This is another of these films for which I didn't get the memo. It undoubtedly has parallels with the ecological ravaging of Earth by mankind, but for the most part it is just a fairly standard action romance that owes much of it's significance to it being an outstanding technical production. Sam Worthington is "Jake", a paraplegic solider who is tasked with assisting on a mission on a distant planet. By way of a bribe, the authorities offer him surgery to restore his mobility if he uses an avatar machine to infiltrate the folks inhabiting the planet "Pandora". The more he explores this bright new world, the more he begins to integrate with the people and their beautiful and colourful environment. His affection for "Neytiri" (Zoe Saldana) and his gradually developing appreciation of just what his mission is about, sets him up for a serious conflict with the gung-ho militaristic "Quaritch" (Stephen Lang). This film is all about corporate greed and an horrendous disregard not just for nature, but for an indigenous population that is though frequently touching, let down by a really mediocre cast, some slightly pontificating dialogue and yes, it is really too long. It is great to look at, the standards of the production mixing reality with animation are outstanding; it's just that the story is just all a bit lightweight.
