Special effects dim Avatar's weak plot

If you get nothing else out of this review, get this: Avatar is worth the trip to the movie theater, just don't see it in 3-D. Go see the multitude of special effects on the big screen, but it's not worth paying an extra five dollars to have them jump out at you. Director James Cameron (Titanic, Terminator 2) has created "Pandora," a majestic world full of lush forests brimming with gigantic leaves and multi-colored underbrush, floating mountains, and gigantic blue striped creatures called the Na'vi with lanky limbs and long braids that connect to the various dragons, horse-rhino hybrid looking animals, and trees (basically, these Na'vi folk are way in synch with nature). It is the pinnacle of special effects, visually stunning, but at the same time, a little exhausting. The special effects and sets are incredible. It is impossible not to bestow multitudes of praise on the attention to detail. The millions of dollars thrown in to creating Pandora have gone virtually unwasted; the Na'vi's world is undeniably original and beautiful. Pandora has some features that are just odd. At night, the forest floor that lights up when stepped upon, reminiscent of the video game Dance Dance Revolution. And the massive floating mountains interfere with radio connection and signal for some strange reason that's never really explained. Now for the plot. I expected a little more from theman who brought us Titanic.Avatar has drawn comparisons to Fern Gully, Dances With Wolves, and perhaps the most surprising of all, Walt Disney's Pocahantas.I have to agree with the Pocahantas reference. It's the classic switching sides plot line. It's sometime in the mid 2100's. Jake Sully ( bland as a human but great as an avatar Sam Worthington) is a Marine who has lost the use of his legs through some accident or fight. His twin brother, who was assigned to work on a diplomatic mission on Pandora, with the main goal being to move the Na'vi out of their home tree that is sitting on top of a massive source of unobtainium (Yes, it is really called that.) This is to be accomplished through the avatar program run by Dr. Grace Augustine (a no-nonsense and quite good Sigourney Weaver). Humans are given a Na'vi body that resembles them and they control as if they are really in the body. This way they can be less suceptible to danger and more suceptible to a big warm, welcome from the Na'vi. Jake is given his brother's body due to their similar DNA's. The body is working with Jake's DNA. The diplomacy with the Na'vi isnot. Enter Parker Selfridge (Does anyone else think his name sounds like "selfish?), who is running the campaign to obtain the Unobtainium for earth, and who is running out of patience while getting closer and closer to sending out the Marines to blow up the Na'vi's home and extract the goodies. Running the Marines is Colonel Miles Quaritch (the one-sided Stephen Lang) who's ready to blow up the tree given approval or not. Quaritch has given Sully the mission to find out more about the tribe and report back to him. Sully is rather faithful about it, but as he grows closer and closer to the Na'vi, his commitment starts to fade. As the avatar, Jake meets a Na'vi woman named Neytiri (a bit overly preachy Zoe Saldana). She slowly begins to accept him after signs from the mother god show he's not all bad. He's the first avatar to be let in to the tribe and made a warrior. Anyways, a few long braid nature bonds (It'sa bit strange. Somehow they can bond with their livestock and whatnot with the tentacles on the end of their braids)with fill-in-the-blank animal later, the two fall in love and become each other's soul mates. Needless to say, Jake switches sides. Colonel and Selfridge find out about Jake's betrayal in time,and they're not toohappy about it.Then Neytiri and her tribe find out about Jake's reporting back to the humans and his betrayal to them, and basically everybody hates Jake. The Na'vi hate him a little more, though, taking him hostage andconsidering killing him. Humans attack. Tree goes down. Na'vi suffer heavy casulties. Jake, still as an avatar, rounds up various tribes of Na'vi around Pandora to help fight back against the humans. Not to say humans are dumb or anything, but if they really wanted to prevent the battle and own the tribes, they could have just taken Jake out of the avatar pod and destroyed the body. Just saying. Alright, no more spoilers. You will cheer for Jake, for Neytiri, for the Na'vi. You can't help it. Cameron, however weak the plot, has created a visual masterpiece that is a force to be reckoned with. See the movie. Admire the special effects. Me, and thosands of others around the world, enjoyed it. Just see it. The plot isn't great but it's worth it. Really.