James Cameron's "Avatar"

[bkfount]

re: James Cameron's "Avatar"

Are you sure all we need is 120hz TV's/Monitors to watch these 'real' 3D versions at home?

I've read Panasonic are releasing 3D capable plasma's in 2010 that are more than double the price of current models.

I don't get it? I'm sure the 3D we saw in Avatar requires a special screen?

Very few current 120 hz HDTVs actually accept a 1080p/120fps input. The new 3D capable HDTVs coming will be able to though. Then we have stuff like QuadHD and autostereoscopic 3D coming out down the road that will make it even better.

[catcatch22]

re: James Cameron's "Avatar"

I think they had to make it based on monetay needs so that the humans appeared greedy and could be hated by the audience. If Cameron's goal was to get us to side with and feel compassion for the Na'vi, he had to make the humans appear bad and hateable.

Not sure those emotions would have been triggered if there was compassion shared with humans who were mearly trying to survive.

I don't know if the audience responds as well if they have to pick a side, their going to end up being angry with one side or the other. Would have been an interesting take, but maybe not as audience friendly.

I find the best movies now adays are when there is no clear cut good or bad guys and the audience is left with just watching what takes place.

However I wouldn't have minded them making the villians extra villiany, but one of the main villians in the movie is just mean, not for greed or anything of that nature. So what was his beef? Was he just racist?? I mean he has a telling line at the end that eludes to that. More importantly I didn't feel the need for Cameron to bludgeon me on the head with his historical social lesson. If I wanted to see that I would look at a PBS documentary on Jack Johnson or the colinization of the Western Hemisphere and Africa.

[gopadres]

re: James Cameron's "Avatar"

Even though I only saw it in 2D, the visuals were still absolutely incredible! On a critical note, the political/moral message of Cameron's plot makes me wonder about his "carbon footprint" from making a movie...

[bkfount]

re: James Cameron's "Avatar"

I find the best movies now adays are when there is no clear cut good or bad guys and the audience is left with just watching what takes place.

However I wouldn't have minded them making the villians extra villiany, but one of the main villians in the movie is just mean, not for greed or anything of that nature. So what was his beef? Was he just racist?? I mean he has a telling line at the end that eludes to that.

Quaritch isn't as much of a mindless killer when you piece together some of his qualities. He was supposed to be the "bad guy", but he wasn't as one dimensional as other villains, even for a Cameron movie.

Spoiler

Everything he did was cold and calculated for either the corporation's goals or to protect his troops on pandora. He was doing a job, and sipped coffee during attacks, not really the typical blood thirsty military guy.

He valued loyalty and said he takes care of his own, even going the extra mile to secure the expensive treatment to fix Jake's legs. His rage was then exclusively aimed towards Jake after he switched sides, and was willing to kill many humans.

[bkfount]

re: James Cameron's "Avatar"

Oh yeah, this is a fully fleshed out world. You can find any information about Pandora that you would about earth. And you can learn to speak Na'vi too.

yeah, there's tons of extra info in the early draft of the script and the pandorapedia site. They could certainly expand in many directions with this universe, especially with it making so much money now.

[LingeringRegime]

re: James Cameron's "Avatar"

The wifey and I finally got around to seeing this today. Stunning movie. The Blu-Ray will be great, but nothing beats seeing it in 3D.

[Jistic]

re: James Cameron's "Avatar"

I thought it was great, but I wanted to see the blue people lose.

I did too. I thought the movie kind of sucked for about 2 hours, but was cool at the end. Good to see the evil capitalists get their just reward.

I think I liked Dances with Wolves better the first time though.

[DickDalewood]

re: James Cameron's "Avatar"

Saw it again tonight. Just as amazing the second time through

[burnwood]

re: James Cameron's "Avatar"

I actually saw this movie tuesday in an IMAX theatre and I must say it is visually stunning. The story however dissapointed me since I could not get into the whole "white guilt" social theme that they just throw at you the whole movie (I'm black by the way). It actually made me dislike the movie every time they through that social historic message out there in the way the story moved. I tried not to let it bother me, but if only they didn't push it so hard I would have enjoyed it better.

If only they made the humans interest in retrieving the minerals meant life and death in their world and not just monetary needs, then it would have been more enjoyable. However the villains were too villainy. I understand the message but they pushed it so hard into making the humans totally unsympathetic.

I feel you on that. The history lesson made me uncomfortable during most parts. Being in the year 2154 shows that, at least in the minds of the writers, racist mentality isn't going anywhere.

However, since I believe the movie depicts Cameron's vision as much as possible, it does show that there are humans that will transcend such neanderthal thinking. Which is why I liked the movie very much.

4 out of 5 stars

-1 star because at the end

Spoiler

Neytiri knows exactly where Sully's real body is and how to save him with that oxygen mask.

Reminds me a little bit of how the A-Team solved everything in the last 10-15 minutes. lol

[bkfount]

re: James Cameron's "Avatar"

-1 star because at the end

Spoiler

Neytiri knows exactly where Sully's real body is and how to save him with that oxygen mask.

Reminds me a little bit of how the A-Team solved everything in the last 10-15 minutes. lol

well sure, that was a convenient setup for the plot, and a lot of movies do it. I still don't think it was as poorly conceived as you saw it though.

Spoiler

The final battle just so happened to take place right next to the trailer with Jake's body for plot reasons. Neytiri was still there the whole time Jake and Quaritch fought, so she heard the dialogue and saw the struggle to keep him from destroying the trailer. The Navi have seen humans use the masks before, and were likely aware of why they had to wear them. She still didn't know how to turn it on though.

[Brankles]

re: James Cameron's "Avatar"

Cool graphics but the storyline was basic and a whole lot of cheesy lines/scenes.

Like why was Sigourney Weaver naked covered in vines in front of the tree?

"I've got guns too, bitch."

"We're not in Kansas anymore... we're in Pandora."


Very formulaic to me, trying to please everyone in the same movie. I guess it worked, because it made so much money, but not as epic as I was hoping it to be. I'm also not a big fan of fantasy movies, but my expectations weren't met in this movie.

[bkfount]

re: James Cameron's "Avatar"

Very formulaic to me, trying to please everyone in the same movie.

that's exactly what he was doing, since the amount of money invested in the technology meant they needed this movie to do well. I don't think many people will say it has a unique story, but Cameron crafted a unique world and visual experience around the same type of story we've seen many times before.

[CMH]

re: James Cameron's "Avatar"

Guys, you know we can't talk about race. I know the movie touches on it, but we cannot discuss it in this thread or anywhere else on OS.

[Admiral50]

re: James Cameron's "Avatar"

Finally got to watch this a second time in 3D last night. Just as impressed as the first time a couple weeks back.

I picked up a few extra bits of the story here and there and enjoyed the whole experience so much!

I can't wait to get this on blu-ray!

One thing though... (not sure if I mentioned it before), but fellow Aussie Sam Worthington who is getting good reviews for his role and also American accent was not that great. His accent was pretty bad (it slipped into his regular Aussie accent A LOT) and he was only real believable when screaming and shouting.

He's got a big future but I don't see him taking away roles from the big names just yet.

[CMH]

re: James Cameron's "Avatar"

I think the one thing he has going for him is his age. A lot of the big action stars are getting too old for the roles.