The story and writing are not fantastic. The story has been done before in other movies. If I had seen this movie in a reguar theater, in 2D, I would call it average and forgetable. But the 3D IMAX experiance makes a fancy desert out of what would otherwise be a dry piece of cake. If you get motion sickness or are normally a little queezy this might not be the movie for you. The sound and visual effects are stunning. It is a nonstop 2 1/2 hour ride that compares to 3D rides at Disney or Universal. I drove 60 miles and stayed overnight since the only show that was not sold out was 11:50 pm. It was worth the drive and the stay for the effects.