There’s a layer of hype so thick surrounding Avatar it looks like you might have to wade through it.  Make the effort and you’ll find a believable, intelligent and, as might be expected for the multi-million dollar price tag, a visually spellbinding film. 

Superficially, the story of Jake Sully’s voyage onto alien planet Pandora to extract the very valuable fuel ‘unobtainium’ that turns him from hostile foreigner into full-blown native sounds gratingly similar to other moralising narratives.  You’ve heard of the kind I mean: they cast Westerners as the pinnacle of evil and greed, hell-bent on destroying the natural heritage of another ‘savage’ culture.  And whilst there are those stereotypes floating around Avatar, Colonel Quaritch who heads up the American invading force being a prime example, they are just used as convenient devices to explore the real essence of the story: the fascinating culture of the Na’vi. 

Each intricate part of the planet and its inhabitants has been painstakingly thought-out to not only rapturous visual but also emotional effect.  I cared far more about these tall, blue people than I was prepared for (even indulging in, I am ashamed to admit, fleeting moments of attraction).  This intense attention to detail from the fantastical monsters that dominate the woods to the way the hair braids of the Na’vi link with the creatures they fly around on makes the world feel believable.  The growing relationship between Jake Sully and the Na’vi princess, Neytiri, also plays out convincingly despite one cringe Hollywood speech where he declares his undying love for her (of course). It’s definitely worth seeing in 3D as well, since James Cameron doesn’t feel the need to fire rocks in your face to show you what technology he’s using but aims for a more subtle approach.

Granted, there is the odd slip-up but these are eminently forgivable in the light of quite how epic Avatar is: both in terms of technical breakthrough and narrative journey.