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It has been twelve years since Titanic. Film lovers were waiting...patiently while The King of the World played with new cameras and fiddled with documentaries, waiting patiently for the director of our adolescent favorites - the first two Terminators, The Abyss, Aliens - seemed to be twiddling his thumbs deciding on his next project. And now after all that time, James Cameron is back. Was Avatar worth all the wait and suspense?

Time will tell. I think expectations on this movie are clouding everyone's judgement. Everyone expecting a masterpiece were sorely disappointed. Those who thought it was going to be bizarre turd with Smurfs were actually pleasantly surprised. I'm somewhere in the middle.

Avatar is the story of Jake (Sam Worthington), a paraplegic marine who comes to a faraway moon called Pandora. Human industry is encroaching on the planet, which is rich in an energy source called Unobtainium. Problem is, they are having trouble with 'the natives,' blue creatures called the Navi. The humans have a solution to solve the problem - scientists, led by Dr. Augustine (Sigourney Weaver) have created the Avatar program which involves the scientists placing their minds into genetically engineered Navi bodies. Looking like the local population will make it easier to open up discussions, learn about each other's cultures, and solve all problems peacefully.

Unfortunately, the folks in charge, led by industry suit Parker Selfridge (Giovanni Ribisi) and Col. Quaritch (a super buff Stephen Lang) want to use the Avatar program to infiltrate and eliminate the Navi. Our hero Jake is stuck in the middle, though there is never really any doubt about what decision he will make.

That's just the set up. It may sound creative, but as the plot kicks into gear, you realize you've seen this movie before. Many times before. I personally liked it more when it was called Dances with Wolves. I'm only half-joking. There is not an original beat, moment, or line in this screenplay. I knew who would die, when they would die, and generally how they would die the second they were introduced on screen. Even the dialogue all sounds really familiar, like we've heard it all before (because we have). Some have defended the story and the script, saying that Cameron was aiming for a 15-year old audience with the script. Fair enough, but when I was 15, I was watching Cameron's Aliens and The Abyss, which are both really well-written. He's usually a very good writer.

But what is interesting is that as unoriginal as the story is, the world Cameron has created is a STUNNER. I know that I rail against movies that are just spectacle over story, but when the spectacle is this good...wow, I get it. I understand the argument now. Pandora's animal life, the plant life, and the Navi themselves are beautiful, colorful, luscious, and very creative. A tremendous amount of time and love went into creating this world, and it shows. And unlike most other Hollywood blockbusters, you can see the budget onscreen. It's rare when you see a movie and you think, "huh, well, yes, I do believe that this cost $300 million!" The special effects are superb, with the best motion capture animations I have ever seen. The Navi look excellent and with a few exceptions look like actors in makeup as opposed to a digital creation. I don't think there should be a competition for Best Special Effects this year - the answer is obvious that Avatar should and will win. Other films need not apply.

And I think the spectacle is why Avatar is getting all this Best Picture awards attention. I could watch Jake wander across the lush jungles of Pandora for hours. I did not want the story to continue - I just wanted to watch Jake hanging out with the Navi. That movie is terrific (and in some ways, if Cameron had just made a science fiction fake documentary about Pandora, that could have been the best sci fi film ever). Shame we have to go back into the story mode, with all the battles, explosions, and betrayals you were expecting...

So all in all, a mixed bag. I definitely suggest you see it in the theater because it is that beautiful to look at. Just don't go in expecting a story, and you'll have a good time.

MVP: Clearly the special effects team is the MVP of the film. But what impressed me the most was the character of Neytiri, the daughter of the Navi chief and Jake's love interest - both the special effects and the motion capture performance of Zoe Saldana. I haven't seen a motion capture performance this good since Gollum. And it's not all digital - you can see Saldana in there acting her heart out. Every graceful movement is hers; it's a terrific physical performance. And the special effects team match her grace point for point, creating the most fully realized character in the film (and that includes the non-digital, human characters). It's an impressive feat, and well worth winning my Most Valuable Player of the movie.

TRIVIA: Cameron almost cast Michael Beihn in the role of Quaritch, but decided not to in the end. He was worried that because Beihn and Weaver were both in "Aliens," that casting both of them again would just be a distraction. While I disagree with that reasoning, I do have to say that Stephen Lang was pretty good in the role - appropriately grumpy, buff, and badass.

OSCARS: Cinematography, Art Direction, and Visual Effects.

OSCAR NOMINATIONS: Best Picture, Director, Score, Directing, Editing, Sound and Sound Editing.