I'm not going to spend a lot of time examining Avatar cinematically.  Mostly, because I don't feel that it warrants it.  This is a tired and trite plot/storyline with cardboard characters that prompt absolutely no thought and reflection in the viewer.  It is also a visually stunning and intense movie that makes up for this rather glaring shortcomings to some small degree with the sheer impressiveness of the visual landscape.  I'm not a devotee of James Cameron, so I'm not going to venture into a discussion of how this film fares compared with his many other successes.  Overall I was disappointed with Avatar, even as I was visually impressed by it.

What I had hoped to focus on was his spiritualism in the film.  Unfortunately, after a lot of thought and examination, I'm not sure what to say.  His combination of animism and totemism is classic, and doesn't really warrant much discussion.  It clearly isn't a masculine, monotheistic sort of religion.  It's practically environmentalism as religion.  The planet does for itself what the Na'vi and Jake are unable to do - it protects itself from hostile invaders.  Nature is superior to technology. 

The spiritualism is rather sloppy as well.  We aren't sure if Eywa is limited to Pandora or extends beyond it.  However Eywa is effectively depicted as being limited to Pandora.  Eywa is not portrayed as personal, and seems more similar to the Star Wars depiction of the Force.  A sort of energy made up of all living things, shared by all living things, borrowed and repaid by all living things. Yet it records the memories of past generations. 

I don't see much to be said for the spiritualism here.  Cameron reverts to rather tried and true depictions of noble savages in tune with nature, and nature responsive to a certain extent, but also unpredictably so.  Like most of the content of the film other than the visuals, Avatar's spiritualism is pretty by the book.  That will undoubtedly appeal to people who are uncomfortable with a God who can be known and actually expect something from them, but still like the idea of being in tune with some sort of higher power.