James Cameron's AVATAR discussion thread

[Darklord Dave]

Game changer isn't the half of it. I think people will be re-evaluating their opinion of this film for many days and weeks after they see it and by the time it's released on DVD it will be wildly acclaimed by just about everyone. I wouldn't be surprised if it was nominated for an Oscar for Best Picture.

I was not impressed with the trailer - it looked okay, but nothing really special. Even the 3D trailer I saw only left me with the impression that it looked like an animated film. I was encouraged by the positive reviews, but didn't go in expecting too much.

But the immersion into the world was aided a great deal by the 3D. There weren't shlocky 3D effects (well, just one) but the 3D served the story by making us more a part of Pandora. And once you get past marveling at the textures of the trees and how incredibly real the CG characters look - it's possible to get invested in them and what's going on.

The film could get by on just the "look" but it doesn't - it's emotional, exciting, funny, charming, scary and everything you could possibly want in an epic entertainment. The performances are great all around, although I thought Worthington was more realistic as a Navi than as the human Jake Sully. This must be credited to the performance capture technology I'd think - this is part of where the game changing comes in. Sure, we saw brilliant performance capture with Gollum - but this film has at least 5 characters that are completely unique and different and believable, but are just a bunch of pixels.

The humans suffer a bit and the main human character that stands out, The Colonel, is almost a cartoon in his single mindedness - a stark contrast to the more varied and subtle emotional range of the animated characters. But he's still a fantastic character and one of the better movie villains we've seen recently. I hate Giovanni Ribisi - but he did a good job and was well cast as the corporate bureaucrat we all love to hate and which seem a staple of Cameron movies since Aliens.

Spoiler

Spoiler

I wasn't aware of the global consciousness part of the storyline and I absolutely hate preaching in a film, even when I agree with it. But this aspect came naturally out of the world Cameron created and doesn't feel like a "message" tacked on to the film. Nor does the film feel like a political statement of any kind. Happy Feet was more adamantly enviro-conscious than this film.

'

I also didn't feel the movie was slow at all or overly long and neither did my bladder. Both of us were so completely enthralled throughout that nothing existed but the world of Pandora.

Cameron has said that it only makes sense to revisit this world since they've spent so much money and time developing the models for it. I dearly hope that they do continue the story - it could make for an epic sci-fi trilogy.

 

[agen_kolar]

That goes to the Shawshank Redemption.

Never seen it. Don't know anything about it at all, actually.

 

[LOTRFan]

Never seen it. Don't know anything about it at all, actually.

 

[BadMoon]

Game changer isn't the half of it. I think people will be re-evaluating their opinion of this film for many days and weeks after they see it and by the time it's released on DVD it will be wildly acclaimed by just about everyone. I wouldn't be surprised if it was nominated for an Oscar for Best Picture.

I was not impressed with the trailer - it looked okay, but nothing really special. Even the 3D trailer I saw only left me with the impression that it looked like an animated film. I was encouraged by the positive reviews, but didn't go in expecting too much.

But the immersion into the world was aided a great deal by the 3D. There weren't shlocky 3D effects (well, just one) but the 3D served the story by making us more a part of Pandora. And once you get past marveling at the textures of the trees and how incredibly real the CG characters look - it's possible to get invested in them and what's going on.

The film could get by on just the "look" but it doesn't - it's emotional, exciting, funny, charming, scary and everything you could possibly want in an epic entertainment. The performances are great all around, although I thought Worthington was more realistic as a Navi than as the human Jake Sully. This must be credited to the performance capture technology I'd think - this is part of where the game changing comes in. Sure, we saw brilliant performance capture with Gollum - but this film has at least 5 characters that are completely unique and different and believable, but are just a bunch of pixels.

The humans suffer a bit and the main human character that stands out, The Colonel, is almost a cartoon in his single mindedness - a stark contrast to the more varied and subtle emotional range of the animated characters. But he's still a fantastic character and one of the better movie villains we've seen recently. I hate Giovanni Ribisi - but he did a good job and was well cast as the corporate bureaucrat we all love to hate and which seem a staple of Cameron movies since Aliens.

Spoiler

Spoiler

I wasn't aware of the global consciousness part of the storyline and I absolutely hate preaching in a film, even when I agree with it. But this aspect came naturally out of the world Cameron created and doesn't feel like a "message" tacked on to the film. Nor does the film feel like a political statement of any kind. Happy Feet was more adamantly enviro-conscious than this film.

'

I also didn't feel the movie was slow at all or overly long and neither did my bladder. Both of us were so completely enthralled throughout that nothing existed but the world of Pandora.

Cameron has said that it only makes sense to revisit this world since they've spent so much money and time developing the models for it. I dearly hope that they do continue the story - it could make for an epic sci-fi trilogy.

I just don't share that viewpoint. However, I am wondering what I would feel if I had seen the movie in true IMAX? Or what the movie would have been in 2D? I honestly and blast away people, but I honestly thought Titanic was a much better movie. Way more original and I actually cared what happened to the people in the movie. This movie just seemed like it had been done. And if anyone didn't know the ending then you are blind. Who seriously did not see the ending coming?

 

[KCLasse]

Re: I saw AVATAR in 3D!

I watched it in Cinemaxx in 3D.....the most fantastic movie pictures I ever seen ! A must to se for any Sci-fi freak or movie entusiast

 

[FACEBOX]

Re: I saw AVATAR in 3D!

This movie in IMAX 3D was the best movie experience I've ever had!
Damn...cost me a crap load, but I'm going back tomorrow again!

 

[plasmid303]

Where'd they get 10' tall people to play the Na'Vi? must have been a ????? to sit through makeup.

Okay, in all seriousness, there's a much more pressing issue about Avatar than any alleged global environmentalism statement, you should be considering the socio-political side to it.

Has anyone read this article about Avatar's racist overtones? https://io9.com/5422666/when-will-white-people-stop-making-movies-like-avatar

The author of that article posits that Avatar is a racist film -- That it plays into and glorifies the 'white man race fantasy of sublimation, conquest, and leadership'. Think about previous films like Dances With Wolves and The Last Samurai, in which a White man finds himself among the company of a ostensibly 'inferior', colored race and learns to become one of them; And then eventually become their leader; Their savior.

Although I don't agree with everything the article presents (mostly because I lay a lot of blame on the insurmountable nature of the Hollywood beast), I think it's a great read.

 

[The Drizzle]

Re: I saw AVATAR in 3D!

Yes.


And lots of Na'vi breasts. All petite and perky, perfect.

Okay, I just got 100% more interested.

 

[mynnDAWG]

Re: I saw AVATAR in 3D!

my 2 cents...just another CGI movie...storyline wise its like pocahontas meets starship troopers...didnt WOW me when i catched em in 3D last nite

 

[Darren Carnall]

Re: I saw AVATAR in 3D!

5 hours to go for me

 

[Riko]

Re: I saw AVATAR in 3D!

So the story itself is strong and not just the visuals ?.

unfortunatelly the story isn't at the same level as the graphics...but that is almost impossible since the visual impact is never seen, just prefect!
but as said, its a bit sad that the story is at times not as clever as the technical side of the film.
nonetheless I've heard of a directors cut, wich I hope improves the storytelling level of this stunning film!

So bottom line, besides the average story telling: AWSOME FILM (EXPERIENCE)

watched it thurs nite in 3D. here's my 2 cents'...

on a purely technical level, this is a masterpiece. cameron has succeeded wildly beyond expectations in realizing a fully-formed and intricate world that is completely believable and thus, wholly immersive. in fact, i'd go as far as to say the 3D isn't even necessary for the viewing experience. it enhances your immersion in this world, but the genuine sense of awe and wonder that consumes you as you soak in all the minute details are more than sufficient in good ol' 2D. it is just mind-blowing when you realize that everything from the flora & fauna to the mecha, are actually all non-existent and willed into "reality" by cameron and his army of technicians.

and whatever scorn about the look of the na'vi becomes a non-issue a few minutes into watching them onscreen. they are as good as living, breathing beings with real emotions and distinct personalities. i absolutely adored neytiri. she is both spirited and sensual, which is due to equal contributions by the cg artists as well as zoe saldana's performance. in fact, she far outshines sam worthington's jake sully in every scene together.

and the geek in me was pretty happy to see sigourney back in a cameron film. she still rocks!

if only the story held up to the brilliance of the visuals. at best, the story is predictible and overly-familiar. those who sumed it up as "dances with aliens" are pretty spot on. u can pretty much tell what's coming next with every turn of the plot. and some of the action is a little underwhelming, to be honest.

Spoiler

(eg: the final showdown between quaritch and jake)

not cameron's strongest work in edge-of-your seat action set pieces. but still light years better than indecipherable crap like transformers2. i can best sum up what cameron did with the story in avatar as "reinventing The Cliche". he took tired themes/characters and relocated them to a darn interesting environment. so in that way, it doesn't seem so bad after all. and it's certainly not the train wreck the naysayers predicted.

on the whole, i say this is a good, solid film, but not a great one. to me, it sits somewhere in the middle of his body of work.

Huh.

Spoiler

You really thought the final battle was lacking? I found it to be pretty awesome, certainly the best 1-on-1 climatic fight I've seen in years.

I gotta agree with Tyler here, the final 1 one 1 battle didn't really get me enough, not bad at all, but not as climactic as Camerons previous work, eg: ALIENS!
That final still holds the record for me in terms of suspense...

 

[Riko]

Re: I saw AVATAR in 3D!

when is this coming out in dvd...

dvd, are you kidding?

Blu ray is the way to check this movie at home!

 

[Riko]

Re: I saw AVATAR in 3D!

You think with 25 posts anybody's really gonna take you seriously?! The U.S. sends billions of dollars in aid to countries world wide (despite a deficit in the trillions). What other country does that? Any time that UN sanctions are needed, who do they call 99.9% of the time to enforce it? Let's not even discuss the technology that you use on the daily basis. You're right in one minute area of your post. Many people hate the United States, but what you fail to state is that a good majority of them are ignorant and only going off of what they've learned from propaganda.

true about reinforcing
not 100% true about saying that the majority of those who ""hate"" the US are ignorant due to propaganda.
I would have believed you if you were not form the US, but saying that coming from a US citizen is just not believable, I would almost call it arrogant, since it almost implies that you guys know the only truth.

The most of western Europe opposes US policy (under Bush) and would you call that countries that feed their citizens with propaganda, I think not.
+ I as a European can say that the ""hate"" towards the US has diminished, even vanished since Obama is thé man

Just wanted to set things straight.

Anyone notice there weren't any overweight Na'vi?

lol yeah, they're like Europeans hahahaha

 

[cedric72]

I just don't share that viewpoint. However, I am wondering what I would feel if I had seen the movie in true IMAX? Or what the movie would have been in 2D? I honestly and blast away people, but I honestly thought Titanic was a much better movie. Way more original and I actually cared what happened to the people in the movie. This movie just seemed like it had been done. And if anyone didn't know the ending then you are blind. Who seriously did not see the ending coming?

Titanic was original!!? Are you kidding? James Cameron's was about the 3rd or 4th remake.
Don't go on about 'interesting' subplots either, it was just filler before the inevitable.
'OH MY GOD!' the ship sank in the end. I didn't see that coming!

 

[tylerdurden]

Re: I saw AVATAR in 3D!

wow, how'd this manage to turn into a political discussion?

since we're on the subject....

i think the so-called "hate" for america and americans is mostly self-inflicted. u guys really did not do yourselves many favours in creating good impressions in the eyes of the world. sorry, i'm not being biased, i'm just calling it like it is. i'm not saying america is all-bad and americans are all hated. but many countries, even those who are relatively sympathetic/allied to the usa have had cause to dislike america. i say "had" because i agree with riko that the previous government made a lot of self-defeating decisions. this obama dude isn't entirely proven, but so far he sure seems to be trying to a lot harder to set things right.

ok, that's my 2 cents'. now, back to avatar...

i have a question for everyone: have any of u noticed female moviegoers who've responded very favourably to this film? i ask this because all the girls i've spoken to have been loving this film to bits! in fact they totally adored it and plan to watch it again. if this is verified by other folks, then i think it's safe to say that cameron has yet again successfully tapped into the female market. which has proven to be extremely lucrative---titanic being the best example, and twilight: new moon being a newer example.

 

[Dubcustomz]

Re: I saw AVATAR in 3D!

ok, that's my 2 cents'. now, back to avatar...

i have a question for everyone: have any of u noticed female moviegoers who've responded very favourably to this film? i ask this because all the girls i've spoken to have been loving this film to bits! in fact they totally adored it and plan to watch it again. if this is verified by other folks, then i think it's safe to say that cameron has yet again successfully tapped into the female market. which has proven to be extremely lucrative---titanic being the best example, and twilight: new moon being a newer example.

Yes. My wife and mother both LOVED the film just as much as I. What i found the most amazing was my dad who has the emotional capacity of a robot, actually telling me that he felt emotional and pleased for the natives when

Spoiler

the beasts fought back and helped them defeat the military.

My wife wanted to bawl her eyes out when

Spoiler

Neytiri went and saved jake's human form too

...i gotta admit, i was on the verge of tears towards the end too. Best movie i have seen in a decade for sure, and i hope it doesnt take Cameron another 12 years to make his next movie...but that said how can he possibly top this?

 

[tylerdurden]

Game changer isn't the half of it. I think people will be re-evaluating their opinion of this film for many days and weeks after they see it and by the time it's released on DVD it will be wildly acclaimed by just about everyone. I wouldn't be surprised if it was nominated for an Oscar for Best Picture.

i agree that people will be re-evaluating their opinion of the movie down the line. but where my opinion differs is that it will be the ones who were so in love with the film's technical marvels that will be left feeling a little cold once the shock of the new has worn off. once u strip away the visual brilliance of avatar, what's left is the story and characters. and while certain characters (neytiri) are wholly engaging and easy to empathise with, the story's shortcomings will seem all the more glaring, in time. of course, it won't be a compete bore to watch, but i suspect neither will avatar have as much repeat viewing appeal as cameron's other classics like the terminator saga or aliens. those films had great visuals (for their time), PLUS they were filled with a plethora of memorable characters, quotable dialogue and powerful character moments. avatar doesn't have anything remotely close to classic lines like "game over, man!", "i'll be back", etc.

don't get me wrong. i'm not slagging avatar off. i'm just saying this film overall is not among cameron's best work. and we can't see that right now. the reason it's been playing so well with critics and audiences alike is that we've all (myself included) been dazzled and seduced by the amazing spectacle. on that level at least, cameron brought his A game and gave us more than our money's worth. and which is way more than most of the action/sci-fi films of 2009 have done.

Has anyone read this article about Avatar's racist overtones? https://io9.com/5422666/when-will-white-people-stop-making-movies-like-avatar

The author of that article posits that Avatar is a racist film -- That it plays into and glorifies the 'white man race fantasy of sublimation, conquest, and leadership'. Think about previous films like Dances With Wolves and The Last Samurai, in which a White man finds himself among the company of a ostensibly 'inferior', colored race and learns to become one of them; And then eventually become their leader; Their savior.

i say, we see what we want to see. this fella sees racism and bigotry, fine. it simply reflects his worldview. i see an allegory too. but an allegory about man's dichotomous relationship with mother nature. destructive on one hand, protective on the other. (the military vs a guy who goes "native"). i'm sure each of u will have your own respective take-out. to each his own.

 

[Cap'n Cook]

Did you cry?? I did!

I certainly did too.

Beautiful.

 

[grumpytx]

Re: I saw AVATAR in 3D!

Great SF 3-D FX, okay movie... Pickett, er, Lang was great! I hate that they are always killing off Michelle Rodriguez; she's so... edible! Blue is the new Green...!

Cameron has already set up his next plot line for the 'aliens'...'I say we take off and nuke the site from orbit. It's the only way to be sure.'... At $20MM/key (and more, now that supply has been cut off), the next alien invasion force isn't going to be some merc force that just knows smash-n-trash tactics, it's going to armed and trained USCM..

 

[Bamboota]

Did you cry?? I did!

I didn't....i was to excited and mind blowned to cry!