I pretty much expected a "Titanic II" experience when seeing Avatar (corny movie + most cutting edge special effects of the time), and it certainly delivered. However, obtuse ecological platitudes and silly inter-racial love story aside, Avatar is actually worth checking out for the special effects alone (as opposed to Titanic, which sucked all around), but you must see it in IMAX. Cameron has definitely pushed the medium a long way since Titanic. In summary: Titanic + Dances With Wolves + The Emerald Forest + the best special effects ever = Avatar.