Avatar - The Movie

[Ginsu Victim]

I use ... too much. It's just how I roll.

[Ginsu Victim]

Like how I used "how I roll" to confuse people. I don't talk like that....I'm a country bumpkin.

Speaking of confusion, we drove past a Napa Auto Parts store yesterday and they had a sign that said:

WE NOW HAVE
FLYING MONKEYS
AND
CHICKENS

[CCM]

I like posting confusing nonsense, it's how I troll.


 

fixed!

[Ginsu Victim]

I like posting confusing nonsense, it's how I troll.


 

fixed!

 

[drventure]

Saw it. Fantastic!

The 3d is definitely worth it. Esp with some of the fire and smoke.

And it's not headache inducing in the least. Felt very natural.

The story was a bit allegorical (right word?) but was pretty good as far as I'm concerned.

I'd expect to be seeing a lot more real3d movies from now on.

[RayB]

Just saw it too today. In 3D but not Imax size. I'd say it delivered the entertainment. The blue people are very well rendered (excellent facial expressions etc...). The movie is very much "Pocahontas" but still worth seeing. 4/5

Only real gripe I have is that the 3D depth appeared greater in interior shots (those that included real people) and then the big wide shots of stuff like copters flying over scenery, where you'd expect real deep 3D "spacing" didn't have enough.  

PS: The problem I have with M Night Shamalamadingdong's movies is that once you've seen a couple, they are pretty much all the same. It's always some weird thing going on, and then he directs everyone to "act real scared... so scared you freeze in place, and can't talk, or only talk in whispers". Seriously, that's like all anyone ever does in his movies "to build tension" but it comes off a little fakey.

Anyone who liked the general premise of "The Happening" should watch"The Trigger Effect" (1996). Some similarities, but the focus of the movie is on the people, and how society breaks down in the face of a serious event and no communications / structured government there to keep the peace

[HaRuMaN]

We went to see the Princess and the Frog instead.  No regrets.

 

You want to know how I know your teh ghey?

[hypernova]

Signs was alright until the climax.  Aliens were much more fear-inducing until we saw how frail they were.

Village was alright as well.

The Happening was just bad.  Who in God's name directed that?  I know Wahlberg's a better actor than that.  The only positive note came from watching that was realizing where SNL came up with that skit with him and the animals.  The acting was funny when he was a teacher, (which really wasn't even believable,) but after that, it just didn't work.  At all.  And he acted that way the entire movie.  Plus Ramalamadingdong's movies are supposed to have a twist at the end.  There was no twist.  They discussed that possibility early in the movie, and that's what it was, yet it only lasted for a certain duration???  Weak.

[shmokes]

Signs was alright. . .

No.

Village was alright as well.

God no.

The Happening was just bad.  Who in God's name directed that?

The same guy who directed Signs and The village.

[Xiaou2]

 I gota Agree.

 Village was alright.


 There really are not many movies made today that I find worth watching at all.
Many of them are beyond pointless.

 The village let your imagination run wild, and then yanked the carpet out from
under you.  At first, I will admit I was a little disappointed at the ending.  However, when
thinking back upon it, I feel the movie really was able to tell a good story...
and have that story really draw you into it.

 Id watch the Village 10x over the remake of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.
Talk about smurf poo.

 I also really liked Unbreakable.  Great story. Great ride.  What a shocker of an
ending.  Loved it.


( I couldnt get into Signs however... )

[danny_galaga]

Well, saw it today. All i care about is how entertained i was. That's how i rate. This was a 5/5 for me (",) The CGI is so convincing. It's the first animation i've seen where i could remain immersed throughout the movie. Definitely a must see...

Oh, we saw the 3D version, but it would have been just as entertaining for me in 2D

my score for recent movies you may have seen:

  5/5 - Michael Clayton, In Bruges, Gran Torino, Mary and Max

4.5/5 - Taken, Iron Man, Reign Over Me

  4/5 - Traitor, Bedtime Stories, Sunshine, pineapple express

3.5/5 - 300, Max Payne, You dont mess with the Zohan, Yes Man

  3/5 - That new Indiana Jones flick, Disturbia, That new TMNT flick,

2.5/5 - Angels and Demons

  2/5 - The Love Guru. Note: My 2 is probably someone elses 1. Just leaving room for worse!

[Loafmeister]

Ok, here goes, spoiler free review of Avatar and in point form:

- The 3d is incredible; Cameron really does use it to convey a sense of depth to most scenes, a job well done.  Contrary to one of the posters above, I thought there were many jungle scenes where you see leaves/branches in the foreground and background, giving those scenes incredible depth.
- The CGI: at first, you can certainly see the CGI for what it is, artificial, but for whatever reason I just did not notice it at all after a while
- The motion capture:  the facial expression really does convey an incredible sense that a human is acting out the CGI, as opposed to just CGI artists moving the lips, cheeks, etc. Well done.
- A few reviews have complained the story is pretty soso, or that it is formulaic. That may be true, but it didn’t bother any of us and although yes, we’ve seen this type of story before I’ll say: It was more than good enough and it did put together enough originality that it holds its own just fine.
- We were six, , we all said the same thing: amazing 3d, amazing movie, amazing experience.

Cameron is right, this is one movie that won’t be the same watching it at home, either because it’s a great movie and you just want to see it on a big screen, or because although some might feel it’s lacking in story, it has the best wow factor for the 3d alone (which may not work as well at home on current TV’s). Whatever the reason, I’ll leave that debate for others.

Box Office wise, I don’t think this movie can touch Titanic (not enough “romance” for the repeat girly viewers). However because of bozo’s like me saying “but you really have to see this in 3d Imax”, leading to people seeing it, then with them coming back with their friends, should lead to HUGE box office success. And rest assured, I WILL see it again. I’m not saying this movie beats any of your old favorites, but I will say its part of a select few as the best reason to see a movie in the theatre I can recall.  When I got out of theatre, I had a similar feeling when I saw Star Wars for the first time:  and we all know although that’s considered a classic, it’s not because it’s the best acted movie, with the best plot, or the best script or even the best direction.  Rather, it’s because it brought something unique to the movie experience (believable fX), was spectacular and above all, was one of the most fun times one can have at the movies.

[bishmasterb]

I saw it in Imax 3D last night and was very impressed. I went in with somewhat low expectations because to me, the CGI (especially the Na'vi) just didn't come off that well in the trailers; but in the context of the movie, it was amazing. My doubts disappeared; the Na'vi were rendered very convincingly. The 3D was very well done as well; I forgot about it after just a few minutes and became immersed in the movie.

It's not perfect (maybe not even great), but it's definitely solid. A couple gripes:

* the initial acceptance of Sully by the Na'vi leadership (in the base of the tree) seemed way too forced and quick; the movie is 160 minutes long for Christ's sake, why not spend a little bit more time on this critical part of the storyline?
* the cultural transformation from human to Na'vi of Sully over the course of the middle part of the film seemed unnatural and a bit forced (this was accomplished much better in Dances With Wolves where it was much more gradual and believable)
* Giovanni Ribisi (who I like, and think of as a very good actor) seemed hopelessly miscast; too young, and not believable in the leadership role; should've been 20 years older and 20 pounds heavier

[wp34]

I agree that this is much better than the trailer.  Even the 3D was better than I expected.  The 3D trailers they showed before Avatar were horrible --- especially Alice in Wonderland.  I was really nervous that the whole movie was going to look like one of those Kellogs 3D Baseball cards from the 70's.  No worries though.  I'm not sure it was required but the 3D definitely did not detract from the movie.

The effects were amazing.  I didn't once think "Jar Jar Binks" as some reviewers have mentioned. 

Seriously, I'm getting borderline "until movie theaters jam cell phone signals, I'm avoiding them".

A couple of cell phones went off during the movie.  Very irritating.

[Loafmeister]

Never have that problem for two reasons:

1 - For the big titles, I usually go the first weekend and there's typically less inconsiderates attending. Probably means those who brave the large crowds are REAL movie fans who want to the see the movie badly, not text.

2 - In the rare case some texts or talks during the movie, I use something neat called "my mouth" and politely ask them to refrain from doing whatever annoying thing they're doing during the movie. Surprisingly, they stop.

[Ginsu Victim]

1 - For the big titles, I usually go the first weekend and there's typically less inconsiderates attending. Probably means those who brave the large crowds are REAL movie fans who want to the see the movie badly, not text.

Usually opening weekend it's the "Hey, what's new? We'll go see that" crowd. That means teenagers on dates with their phones out the whole time or laughing like twats at the wrong parts. Maybe it's not that way in your area, but I know that's the reason I avoid opening weekend on most movies anymore.

[wp34]

1 - For the big titles, I usually go the first weekend and there's typically less inconsiderates attending. Probably means those who brave the large crowds are REAL movie fans who want to the see the movie badly, not text.

Usually opening weekend it's the "Hey, what's new? We'll go see that" crowd. That means teenagers on dates with their phones out the whole time or laughing like twats at the wrong parts. Maybe it's not that way in your area, but I know that's the reason I avoid opening weekend on most movies anymore.

I think it depends on the movie.  I prefer to see comedies opening weekend when the theater is more likely to be full.  We saw "40 Year-old Virgin" in a full theater and the laughter was contagious.  We thought it was one of the funnier movies we had seen.  But when we saw it at home it was very flat making us wonder why we ever liked it.

[Loafmeister]

Agreed 100%, people love laughing with other people. I still find movies funny at home, but it's not the same thing.

[danny_galaga]

* Giovanni Ribisi (who I like, and think of as a very good actor) seemed hopelessly miscast; too young, and not believable in the leadership role; should've been 20 years older and 20 pounds heavier

Actually, i thought he was perfect for the role. remember, he's not the CEO of this big corporation, he's more of a regional manager. From this point on, when 20 years and 20 pounds are added, he will be CEO (",)

[koolmoecraig]

It looks like James Cameron lifted a pretty sizable chunk of Avatar from a 1957 Sci-Fi story by Poul Anderson called "Call Me Joe" without giving credit.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Call_Me_Joe

http://io9.com/5390226/did-james-cameron-rip-off-poul-andersons-novella

http://filmdrunk.uproxx.com/2009/10/james-cameron-stole-avatar-question-mark

[Ginsu Victim]

He stole from Harlan Ellison TWICE to make Terminator, so I wouldn't be surprised.

We saw "40 Year-old Virgin" in a full theater and the laughter was contagious.  We thought it was one of the funnier movies we had seen.  But when we saw it at home it was very flat making us wonder why we ever liked it.

We walked out on that movie.

[shardian]

Cameron is right, this is one movie that won’t be the same watching it at home

Because at home there isn't some teenager sitting next to me texting the entire movie? 

Seriously, I'm getting borderline "until movie theaters jam cell phone signals, I'm avoiding them".

Especially given I can buy the DVD for $10 in 6 months.   

FYI, you can buy and/or build a short range cel phone jammer.

[HaRuMaN]

Cameron is right, this is one movie that won’t be the same watching it at home

Because at home there isn't some teenager sitting next to me texting the entire movie? 

Seriously, I'm getting borderline "until movie theaters jam cell phone signals, I'm avoiding them".

Especially given I can buy the DVD for $10 in 6 months.   

FYI, you can buy and/or build a short range cel phone jammer.

Which may or may not be very illegal, depending on your location...

[massive88]

Saw it in 3d last night, and I thought it was excellent.

The plot was extremely derivative, but it was well done, so it was a wash for me.  The CGI/3D was ridiculous.  This is the kind of movie you have to see in a theater.

Great entertainment value in this movie.  Is it one of the best movies Ive ever seen?  Far from it, the plot is far too redundant for that, but its well worth seeing without question.  And if you don't see it in 3D you are cheating yourself.

[shardian]

Which may or may not be very illegal, depending on your location...

It is probably very illegal wherever you are! One to block a 50 foot radius or so is about the size of a cigarette pack, and no one would ever be the wiser. It's not like black Apache helicopters carrying men in black will convene on your location and nuke it...or will they?

[shardian]

Honestly, I would be very wary of having one of those imported.

Here is an open source, internal antenna version developed at MIT.
http://ladyada.net/make/wavebubble/index.html

If you are diy circuit savvy, it is do-able. They even give you the printouts to make the boards.

[BobA]

Just got home from the theater.   I saw an early show and it was quite easy to get in.   The show was excellent.  CGI was believable and the 3D did not give me a headache like it has in some previous movies.  The plot was probably the weakest part but it still was not too bad.

I did not hear a single cell phone ring and people did not talk thru the movie.   I think the people who were there really wanted to see the movie just like I did.

[wp34]

* Giovanni Ribisi (who I like, and think of as a very good actor) seemed hopelessly miscast; too young, and not believable in the leadership role; should've been 20 years older and 20 pounds heavier

Actually, i thought he was perfect for the role. remember, he's not the CEO of this big corporation, he's more of a regional manager. From this point on, when 20 years and 20 pounds are added, he will be CEO (",)

I agree.  I think the point of the character was that he was a little young and easily manipulated by the Colonel.  Also reminded me a little of Paul Reiser's character in Aliens.

[danny_galaga]

Which may or may not be very illegal, depending on your location...

It is probably very illegal wherever you are! One to block a 50 foot radius or so is about the size of a cigarette pack, and no one would ever be the wiser. It's not like black Apache helicopters carrying men in black will convene on your location and nuke it...or will they?

*strokes chin*

I heard once that they were installing jammers in cinemas in Ireland...

[AcidArmitage]

just wait til someone dies because you can't call 911, text messaging wont seem that bad 

[Ginsu Victim]

Man, I finally watched District 9 last night. I don't even care about Avatar now. D9 was awesome!

[danny_galaga]

just wait til someone dies because you can't call 911, text messaging wont seem that bad 

Yeah, that's what everyone says when I gripe about the cell phones....

Except that, you know, people didn't tend to die in movie theaters 10 years ago, did they?

Aren't we still used to the idea of not necessarily getting good reception inside buildings?

Funny how having to have a phone RIGHT THERE ON YOUR PERSON seems a matter of life and death nowadays. If someone is taken ill, how hard would it be to go get help in the lobby, where I'm sure they can call 911 using the ancient technology of the  'land line'?

Besides, what would all the young punks do with their phones if someone actually got sick? Take photos and upload them to facebook. I doubt they would actually know to call 911

[AcidArmitage]

Im saying that the problem isnt with the cell phones, its idiots who don't know when its appropriate to use them. Instead of phone jammers they need devices that smack their parents for not teaching them not to be ---Deutsche Frankfurters--- in a theater

[danny_galaga]

Im saying that the problem isnt with the cell phones, its idiots who don't know when its appropriate to use them. Instead of phone jammers they need devices that smack their parents for not teaching them not to be ---Deutsche Frankfurters--- in a theater

Well, that's never going to happen. I'm all for jammers or Faraday cages in cinemas. Just needs a sign warning all those millions of brain surgeons who go to the movies that they wont be able to facebook while in the cinema.

That brings me back on topic. When we went to see Avatar, not ONE gumby felt the need to shine their little spotlights AKA phones. That's a testement to how engrossing the movie was (",)

[AcidArmitage]

not here. i saw a couple heheh 

[Xiaou2]

   I finally was able to see this movie... and Im Still trying to snap back into reality...

 How do you classify so much Awesome?  Can it even be possible to put it into
words... ??!!!!


 Firstly, almost eveyone knows Im a harsh Critic.  More so about Video games, easier
on films... but still a very tough one to fully please.

  I went in expecting to be underwhelmed with very poor CGI, only a handful of
photo-graphic 3D scenes,  "B"-movie level (or much worse)  that had poor character,
poor plot, little to no emotional content at all.  Merely a special effects movie...

 In fact, the previews Id seen didnt grab me at all.

 
 I can firstly say, that the CGI is Breathtaking.  The "Nubari"?  looks so much better
than what is seen on the 2d trailers.  Maybe its because when you see these in true
Stereoscopic 3D... you see so much more detail and life in them.
 
 Their animations are Smooth, and realistic.  As are the countless other creatures...
and everything else 3D.

 Im generally a CGI Hater... and yet, I was blown away by how amazing the CGI was.
I was having a Very hard time believing that certain things were not CGI... but instead,
real hand built 'physical' models.

 The Creatures were all lifelike and highly detailed.  Many having very vibrant colors,
and artistic patterns.  The land itself was beautiful beyond belief.  Much of it having
a glowing luminescent effect, all so rich in texture, colors, incredible composition,
and so much more.  When you walk out of the theatre, you feel like you just want
to run and dive back into that beautiful place instead of the dirty drab
concrete-jungle of this reality.

 The Story was good, and realistic.   The characters were believable, and they
are carried in such a masterful way as that you actually feel emotions for them.

 The 3D effect on the true Imax 3D screen is jaw dropping.   Ive seen some good
3D stuff before... but this takes the cake.   Nearly Every moment, you are engrossed
with the thought "OMG! That is SO DAMN AWESOME!!!".  Scene after scene, the
3D gives you crystal clear details that no 2D film can ever capture.  It grips and
engrosses you, and draws you that much deeper into the simulated reality.  At times
your pulse rises, as a character falls from a great height... or
there is a narrow miss...

 
 I was also surprised at how much real photographical 3D was in the movie.  It wasnt
a simple 5 minutes clip.  There were countless "long duration" photo-3D scenes, and they
are interwoven all through the movie.   Photo-3D always looks the most "3D", and
so its such a great treat to finally see high quality long duration clips of true stereo
movie scenes.

 I think the movie could stand on its own without the 3d.  Its actually quite good.
However, the 3D really turns it into an "Epic"  experience.   Not since my childhood
viewing of  "Return of the Jedi"    have I felt so excited, wow'ed, and engrossed
by a film.


 There are only a few gripes here and there... about the choice of words used by
the characters.  A few curse words that I didnt feel were needed at that time...
The fact that Sigorney Weaver smoked sucked too  (why do they keep promoting that
crap?!)  And a few other corny word choices...  but..  overall, they did a very good job.

 Most all of the 3D worked really well.  There were only a few times when it seemed too
many things moved too fast, and things got a little blurry.

 I Highly recommend seeing this on a True Imax 3D screen.. and not the 'Real 3D' screens.
The Imax screens are 3 times the size, and you sit 3x closer to the screen.  This
results in a 3D effect 50x greater.   Objects are crisper, clearer, more detailed.. and more
importantly, the objects can come out of the screen further. (as close as an arms reach)


 After leaving the movie theater, I felt like one of the humans coming out from their
host bodies.  I wanted to dive back into their beautiful  3d world.


 This film is a Must see.

[Ginsu Victim]

The fact that Sigorney Weaver smoked sucked too  (why do they keep promoting that
crap?!)

Because people smoke in real life. It's not promoting it, it's just what the character does.

[saint]

And in 10 years I bet it looks dated.



Sorry this movie just looks horrid to me and the reviews aren't making me want to see it.

Then you're missing out. Everything Xiaou2 said is true. Breathtaking movie. Plot was average and has been done before, everything else is groundbreaking. This movie has truly set the bar for both 3d and SF movies to come. Amazing flick.

[saint]

Then you're missing out.

On spending $40 to have an elbow jammed into my stomach by a kid texting the entire movie?

If it's anything like Titanic, it'll be in theaters for 6 months... I'm sure I'll get talked into it.

Don't bother. I'd hate to ruin your preconceived notions. Not worth your time.

For everyone else in the world, go see it.

[shardian]

We might be going to Columbus for a short vacation this weekend. They have an IMAX there, and if I'm going to pay a premium price to see this movie, it might as well be my first IMAX and IMAX 3D experience.