Avatar

I think Avatar really uses backgrounds and scenes to help tell a story. Take this image for example.

From this we can see that it is in the evening because it's dark with a moonlight kind of blue hue and there is a lot of contrast and shadow. Also from the angle they chose to shoot this scene we can see exactly where they are. They are high up in a tree on a single branch above and huge drop into a waterfall. This gives a sense of danger and also how Nala is used to this where as the guy isn't. 

I like how they use lighting in this to show the light coming through the tree tops. This gives you a sense of where you are (under trees) and what kind of time of day it is. It's around the middle of the day because the sun is shining through the top and its bright. They use the foreground, middle and background in this with the rule of thirds. I like the colours too they're nice and bright.

I definitely think that they do a good job in setting the scene. Like when they first fly in and see like this...

  It shows just how big this place is and that it's magical...theres just rocks hovering everywhere. It is a giant expanse that it absolutely beautiful and fills the audience with a sense of awe. This makes them feel bad that they want to knock this place down.