This movie breaks all kinds of new ground. Cameron has made a beautiful and completely believable alien world. Not only was the story great, but it's the first CGI movie that realistically portrays human-like creatures without getting stuck in the uncanny valley. I agree with Roger Ebert- that the trick to making it work is by not trying to make them exactly human-like in their bodies and faces.

When I saw the trailers- I thought the CGI looked kind of lurid and exaggerated- like a cut-scene from StarCraft or similar video game. But after about 10 minutes of viewing the inhabitants of Pandora - I was completely immersed- not noticing or caring what parts were CGI or live action.

Go see this movie on the biggest screen you can find- don't wait for the video.