Avatar

We don't go to movies very often, but work schedules and other obligations aligned yesterday, opening up a block of time that allowed us to go see "Avatar."

I've seen some hype in the press; the most notable thing was that while visually stunning, it was thin on plot and the characters were less than believable. I read another review that all but accused James Cameron of being a tree-hugging population control proponent. I can see how, through the lens of the current political climate, someone could have made that inference, but that's not what stood out for me. Yes, it was visually stunning, but either the characters and plot were solid and entertaining, or I'm far more simple-minded than I've given myself credit for. While the plot itself isn't particularly new or fresh, the details come directly from U.S. History. I won't tell you which part; that would spoil the fun.

One spoiler-free aside: We were surprised and delighted to see a principal role filled by Joel Moore, who plays Mr. (Colin*) Fisher, (aka the depressed intern) in "Bones." We giggled when Eric pointed out that in a recent episode of "Bones," Fisher won tickets to the premier of "Avatar".

I can't speak to the effects in 3-D, although a friend who saw it said she tried to brush ash from a fire off her nose. It is long--nearly three hours--so hit the restroom before the movie, and go easy on the soda. You won't want to have to get up.

*No, I didn't know the character's first name. I don't know if I've ever heard it, since everyone calls him Fisher or Mr. Fisher. I'm sure it must have been mentioned when the character was first introduced, but I've slept since that episode. I found it when I looked up his IMDb page.