It still looks real, and that's because every aspect of the scene, from lighting, composition, and camera angle, were worked out in the studio during the creation process. Even in the digital world, these things matter, and this scene shows how important they are in the overall look and feel of the film. Use of music in the scene is the same grand, sweeping music used throughout the film. It makes the scene seem larger than life somehow, but it also has touches of native sounds that make it sound a bit primitive and haunting. The sounds in the scene are basically dialogue as the characters react to what they're seeing, but there is one sound in this scene that is particularly memorable, and that is the sound of the helicopter. The sound is of conventional rotors on a traditional helicopter, but it seems that these rotors, which are more like fans, would have a different kind of sound, and that kind of distracted me throughout this film. I wanted a different sound that seemed more fitting for these future technologies.

This shot is just one small scene in the film, but it shows the attention to detail that Cameron used throughout the film. Every shot tells a story, just like this one does, and every one serves a purpose. This shot, which is really animation or digital image rather than live action, looks entirely real, like all the images do in the film. The viewer actually believes they are watching a helicopter...

This does not look as if it is a digital image, the lighting, shot angles, and composition all come together to create a very satisfying shot that looks totally real. That is probably one of the most amazing things about this film. Each shot, like this one, is believable, and it makes the film even more amazing.
Everything about this shot is well planned out ahead of time. Cameron knew what he wanted to convey, he did it very well, and that is what makes this shot memorable. It is one of thousands in the film, and they all convey a mood, a tone, and a setting. This one is special because it looks so real, even when the viewer knows it is anything but real. Perhaps that is because the director creates a mood in the film that makes the viewer want to believe it is real. Pandora is a spectacular planet, her people are special, and it is a world worth saving. The viewer is drawn into the story, in a large part because of scenes like this one. They want to believe Pandora is real, and scenes like this make that feeling even stronger. Cameron created a world where these things seem plausible, and this scene just sets the stage for many more wonders to come. It is a simple scene from many viewpoints, but a very complex one if you pick it apart. That says something about Cameron as a director and his attention to detail.