Avatar

I saw this movie on Saturday night.

This movie is probably one of the best I have ever seen. I had never seen a 3D movie before and it blew me away. There were no,"Let's jump in their faces to show this is a 3D movie", moments. Every seen was "realistic" and did not seem forced too show off the effects. The visual effects were some of the very best I have ever seen. WETA outdid themselves on this movie.

The story has elements of others and is not really an original idea, however, by the end of the movie I was almost totally emotionally drained because I was drawn in so close. I will admist, I cried. I believed these characters.

I highly recommend this movie (see it in 3D if at all possible). Again, I must say that I put it up right near the very top of my list! 2h 40m of complete awe(some).

I cannot wait to see this movie.

Avatar looks to be the first "epic" movie in a long time. I must see it sometime

I've been hearing a lot of criticism about Avatar. Not that I care much about it. I couldn't care less if it resembles Dances with Wolves or Pocahontas. However, some interesting (though not necessarily negative) criticism I've heard is that Cameron injected some very heavy social commentary regarding the US military.

I saw this movie last week and am going to see it again tonight. I'm bringing my nephew. I'd say he'll love it - I did.

PyroMancer wrote:

I've been hearing a lot of criticism about Avatar. Not that I care much about it. I couldn't care less if it resembles Dances with Wolves or Pocahontas. However, some interesting (though not necessarily negative) criticism I've heard is that Cameron injected some very heavy social commentary regarding the US military.

Well, I suppose some commentary is there. Doesn't really matter though as long as it is a good movie. I could care less.

Considering the Marines that are there are Mercenaries and not part of an established Governmental Military is also a striking difference. More a commentary on Blackwater if anything.

Saw Avatar a few days ago. Excellent movie-going experience. I for one am quite pleased with the amount of 3D-ness. Enough to rock and not too much to be overdone and cheesy. I especially like that most of the 3d stuff was flora and fauna of the world.

Have to say, I've always enjoyed Cameron's work but this movie puts him on my list of brilliant story-tellers. The world he created is pure genius. The only detail he didn't quite think through was the waterfalls on the floating mountains. Now, I'm prepared to accept that landmasses can float. But an everlasting supply of water for a waterfall? Even with heavy rain that just doesn't make sense.

Anyway, as far as the military commentary is concerned, I think it's still very much aimed at American over-use of their military prowess. The fact that they're a "mercenary" force is just metaphorical. They represent recent US invasions of foreign (alien) territory that we really didn't understand. I also thought it was amusing that they alluded to wars in both Venezuela and Nigeria (even though it's about 150 years in the future, and so it's a little far-fetched that Hugo Chavez would still be causing trouble lol). Clearly we are meant to conclude that America continues to throw its weight around where it's not wanted.

As far as acting goes, naturally Ms. Weaver was excellent. The main dude surprised me immensely. Michelle Rodriguez... that poor girl needs to break away from her type-cast. Yes yes, she makes a great badass, but it doesn't really let us see how good an actor she really is.

Excellent review PyroMancer.

Well, the movie surpassed $1Billion Dollars this weekend. Even with the high side of guesses, this movie is now profitable!

I for one cane't wait for the sequel he has planned!

Excellent movie.

It was a very enjoyable movie. The effects being what they were saved it though. The humans were base caricatures and their motivation to destroy was poorly explained at best. The Na'vi seemingly evolved on a different world because they didn't share the six limb standard that everything else had on the planet.

I really hope Cameron can focus on more robust plot and character development for the sequels now that the technology to produce the effects has been tried. At best this movie was a clone of "Dances with Wolves" but without the humanizing character elements that makes that movie believable.

I love me some sci-fi and this was some interesting sci-fi, but I frankly expected more. Any sci-fi that makes you want more can be judged a success though.

Not sure I agree with everything there Memnoch, nice review though. I AM glad you enjoyed the movie though!

Unobtainium....................

omgeeeeee!

Personally, I liked the movie. Great CGI, good story line, though very predictable in the extreme (don't get me wrong, I really did like it). It was fun and had some very imaginative aspects. As stated above, the water fall was silly. It looked cool, but IMHO diminished the whole thing.
Unobtainium ..erm... ok, did someone lose a bet and have to name the precious Ore something totally stupid or did Cameron just run out of brilliance that day? When I heard that my old addled mind took me in the Way Back machine with Mr Peabody and his boy Sherman to the Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle...."Upsidaisium" I half expected to see the Go Go Gophers
or Boris Badenov & Natasha make an appearance ;p

On the whole, I would like to visit the place. for me, that’s the true success of something like that. If I'd like to go or live there, it's been done well.

As to the Military, I don't agree with the "Blackwater" analogy. No offence intended to who ever stated that and I'll not go into why, in order to save us all from a debate ;p But I truly felt they were simply and successfully portraying what Man Kind does when it wants something.

Our total history is replete with that exact kind of aggressing behavior when it wants something that is owned or possessed by others. i.e. The American Indians when settlers came to the Americas and settled west.

...poor savages....the Godless barbarians must be shown who's in control.....er..for their own good... I was pretty disgusted over all with the reality of the military portrayal in this movie. We as a Nation have come along way from that kind of brutal savagery...IMHO.

I truly did enjoy the movie. I thought it's about time that someone used, to great success what CGI is capable of these days.

Quote :

But I truly felt they were simply and successfully portraying what Man Kind does when it wants something.

Exactly.

I wholly agree with Ron on this one. Any commentary toward the military is exaggerated at best. I felt, however, that it was more of a social commentary regarding America's past, rather than what is going on in the world today.

I honestly think there is way too much over-analyzing of the film going on (not necessarily here, mind you) but across the web. Of course, I would say the same thing if it were Oliver Stone directed movie about... well, anything.

I finally saw this tonight, in IMAX 3D. Awesome. A little cheesy (when the main girl yells that their God heard the main guy, for one) and predictable, i still loved it.

Its going to be sad when i buy it and i don't have the same visual experience. Maybe i'll see it again while i still can.

Glad you liked it!

Unobtainium was actually a nod the old sci-fi movies and books, not a lack of originality. I believe the word was even used in Star Trek once or twice.


I loved this movie. It was also the first movie I've seen in 3D and I can't imagine not watching it that way. (Going to try and see it at IMAX this weekend.) The visuals were absolutely stunning and really the story line was just fine, especially with the depth the characters brought to it. And honestly, can you think of one single movie that's had an original story? Cause I can't. Anyways, brilliant movie.

I agree with you Frances. My only problem with Avatar was that I had to pee about 30 minutes into the movie but decided to hold it since it was SUCH a good movie. I ended up holding it for a couple of hours and almost didn't make it to the bathroom. That was the worst I had to pee in my entire life. Just thought that you all should know that.



Anyway, here's a pic of Lupus and I in our Avatar shirts that we wore to the movie. You know everyone was jealous that they weren't wearing matching t-shirts:

Great picture Bethany and Lupus!

really for the seventh weekend in a row this movie is topping the box office? this has got to be a new record for longest on top am I right? I know it hasn't broke two billion yet but I think it will make it to march before they finally take it out of theaters

It is indeed a new record and it has indeed broken the 2Billion mark!

Quote :

TOTAL LIFETIME GROSSES
Domestic: $595,752,416 29.2%
+ Foreign: $1,446,989,293 70.8%
= Worldwide: $2,042,741,709

Source: http://boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=avatar.htm

Pretty sure I recently saw an article that claimed that, due to inflation rates, Avatar hasn't actually broken the record, it just looks like it has. *Shrug* One would have to google it to confirm though.

Inflation rates would actually put it higher! Last I checked, inflation put the Domestic Total an additional 6 Million higher!

I know its a good film and all but geez...I serious thought it wouldn't have made to the top seven weeks in a row!

well I guess there hasn't been anything good enough to come along just yet to knock it down. maybe clash of the titans will do the honors

I really wanna see CotT.