I feel compelled to give Avatar 5 stars because it really was visually stunning and highly entertaining. But I can't. Though the screenplay was, indeed, quite superior to many other recent comparable blockbuster scifi/fantasies, it was overindulgent. The script, much of the action -- all very, very indulgent, to such a degree that on at least 4 occasions I was compelled to turn to my companion sitting next to me, raise my eyebrow and laugh, wondering how many takes it took the actors to maintain a straight face shooting whatever particular scene. But this really only added to the entertainment factor. If you have a taste for the baroque, what are you doing reading this? Go see the movie. In 3D.