i saw the 2-d version yesterday for my birthday, i've been looking forward to this movie for about 5-6 years, and i was pretty impressed.
visually it's a delight. every scene is very active, but i didn't find them distracting.
the story isn't weak so much as it is simple. there aren't any dub-tee-eff plot twists that leave you scrambling. it's a basic cowboys and indians story with a self-discovery twist.
maybe it's because the movie is so long, but i felt like i had a good grasp of the characters. the characters filled the role they needed to be in, and there was no need to have time expand further than that. did that leave them a little flat? yeah, but it got the job done more effectively than over explaining each and every motivation.
unobtanium... kind of a silly name, but would any other techno-babble name been better? it was a plot device.
i consider myself to be pretty picky about what movies i watch, there are criteria that need to be met. avatar caught my attention, captured my imagination, and kept me entertained and glued to my seat for nearly three hours. there aren't many movies that can do that for me.