Its an SFX movie at it’s core. American take on Japan’s giant robot anime. Where it crushes Avatar is that it lacks the heavy handed ‘man is a cancer’ message. Which to me is what killed Avatar.
I’d probably say, though it’s wholly different, it’s about the best Sci-Fi since the original Matrix. Blade Runner it ain’t. But for what it is, it does it well.
The message in Avatar was overpowering and insulting.
I actually thought The Matrix was deathly boring. Though I’m sure it was a technological breakthrough. Truly wretched acting and dialogue though...and chop socky stuff ripped off from various Asian sources.