The true reviews for this film will not be available until it is released on home video. Currently, it is clear that the majority of reviews on IMDB and elsewhere are based on 3D theatrical viewings. However, when viewed in 2D, the film does not impress as much. 3D films tend not to age well, and this one likely will not either. The use of rendered objects thrown at the viewer for the purpose of creating a thrill in a 3D theater loses its effectiveness when viewed at home in 2D. It essentially becomes an expensive screensaver. It is unclear why this film had to cost $400 million. Was it necessary for the Na'vi to be CGI creations? They are similar enough to humans that they could have been achieved through makeup and possibly some CGI enhancements to their eyes. As a result, the film feels like an expensive cartoon, with only one major human character and all other characters being digital aliens. The renderings are polished, but they do not appear photorealistic, particularly when the characters speak. The movement of their mouths reveals their animated nature. It is one thing to have a CGI character in a film, but when every character and environment is animated, the film resembles more of a cartoon like "Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within" than a live-action Marvel film.

The story, such as it is, could have been told in 45 minutes. The majority of the runtime consists of filler meant to evoke a sense of awe at the beauty of nature. The film does not delve into the darker aspects of nature. It is assumed that life on Pandora evolved through the process of eliminating the weak from the gene pool. Yet there is little depiction of predation on Pandora. The Na'vi and animals live in harmonious coexistence, except for the fact that it is acceptable to kill fish for food but not whales. Characters from the previous film, such as Neytiri (Zoe Saldana), have minimal roles and serve only as one-dimensional cameos. Jake Sully is no longer the main character, replaced by his children. In fact, he has so many children that it is difficult to keep track of them. All of the Na'vi look similar to one another, with the sea people Na'vi being a lighter shade of blue. It is not clear why Jake would choose to have so many children, considering he is living on a world under attack by invaders and would therefore be bringing them into a dangerous situation. It is also unclear why everyone is naked and why Jake, being from Earth, would not have a greater interest in clothing to protect his skin from the sun and the plants and animals on Pandora. The character Monkey Boy (Spider) also raises questions as he walks around without clothes or shoes. The story does not make much sense, as Jake was previously tasked with defending the forest, but he now easily abandons it.

As numerous reviews have stated, the film is excessively long. It could easily be edited down to 90 minutes, as much of it is CGI filler. There is no reason to spend such a large sum of money on a film that ultimately feels like a waste. The amount of electricity used in rendering alone is staggering. If you do decide to see the film, it is recommended to view it in 3D. That is what it was meant to be, a demo reel for 3D TVs. 2/5.