James Cameron knows how to tell a story. He understands technology and knows how to use it without it being the story. Some $500 million was needed to bring this movie to the screen and it was worth it. Cameron knows how to market things too. There are 3 versions to show in any theater. Regular 2D, but no one should see that, Real3D for most theaters and an IMAX 3D version that I hope to see before too long. So, we have a standard noble savage versus the mean ‘civilized’ visitors who wish to exploit them and their resources. Nothing too subtle or innovative here. We like these stories when done right. David versus Goliath and we love routing for the underdog. What Cameron excels at is creating this visually stunning world that is beautiful to look at. There is no detail too small for him to note. Everywhere you look on screen is something spectacular. The 3D effects are seamless. There is no tomahawk thrown at your head, just a depth of view that extends out of the screen. It doesn’t feel right to say you are brought into it, the movie seems to flow out and around you and that is the magic Cameron brings to the audience. There is plenty of excitement as we are taught about this world just like our hero is. We experience things as he does, another way to bring us into the movie. While Jackson had to use New Zealand to create Middle Earth for us, Cameron uses a green screen and motion capturing technology to blend live actors with their CG ‘avatars’ to go where no man has gone before. The adventure film will never be the same again. Everyone will be trying to match or improve upon what Cameron has done with Avatar. The bar has been raised to new heights. The gauntlet has been thrown down. Let’s see who can rise to the challenge.