The visuals are stunning and mind boggling. The world is real to me. Never before has an alien planet been so fully realized. If only the human dialogue could be as developed.

Besides being predictable for me, the movie feels contrived and cold, but for the messages it conveys that works. From Colonial times to Vietnam to the invasion and occupation of Iraq our civilization has had a history of going where we want, taking what we want, and leaving a path of destruction behind that can never truly be corrected.

Cameron tricks us into caring about the native Na-vi tribe no matter how much we want to think of them as different. Some will complain that the film is too long, but I think the 90 minute setup is crucial. We start to understand the blue kitty people and what is important to them, so that when the inevitable destruction begins we're truly invested in what happens. It's a formula that worked in Titanic and it works here.

In this film, the humans are the aliens. The people from Earth are the bad guys. We are the enemy. And for a moment we see a side of ourselves we try so hard to deny.

Whether it is IED's in the Middle East or the Ewoks using trip wires and sticks against the Imperial Army in Return of the Jedi, time and time again we are shown that giant expensive military technology is no match for an extreme desire to not be invaded or conquered. This native "savage" or "undeveloped" world of Pandora (fitting name) is no different. With no more than local animals and bows and arrows they prove to be a force to be reckoned with.

I adored the underlying environmental element of the film. It illustrates in a completely new way the importance of the balance of nature. How every tree is important to the existence and continuance of the delicate life cycle. It tells us that everything is connected without even touching, and that energy is never taken or used, merely borrowed. Since in the film it mentions that the Earth is stripped of its resources and practically uninhabitable at this point we can start to see that even though our way of life is destructive, and the "savages" may have the right idea, we still continue in our same greedy and dangerous behavior. Smash and grab.

The vivid colors and lush environments of the alien planet are unlike the visuals of any other movie before. There are vital lessons to learn about our own world (that we already know in or hearts.) And there is the reminder that James Cameron is a masterful story teller. I personally liked the film, and I want to love it... But honestly I feel that if the director didn't wait 12 years between movies this one could have been tightened up a little. Just because the story is cut and dry, doesn't mean the characters need to be so two dimensional.

4 Stars (out of 5)