Just before Christmas, the new movie “Avatar” by James Cameron was released. With a budget of $300 million and 10 years in the making, a lot of work and money went into the movie, making it highly anticipated.

It became an instant hit at the box office when it opened; so far it has made $1.6 billion worldwide, which puts it in second place on the list of the most successful movies of all-times, behind only “Titanic” at $1.84 billion. It won a Golden Globe for “Best Drama” and “Best Director” on Sunday, and is a favorite for this year’s Academy Awards.

“Avatar” is a stunning visual experience and will, without a doubt, receive the Oscar for best visual effects or another similar category. The world that Cameron has created on a far away planet called Pandora is incredible. It looks extremely real and has a lot of interesting creatures and plants. Utilizing a new technique, turning the actors into the avatars, is just remarkable.

They look incredibly real and you cannot tell that they are not real living beings but virtual creations. You can clearly see their facial expressions and features, and it is easy to tell which human actor is behind each avatar because they look so much alike (except for the bigger nose and the blue skin).

In 3D it is even more incredible. Forget every 3D movie you have seen so far because it is nothing like that. There are not things constantly being thrown at you that seem to leave the screen. For the most part, the 3D just gives the picture an incredible depth that you don’t get with a regular movie.

I know that many people think that the story does not live up to the expectations and that you should see it mostly for the visual effects. I agree that the story elements are not particularly new. It is a typical Hollywood story with some surprising elements, which I appreciated, but the way that the story is told is worth it. The fantastic world that slowly unfolds in front of your eyes while you discover it along with the protagonist absolutely makes up for the lack of new plot.

“Avatar” is one of the best movies I have seen, and the three hours you spend in the movie theater will go by very quickly. Even if you can’t see it in 3D, it is still well worth watching.

Rating: 5 out of 5