The movie nearly lives up to its hype with use of motion capture and CGI that creates a believable, breathtaking new world. Particularly impressive were the aliens themselves; they were totally convincing as living people. The story, however, didn't quite live up to the visuals. If the story had focused on why mining the mysterious ore was so important (beyond its value as a commodity) then the motives of the aggressors might have given a more realistic balance to the narrative.