Masked in secrecy and a decade in the making, James Cameron’s Avatar has finally entered the public culture in full force.  When the first images and trailers started appearing, many people (including myself) were underwhelmed.  Mainly at the character design of the aliens, the generic dialog heard in the trailer (“You’re not in Kansas anymore! You’re on Pandora . . .), and a plot lifted almost directly from Dances With Wolves and Pocahontas.  Plus, the statements made by the director and the marketing stating Avatar was a “Game Changer” gave us plenty of snarky ammo.

However, a small percentage of the populous has finally seen Avatar a full week before it’s release.  No longer are snarky jokes involving Smurfs and Thundercats being hurled.  Those same critics who were poking fun are all eating crow and now statements such as: “Magical!” “Masterpiece” “Epic” “Overwhelming” “Spectacle” and “Immersive” (just to quote a few) are flooding the geek interwebs.

Currently showing 15 positive reviews and 1 negative review on RottenTomatoes.com, Avatar is finally gaining some positive buzz from trusted sources.  So, with all that said, here’s what I gather about Avatar and you can start geeking out and pining over blue aliens.

Positive buzz:

• Avatar is a breathtaking visual tour-de-force.  From the lush, fully realized environment of Pandora to it’s alien inhabitants, everything is magically realistic.  This is the first MUST SEE 3D film experience that I’ve heard of.  It could change the way we view movies.
• I’m reading that Avatar is exciting and it’s 2.5 hours goes by quickly thanks to James Cameron’s expert pacing.
• The last 20 minutes is said to be absolutely mind blowing.
• James Horner’s score is brilliant.

Negative buzz:

• Avatar is said to have an almost maddeningly simple story and dialog.  (But, so did Star Wars.)
• Did we really need a song by Leonna Lewis on the soundtrack?

Final Thoughts on the Buzz:

Based on all the reviews I’m reading, Avatar will be 100% worth seeing in 3D on an IMAX screen.  Don’t settle and see it in 2D first time out.

I’m happy to say that all my doubt is gone and I’m now sorry I doubted James Cameron in the first place.  Now…where did I put my blue body paint?

The Reviews from people I respect:

David Chen via Slashfilm: “In the end, I found what I was looking for in Avatar, a sense of wonderment at the novel, and a feeling that what I was seeing is the beginning of something exciting in the world of cinema.”

Brendon Connely via Slashfilm: “You need to see Avatar in 3D just as much as you need to see The Red Shoes in colour, Apocalypse Now in surround sound or Casablanca on a screen larger than an iPod.”

Todd Gillcrest via Cinematical: “Cameron’s latest is scary and exciting and entertaining as hell, even if it’s far too early – and too conventional in too many ways – to herald it as any kind of masterpiece.”

Neil Miller via Film School Rejects: “[James Cameron is] not worried about you thinking that it feels like Dances with Wolves meets Ferngully, or that it is an allegory of oppression that has been done before. Where he gets you is in the execution of creating Pandora, a vast world that is familiar, but also completely fantastic.”

Brandon Lee Tenney via FirstShowing: “Watching it made me feel like a child, like anything and everything is possible. Like it’s all just one nudge of the imagination away. It feels great to be so amazed. But Avatar isn’t just amazing – it’s magic.

Read more reviews at RottenTomatoes.com.

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