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I went into AVATAR with moderately high expectations, knowing well that, despite the glowing reviews, it had received its fair share of criticisms. As the lights in the theater dimmed, I put on my 3D glasses, ready to see what Jim Cameron gave us after all these years of waiting, and I am happy to say that I was not disappointed.

By now, I'm sure you've heard countless critics praise the film's visuals, but until you see for yourself, you can't begin to imagine the beauty that is AVATAR. From the luminescence of night, to the sweeping aerial shots of the planet, the character designs, every frame resonates with such incredible artistry.

The actors were also on key, giving us characters we can root for. Sam Worthington was a perfect hero, while Zoe Saldana managed to be menacing one moment, then gentle the next. That, and she was incredibly sexy! :) Sigourney Weaver rocked it as the tough-edged biologist who happened to have a heart. Not the most original character in the world, but Weaver completely owned the role and had me on her side the whole time. And Stephen Lang was a hell of a lot of fun as the "baddie." Not to mention the guy is INSANELY buff. I would've liked to have seen more of Michelle Rodriguez. She was a very likeable gal (and hot as ever).

And the story? Well, it's not perfect. It's pretty straightforward, and one with half a brain can piece it together pretty quickly, but that's not to say I didn't enjoy it. I do, however, think the film ran a tad too long. They could've cut at least 30 minutes and I wouldn't have batted an eye. Also, a deeper connection to the characters would've made this an even more engaging journey, but that wasn't a huge issue. The bottom line is that I was completely immersed in this amazingly beautiful world for almost 3 hours, and that's exactly what I was looking for. I just hope we don't have to wait another 12 years before Cameron makes another film.