Avatar - who's going?

[TK4205]

"Little big", man "Dances with wolves", "A man called horse", "The last samurai". Just to mention a few.

 

The story has been told time and again. The moral is all the same.

 

Our hero was admirable, not to be confused with honorable; He committed treason.

 

All politics aside, the visuals were stunning, the CG was high end, and the planet was amazing with it's animals and geography.

 

The hot alien tail was nice too

[TK-7980]

Morals > Orders.

[TD2802[501st]]

True its a theme done countless times before, but what matters here is the presentation. Cameron executes beautifully and hits the right archetypal buttons of good vs. evil, underdog vs. the bully, etc... Not sure if treason was committed as I don't recall any oath sworn, unless made to a corporate entity where its violation would be morally justified.

[Tuskan_Jedi]

This is the best movie I've seen since ROTJ! Saw it on a Regal Digital 3D screen, and this is the way 3D movies are suppose to be made. None of that cheesy, sling a yo-yo out at you... no, this drew you into the movie and in the the jungle/forest. AWESOME!

 

I've been twice already and hope to make it a third time, before it moves on.

[Runnriottt]

Good flick. However I feel its just as forgetable as any other.

 

If only...

 

 

 

Hollywood could get a new story...

 

Pocahontas in space. Original. So many "borrowed themes". The Lead military guy looked like Small soldiers, the main company guy like Zorg. Weaver was a surprize, however the loaders just looked like alien. The choppers like Halo. Chick from fast and Furious still doing the same thing. The Matrix hookups, the chosen one theme. Chief dies, outsider helps... Last Samurai sands Kimonos.

 

Oh and to top it... was that a Celian Deon song at the end?

 

Effects were stunning. I forgot it was an animated movie as well. The plot is what you should pay for. I just am glad base movies are 3.00.

 

Better than Star Wars? No. Was Star Wars the best of all movies? Nope, not in a long shot. However it is at least original... flollows a theme, but original. Best movie of the year? Nope again. Star Trek was the best movie this year. New story, new cast in a new direction.

[Daetrin[Admin]]

Pocohontos? Hardly - Poco went back to the UK with John and died soon after. Not a happy ending, really. And it's not quite Dances With Wolves either, though there are some good comparisons. I actually thought Weaver was just reprising her role a bit from Gorillas in the Mist.

 

Lucas was a huge copy-cater. Look at any Kirosawa film - R2 and 3PO were inspired by The Hidden Fortress and were supposed to be the only two characters to be in all (planned) nine films. It's very much the Seven Samurai, and he borrowed from many archetypes. The Death Star trench borrowed heavily from The Damnbusters right down to some dialog.

 

Sometimes it's not the originality of the story, it's how it's told. Everyone knew the story of Titanic too but it was a great movie. I mean, there are only so many "stories" after all.

 

The best description I've heard was "it's the old cowboys and Indians story from the past, but this time the Indians win".

 

Then again, we have no idea what happens afterwards. Perhaps they all die of a human cold.

[RogueTrooper[TK]]

I usually go and see a movie before I hear any opinions about it, so I don't have any bias. But, I have been skeptical about this movie since the teaser. I know Cameron is a strong director/story teller, but everyone has their bad days. We have all seen that with the other pillars of Hollywood, Lucas, Spielberg, Coppola. But with the numbers that Avatar is pulling, do you think it is a great movie or is the world just hungry for any entertainment?

 

 

This past weekend Avatar grossed $68,300,000 and has cumulativly grossed $352,111,000 and has only been out 3 weeks and being shown in 3,461 theatres.

[Alex Buechel]

it was AMAZING !!! EYE candy the whole time, You have to approach it with a clear mind and accept what it is, an amazing magical world. Set aside reality and it will be an amazing experience...

 

I couldnt have enought.

 

WOW

 

take ur kids, nothing really bad either.

[Agent RayBans]

Just saw it today and loved it, but now I have a head ache, haha. First time I haven't been able to tell what was CG and what wasn't (other than the obvious things).

[synaptyx]

Dances with Smurfs.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I keed! I keed!

 

I loved ever big, huge, blue minute of it. :D

[Alex Buechel]

Dances with Smurfs.

 

 

I keed! I keed!

 

I loved ever big, huge, blue minute of it. :D

 

 

Oh oh, sounds like you enjoyed every blue minute of Watchmen. =D lol

[pandatrooper[TK]]

Saw it over the winter break, enjoyed it. I tried to lower my expectations slightly before watching it, but it surpassed my expectations.

 

There's definitely some simplistic "inspirations" for the story, but Cameron's delivery and presentation were great.

 

I think George and Mr. Bay could learn a thing or two from this James Cameron guy...

[Alex Buechel]

Saw it over the winter break, enjoyed it. I tried to lower my expectations slightly before watching it, but it surpassed my expectations.

 

There's definitely some simplistic "inspirations" for the story, but Cameron's delivery and presentation were great.

 

I think George and Mr. Bay could learn a thing or two from this James Cameron guy...

 

 

As i understood, This Cameron guy was soo mad at himself that he didnt think of Star Wars that he was inspired to create this story back in the 70's. However waiting till todays technology.

 

So Lucas still Rules, as he created SW and inspired Avatar. LOL

[Daetrin[Admin]]

So Lucas still Rules, as he created SW and inspired Avatar. LOL

 

Really? How so? Avatar actually reminds me a bit of The Sparrow :

 

http://www.amazon.com/Sparrow-Mary-Doria-R...1188&sr=8-2

 

(yes, I cried a points reading it, but then I saw a lot of crying eyes at Avatar too)

 

It seems to me that Cameron really marches to the beat of his own drum. These stories are *very* old comparatively if you include printed Sci-Fi. Let's go back to a review of Xenogenesis (1978)

 

"the themes of Xenogenesis are pretty similar to his more bigger budget movies: tough female character, love and machines as in how machines can be either benefit or a threat."

 

We can go back further - think Star Trek in the 70's if you want TV, way before Lucas. Strong female characters are if anything a product of the times - look back before the 70's and there's very few strong female characters in SciFi TV or literature. It was in the 70's that women started leaving the home and working - I remember as I was one of the first latch key generations.

[Alex Buechel]

RIght ! in an Interview Cameron said that he had kicked him self for not creating SW, so he came up with something too. But it was that initial frustration of not having thought of SW first.

[Alex Buechel]

Hey guys, just wanted to add to this thread.

 

I did a commissioned sketch card

 

Sold $200

 

 

Alex

[SirDenzington89]

Looks fantastic!

[Alex Buechel]

ty, it took a couple hours. but it was fun

[RogueTrooper[TK]]

Brilliant work!! Alex

 

Hey guys, just wanted to add to this thread.

 

I did a commissioned sketch card

 

Sold $200

 

 

Alex

[Darth Niob]

I think its a great movie but too long for my taste and i cant imagine that people in 30 years still talk about this movie like they do with SW. I think i will never see a movie i will be that impressed like with Jedi in '83:)

[Alex Buechel]

Brilliant work!! Alex

 

I agree with you on some level. This movie has exceeded al others in technology and visual effects. Its trully eye candy. The length is long, but it would have been hard to cut any part of the movie out...

 

30 years later. Probably not, i think this is mostly in part that the movie ended. There really is no room for Avatar 2, as it would seam redundant and frankly i think lame. SW is amazing because its doesnt stop and the fan base grows. With newly added stories there is never an end. Had the movies never continued and been just one, it might also have disappeared.

 

Movies that stay alive with continuing books, cartoons, art, movies, and such like SW stay fresh and grab generation to generation. Buy the time my kinds grow, the special effects in AVATAR will seam blah....

 

The movie was really good and did its job.

 

I loved it, more than star wars how ever, No.

[tigger68[501st]]

I agree with you on some level. This movie has exceeded al others in technology and visual effects. Its trully eye candy. The length is long, but it would have been hard to cut any part of the movie out...

 

30 years later. Probably not, i think this is mostly in part that the movie ended. There really is no room for Avatar 2, as it would seam redundant and frankly i think lame. SW is amazing because its doesnt stop and the fan base grows. With newly added stories there is never an end. Had the movies never continued and been just one, it might also have disappeared.

 

Movies that stay alive with continuing books, cartoons, art, movies, and such like SW stay fresh and grab generation to generation. Buy the time my kinds grow, the special effects in AVATAR will seam blah....

 

The movie was really good and did its job.

 

I loved it, more than star wars how ever, No.

Okay, I finally saw it, and I liked it but it will never replace Star Wars in my heart.

 

I agree with most of what you said Alex, but I disagree on other levels. Yes, Avatar did push the boundaries of technology and visual effects, but so have other films during their times. The difference is Star Wars set the standards in both filmmaking and story telling. I know George Lucas doesn't like screenplay writing, but he did such a good job with ANH, that in many ways he revolutionized the way films are made. I know historians will argue the points, but how many science fiction films do you think would be made today if Star Wars hadn't been made? And I know trekkies will come crawling out of the woodwork to get me on this one, if Star Wars hadn't been made...there would have never been an original Star Trek movie or any others. And all this was happening long before the expansion of Star Wars outisde of movie making...books, comic books, etc.

 

Okay back to Avatar..same story has been told again, and again and again. Bad corporation, invasion of planet (country, town), attempted extermination of inhabitants, exploitation...even Disney had much of the same story in their Pocahontas (sp?) without all the cool visual effects. Kudos to James Cameron for visual effects, but I don't see Avatar having a tremendous impact down the road.

 

Just my 2cents. Agree or disagree if you like.

[Alex Buechel]

and i don't take anything away from George, we are all obviously here because its what we love most. Yes George started the THX group because he felt that the movie quality out there was way below expectations and he started also Industrial Light and Magic ILM, which has Skywalker sound as part of it which surpassed all sound out there and is to this day one of the most technologically advanced in the world, if not the best, sound being used by ALL major movies, like Iron Man, Harry Potter and also including AVATAR. Mr Lucas pushed the boundaries and set new standards, revolutionized still photography, model use and actors. Combined traditions and honor with galaxy warfare. Showed love, romance, friendship, self growth and touched himself on the ides that all living creatures are connected.

 

I agree that with technology advances its hard to base a movie from it. And yes with Pocahontas and dances with wolves the story has been told twice.

 

I like to judge a movie on stand alone, and although the story existed, i don't think it existed like this, It was never told better.

 

I judge a movie primarily on how entertained i was, How likely i am to watch it again, and weather or not ill wait in line to buy it. I have to give it props. Will if be forgettable later, i do think so, once technology passes it and seeing as it has no base for a sequel. But a stand alone movie against a stand alone movie.... I cant see any beating it. As an example, if there had never been a second star wars.... How many people other than those who first saw it would really care... I would be lost in generations. SW success is mostly in its continuing reinvention. I hate to say that, but i would think so.

 

I think it was definitely an amazing movie and this years best by far. BTW a second copy, this is a full size painting i just finished

 

[sskunky]

I've just seen it in 3D and thought it was great. A real visual feast. But nothing will replace SW in my heart.

 

I think having seen SW when I was 7 helped lock it into the depths of my soul.........

[SirDenzington89]

I too just saw this amazing film in 3D last night. I had no idea what to expect when I sat down. It snowed here so I practically had the theater to myself, aside from my family. I was totally blown away by the visual effects. I knew most of it wasnt real but damn it sure looked like it. The story has been retold as you guys said but it was brilliantly retold in AVATAR and I enjoyed the retelling. I didnt get all the Tree of Souls and chanting rituals, im not really into that, but aside from that and the girl from Lost it was a fantastic time. I guess it was a long movie but I was so into the movie that I didnt even realize how long it had been till I looked at my phone when the movie ended. Will it last thru the ages? Maybe, Maybe not. I think it could go both ways possibly. A film that made as much money as AVATAR did, and is still making, wont easily be forgotten. It will probably be remembered as one of first and best movies that lead the way in this new 3D technology that Cameron used. I thought it was a great movie, one of the best I have seen, and certainly the best of 09! It was a very refreashing film opposed to a lot of the garbage coming out of Hollywood currently. I'll probably get the DVD