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The ground shook, and the crowd cheered. They wept. They gasped. They laughed. And finally, they applauded. What they experienced was something only a master can make, an adventure so spellbinding, so memorable, and so exhilarating that it's worth holding your bladder for almost 3 hours to sit through. It's worth tearing up behind 3D glasses. It's worth admitting that to your friends later. Finally, it's worth telling people that you saw this movie. I'm lucky to say I was a part of that group.

Can anyone possibly set the bar higher than James Cameron? I think the only one who can set the bar higher is Cameron himself. He described it as his masterpiece, and that it is. Make no mistake: when seeing Avatar, know that you're witnessing cinematic history. Something directors like Peter Jackson only flirted with, Cameron mastered. Not only is Cameron's creation of a character astounding, but what truly sets Cameron apart from the rest is his ability to create a whole new world, where you can escape to, learn from, and bond to. At first, you'll be asking a lot of questions. "Who's he?", "What was that?!", "Is that real, or CGI?". But soon after...I can't say at what point, because I imagine it being different for each viewer, you'll become immersed in Cameron's beautiful Pandora, as he opens the box and reveals a beautiful new world to us as viewers.

There are two kinds of Visual Effects, in my opinion. The first kind is the "Transformers" kind. These effects are the kind that wow you with their showy exterior, but are just there for entertainment. The second kind is the kind that enhances the background, works within a setting, and improves the overall viewing experience. Cameron did it with Aliens. He did it with Terminator 2. He did it for Titanic. And now he's done it again. At this point, he's just showing off. Cameron's incredible immersion into the world of Pandora is what makes it work. Without it, this is just some other alien movie. Cameron's impeccable attention to detail, such as whenever our characters are roaming through a forest, or flying on a winged beast...this is what gives the movie its life, its energy...which is what the entire theme and point of the movie is. Life is connected through us all, and Cameron's incredible work will bond every viewer through their love of movies and the very escapism Cameron provides.

You'll notice that I've spared you a plot description. I believe this movie is best viewed with little or no knowledge. It helps with the immersion. Don't watch a trailer. Don't read a synopsis. I will say, however, that the true stars of the film are Zoe Saldana and Stephen Lang, who will undoubtedly go down as two actors who played their classic-in-the-making characters to perfection. Yeah, the screenplay is not a truly original product, and the film does play out in a semi-formulaic fashion...but this doesn't matter. It's the experience of Avatar that will move you, by what you're seeing, what you're hearing...and what you're experiencing. A beautiful score makes this seamlessly edited film flow even better, while the colors of the movie, so bright and vibrant, assure the viewer that they're about to have the most unique movie-going experience of their lives.

I can't really recommend an experience like this more than I already have. I was on another planet for almost 3 hours. This is truly a movie to experience, a movie that makes us glad that we live in these times. It's the best motion picture of 2009, and one of the most revolutionary, immersing, and incredible movies ever made. I can say this without a doubt. Do not miss this.

It's hard to believe only a year has gone by since the last Twilight film came out, which is weird, because this summer, I'll be saying something like, "it's hard to believe only a few months have gone by since the last Twilight film came out". This is the running joke throughout the entire film. Is Summit's fear of financial collapse so great that they feel they have to churn out these movies as fast as a printing press distributes newspaper? Or is it that they secretly don't have faith in the franchise's long term prospects, making their only blockbuster series unable to truly stand against the heavyweights like Harry, James, and Jack? Whatever the reason, the biggest problem with "New Moon" is how rushed it is. Strangely, I've got to hand it to Chris Weitz. Few directors could have handled the production schedule this film probably had, and he's managed to do a better job than his predecessor. That said, another reason I'll give Weitz credit for doing a job well done is his ability to handle what is easily the worst screenplay of the year. At least Street Fighter and Dragonball had heart. There's no passion. Almost every line is a false cliché, something that in the end makes the film one of the funniest of the year, and takes away from people that actually did well on the film.

Before I continue onto the bad, I'll state the good. As far as acting goes, it starts and ends with Taylor Lautner and Michael Sheen. Weitz did a great job as far as picking some crew members, but not all of them. For example, he pulled off a miracle when he got Alexandre Desplat to score this film, and Desplat's score does not disappoint. It out does the first film along with the cinematography, but that's where it stops.

I don't know what happened to Kristen Stewart's ability...I know it's there, but she simply just doesn't care, isn't trying, or is just flat out bored the entire film. I found myself begging her for expression, in between my laughter at almost everything the absurd character of Bella did. I found that one of the strengths of the first film, the slightly charismatic Robert Pattinson, isn't one anymore. His reduced screen time is not to blame, as Pattinson just lost all charm he had before, and he also forgot how to act. I liked Peter Facinelli and Ashley Greene, while Nikki Reed annoyed me. Anna Kendrick's role is still a scene stealer, while I had a hard time determining if Jamie Campbell Bower was a man or a woman, or if he could be any creepier if he tried.

The work of Michael Sheen and Taylor Lautner are two of five good things about this movie. Sheen delivers a delicious turn as Aro, and I enjoyed every minute he spent on screen. By far the best performance from any of the Twilight films. It was the perfect balance of slight scenery chewing mixed with a deliciously devious line delivery, reaffirming him as one of my favorite actors. Lautner is someone I've got to give credit to, mostly because he's not cringeworthy like Stewart and Pattinson (well, until he says a stupid line that's not his fault, but he played the character well), but the main reason that Lautner did a good job was because almost everyone I've talked to sided with his character and liked him better than the main characters. This is the mark of an actor playing a role well. Lautner's physical transformation is also quite impressive, as every female will have no problem saying.

I just can't get my head around how awful Rosenberg's script is. How anyone can include some of the lines that are in here is beyond me. Sure, some of them were probably from the book, but as a writer of film, you have to know what works and what doesn't work. Sure, New Moon has its intentionally funny moments that Weitz inserted to break the serious tone for a bit...But what Weitz and Rosenberg seem to have forgotten is this: because the film is so rushed, the dialog so cringeworthy, the visual effects so terrible, etcetera...New Moon ends up as a parody. The entire beginning of the film, and Jacob and Bella's friendship, plays out like an episode from an MTV reality show, providing laughs for even the most die hard fans of the series (I know this because the entire theater was cracking up whenever Bella would be sad or Jacob took his shirt off for whatever random pointless reason).

What's even more unsettling is the subliminal messages these films send...Bella is willing to give up her soul to be a vampire with Edward, which he refuses to oblige. How can Bella be the role model Meyer and Rosenberg obviously want her to be when she is literally the biggest pushover I've ever seen? Her character is so unbelievably flawed that it's next to impossible to root for her, and it's also next to impossible to see how two actual nice young men fall in love with her. She has no redeeming qualities, and only shows how easily persuaded a young girl is. To all the young girls reading this, it's fine to want an Edward or Jacob in your life, but it's entirely something else to want to "be like Bella".

So, in short, if you want to laugh, look no further than this "film". I honestly don't think the next movie will be worse than this one, because the crew would literally have to not film anything and sip margaritas on set for it to be worse...wait, actual footage of the crew sipping margaritas is probably better than this abomination of a film. The few bright spots are overshadowed by the terrible script, and the only guy I feel bad for at the end of the day is Weitz.

"Gamer" really isn't a movie of a lot of depth, nor is it a movie that requires a ton of thought. In fact, overthinking this one may cause you to like it less, because when it comes down to it, "Gamer" is another typical Neveldine/Taylor product that goes balls out to get the crowd engaged and entertained. If you want mindless, unrealistic, futuristic sci-fi ridiculousness, look no further than this one. However, I never said this was a bad thing.

Is "Gamer" going to surprise you with any twists? Nah. Is "Gamer" going to go beyond its extremely generic sounding title to provide the viewer with a completely ridiculous ride that's at least worth laughing at? You bet. Like "Crank" before it, "Gamer" prides itself on being as much fun as it can. I found that it started off pretty slow, trying to develop as many characters as it could, when it really didn't need to. The film bears obvious stylistic imprints of its creators (raves, strip clubs, gratuitous nudity, and bright colors), who are really two of the biggest examples of escapist, and flat out ridiculous modern film-making.

Despite how easy it is to describe Neveldine/Taylor's films, there is a noticeable difference here...That would be the strength of the actor in the lead role. Jason Statham is flat out incredible in the "Crank" series. His Chev Chelios is really one of the most ridiculously hilarious and awesome action heroes around. The same can't be said for Gerard Butler's dull and uncharismatic performance as Kable. I really felt like he was just here for a paycheck, not absorbing himself in the world of Neveldine/Taylor the way other actors like Statham and Amy Smart have...and trust me, there's plenty here that feel completely at ease in this world, none moreso than the phenomenal Michael C. Hall. You know what I'd really LOVE to see? A movie where Statham's Chelios takes on Hall's Ken Castle. That would be a freakin' amazing movie. Hall's over the top and incredibly unrestrained performance has got to be amongst the most fun to watch of the year. I really can't give him enough praise for just taking the role and running with it. Chris "Ludacris" Bridges fits his part well enough, while it was funny to see Milo Ventimiglia in one of the most hilariously bad cameos of all time. Terry Crews played an interesting part, while I'm still coming to grips with the fact that Kyra Sedgewick was in this movie.

First off, don't take "Gamer" seriously, because it'll only hinder your viewing experience. That's what it's really made to be...an experience. It's got good-not-great action, some witty one liners from Michael C. Hall that are to be cherished forever, as he simply steals every scene he's in, including the end. I thought the concept of the movie was cool enough to work as a film, but the major selling point for me was the presence of the Neveldine/Taylor names, as they really don't hold back when making their movies, and that's part of what makes their work so entertaining.