Avatar (2009)

In the simplest possible terms, this movie features one of the most lush, vibrant, and fascinating worlds ever put to film. It's stunning and staggering and warm and real. When credits roll, you feel like you just spent a week in the weird and wonderful. For all the bombast and budget the film has gone through to make it to the screen, this is a movie that delivers that elusive true magic of actual escapism. The story, after that fact, is almost irrelevant. And yet even this tale of man coming to grips with nature, predictable and trite though it may be, manages to always seem engaging and fun. It's an action-adventure film in the classic sense, with broadly painted villains and even broader heroes, brought together with incredible confidence. The story itself may not be much to praise, but the execution, the beauty, and the pure thrilling awe of this sci-fi fable make it something altogether remarkable.

9 out of 10.

Note: If the option exists, no matter how difficult it may be, this film must be seen in 3D. It is not a gimmick like it is in every other film, it becomes a part of the story, and turns this incredible world into one you can actually touch. It is still a great movie regardless, but it would lose a key feature in its presentation.