"Avatar"

Not that I'm complaining. No one is going to see "Avatar" solely for the story. Cameron has built his career on embracing style-heavy spectacle; developing the most innovative special effects technology, making every movie a singular event. "Avatar" is no exception. Although the story is nuanced with environmental pathos, White guilt and American imperialism - a pastiche merging Pocahontas with "Fern Gully," swapping Indians with blue, cat-like aliens -- the film rarely slows down enough to seriously scrutinize its own subjects. But eloquent social commentary is never the goal of Hollywood blockbusters.

The story is engaging and fun, full of campy clichéd one-liners 90s action movies built scripts on. Though, Cameron's focus lies elsewhere. "Avatar" seeks not only to transport the audience to a foreign planet -- immersing every sense in bioluminescent flora and psychedelic fauna through Herculean 3-D -- but also to the nostalgia of childhood. Cameron's created a film enamored with imagery and sensation; the kind of pure escapism all truly great genre films share.  The plot, while contextualizing the planet Pandora and its native Na 'vi aliens, is almost an unnecessary distraction; an afterthought. The slight stabs "Avatar" takes at The Man are ham-fisted and hypocritical, considering Cameron's anti-corporate message is sponsored by McDonalds.

The only question remaining is how the exhausting excess of "Avatar" will age. Cameron could probably care less though. If "Avatar" proves anything, he'll be exploring another thrilling new world.

Rating: 4/5

Watch the trailer for James Cameron's "Avatar"