Just got back from seeing it in 3D.
First, the negative: the 3D aspect was very cool and I do think it added to the movie (felt more like an experience than a movie) but there were certain parts that seemed to blur and I couldn't focus correctly. It's almost like if you tried to focus on certain parts of the screen instead of viewing it all at once, it got blurry. But I honestly think the 3D was a huge benefit...just some kinks to work out. Also, the primary antagonist character is too one-sided. They could have added some depth to him.
Reminds me of the main bad guy in Iron Man.
Now, the positive: HOLY GOD this movie is amazing. My favorite critic says that it's not what a movie's about, it's how it's about it. And he's right. Sure the plot may be fairly generic but if you look at movies, all of them are fairly generic. Show me another movie that accomplishes this. It's funny how Terminator 2 has better CGI than movies today even though it came out almost 20 years ago. James Cameron knows how to use CGI to his advantage. During this movie, there is not a single shot in the entire movie that I thought to myself, "overboard with the CGI." The Na'Vi are simply amazing looking. Their mannerisms and the way they move, talk, act....everything about them makes them seem like living, breathing creatures. I don't know what made Cameron choose to make the Na'Vi 15 feet tall, but it was a very, very smart move. The movie wouldn't have worked as well otherwise. Just this small fact alone made it seem like the humans are invading another world rather than "we're watching a movie with fake looking aliens shot on Earth."
The world of Pandora is one of the most breathtaking worlds I've ever experienced in any medium. I would never have been able to dream of a world this beautiful, much less put it on the screen in a capacity like this.
Every single second of this movie is pure elevation (a scientifically proven emotion felt during certain movies). I didn't want this movie to end.
The action scenes are well executed but just watching Jake and Neytiri walk through the forest was just as entertaining. Every scene that had humans and Na'Vi on the screen at the same time were particularly well done. The Na'Vi are majestic, powerful creatures that simply want to live out their lives in peace and I honestly felt heartbroken at what happened to them during the movie.
There's no way to describe why this movie is amazing. It just is. It set out to accomplish something and it did it better than I've ever seen.
Absolutely, without a doubt 4/4 stars. The most expensive movie ever made and worth every single penny.