Sure, it might have a plot ripped straight from the scripts of such clbumics as Dances With Wolves, Pocahontas, and Fern Gully (with perhaps a touch of Tarzan). Sure, it serves as a textbook example of style over substance. Sure, Jake’s ultimate decision to trade in the human body he has come to hate for an alien replacement reeks of an uncomfortable anti-paraplegic sentiment.

Regardless, I really enjoyed myself watching Avatar, for reasons completely unrelated to the plot or cinematography. What drew me into the film was an underlying feeling that there was far more to the world of Pandora to explore than what was shown on the big screen. The unique flora, fauna and landscape features all seemed suggestive of so much activity going on that the viewers are entirely unaware of.

You can argue about whether or not an enormous CGI and special effects budget is necessary for a cinematic masterpiece, but that’s not what Avatar was about for me. Regardless of its merits as a film, Avatar is worth its ticket price as an “experience”. It’s an experience that I feel might actually be communicated more effectively in another format entirely (i.e., a series of novels or a sandbox-style video game), but one that is compelling enough to me for me to recommend to other people.

On the topic of whether or not it’s a good movie, however, I’ve definitely paid full admission to see much worse.