The technical effects wore off long before the movie ended (2 hrs 40 minutes later). Thin story line where things kept repeating. None of these actors should be considered for awards for such stereotyped characters; only reason to consider Avatar for "best picture" would be because of the technology. Why did the critics rave? Was the appeal to them (like District 9) in the overriding political statement about the "wrongness" of using military strength to gain one's goals? Having paid twice what I normally pay for a movie, I did not get my money's worth.