Wolves, while others point out how similar it is to Pocahontas. But they need to understand that those movies are just reflections of incidents in real life, such as the colonization of certain countries, the pilgrims and the native americans, the gold mines in the Amazon, and the Iraq war. If it imitates those other 2 movies, that's only because those other two movies imitate life. If you're extremely political and view the world from a right-wing point of view, this movie probably won't sit too well with you. It may even anger you. It's the usual underdog story of the disadvantaged natives of a civilization, protecting their land against the foreign (and more wealthy) english speaking invaders. It does have a very strong anti-war message, which will probably delight those who have a more liberal point of view. The story itself wasn't very enveloping, it was somewhat predictable. The characters were well developed though, and those watching the movie will probably sympathize with the natives (known as Na'vi).

But the story is not the main feature of the movie, it's the visuals. This is a new breed of movies, and a turning point in cinema history. This is the first time that I've seen a movie with an average storyline, that entertained me in other ways aside from the plot and characters. This movie MUST be seen in 3D to fully appreciate it for what it is, and preferably in an Imax theater. I would not download Avatar online because without 3D and the big screen, you are missing out on the whole point of the movie and probably won't enjoy it. I seriously doubt that the DVD version will be as spellbounding as the theater version.

The stars of the movie, Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, and Sigourney Weaver, were excellent. Zoe Saldana was so good, that even in alien Na'vi form, she is still extremely attractive to male movie watchers. Sam Worthington carries the movie as the main character, and a new action star has definitely been born. Sigourney's character is reminiscent of her character from the Alien series, strong and knowledgeable.

All in all, Avatar is definitely worth seeing, and will surely be added to cinema's Hall of Fame for the greatest 100 movies ever made. It incorporates action, seriousness, light heartedness, romance, and scenic beauty, as well as a positive message for those who watch it. A must see movie for 2009/2010.