the movie tries to be too many things.

This movie's spot among the top sci-fi movies is well deserved. The CGI, with the exception of some of the green screen, holds up very well. James Cameron seemed to know the limitations of the time and doesn't attempt anything that goes too far beyond them. It might be a bit too romantic for some, but in a genre that is usually downbeat and cynical I think it's a breathe of fresh air. The version I watched was 2 hours and 46 minutes, but I had an easy time keeping focused. Some of the technical jargon at the beginning was a bit confusing but the script does a good job of breaking things down in lay terms eventually. For the record, I almost cried at the end, but didn't.

Takes a while to get going, and feels a bit too claustrophobic to portray the vastness this film deserves (it's like Das Boot meets ET), but a solid piece of work with some excellent acting and VFX. Go for the longer version where possible.