So, Avatar.

It was good, first. Mind-blowing and all that, at least the visuals. Story, meh: Could've been better, could've been a lot worse.

What I find most amusing is that in every review I read this morning, all the critics agreed that James Cameron was ham-handedly and unsubtly hammering down some kind of real-life correlative point. The Arizona Republic says it's obviously a reference to what's happening in Iraq. The Wall Street Journal says it's obviously a reference to the Vietnam War. I've seen African comparisons, I've seen aboriginal comparisons, I've seen Native American comparisons. So, all in all, Mr. Cameron, congratulations: You've allied your critics on a central point that none of them can really agree on.

But, really, it was good. I just wish the actual quality of the storytelling had matched the creation of the world.