Running Time: 161 minutes Avatar is the highest grossing film of all time, making more money than people even thought possible. It was obviously helped by the 3D surcharge (it was a time when the gimmick was viewed as an essential part of the viewing experience), but you wonder if it could have been even bigger had it had a less mammoth run time; a shorter film equals more potential showings through the day. That is, of course, not why we think Avatar is too long. That stems from the fact its simplistic story padded out with pretty visuals. From the first twenty minutes the major plot beats are obvious, making the roundabout way James Cameron gets to them a chore. For many the sights of Pandora and its alien denizens was enough to make it worth it, but for us it made what could have been a great film into an OK one. There are two extended cuts that make the film even longer and add nothing to the effect; the added scenes are just more "ooh, isn't Pandora pretty" moments. What could be cut? A lot, particularly from the second act. From when Jake first meets the Na'vi to the destruction of Home Tree the film is rather aimless, dragged out just to give the sense of passing time. Getting to the explosive final act quicker would have curbed a lot of the eventual criticism.
