I'm kind of surprised that this movie was the number 1 grossing movie for so long.  I mean it's great, but it's not that great.  The visual effects are by far the highlight, and they still look better than most movies today, and the action is pretty good too.  Everything else is not noteworthy though.  It's pretty standard blockbuster action movie writing, perhaps better than average.  I think this movie got so popular because of its amazing visual effects, which aren't as impressive now.  I think that the true quality of this movie can be seen in the impact it's had on modern culture: that is to say, very little. This movie gets overhyped, but it's definitely worth watching.  Its got strong characters, an interesting story, a great antagonist, and a beautiful world.