What I have loved about James Cameron's movies in the past is that they feel absolutely real, gritty... you are instantly in the story, even if it's in a future you've never seen. This is a complete departure... it's a future fairy tale, lush, fantastic, visually stunning. The characters are simpler, and it's not so much about an intricate plot as it is about getting pulled into the adventure. VERY MILD SPOILER: I felt as though at first I didn't "buy in" to the world and the adventure as much, and then as the main character got sucked in more and more, I did too. I wonder if that was deliberately made to feel that way by Cameron, so that we experienced the same transformation that Jake Sully did?