Avatar = Hot Garbage

[Jiggabyte]

Basically it is "the last samurai" set in space.
man travels somewhere exotic to fight the native people
man infiltrates native society
man learns to like native society
man loves native women
man turns on his own people

A few small differences but it has the same basic set up. This set up is also used in a few western film's as well

Yeah, reading that totally reminded me of Dances With Wolves.
Its been done before, but so have most things, so don't focus on that.

 

[Raptorace18]

I'll admit that the story was pretty clique: elderly frail plot themes and our good friend the love interest sub plot though it did fit the story line, sort of. But the thing is these plot themes keep getting used for a reason: because they are still as relevant today as they were in the time of the non-existent Christ. And in space.

 

[Rusty Bucket]

If it's pretty to look at, it'll be worth the price of admission for me. I hate to admit this, because it makes me look like a philistine to fellow movie fans and a walking dollar sign to movie execs, but sometimes, I just want to shut off my brain and wade knee-deep into cinematic fluff. I like intellectual movies as much as the next guy, but I just don't see anything wrong with occasionally leaving my cynicism at the door so I can just enjoy the ride. In fact, that's one of the reasons the Matrix trilogy is one of my favorite trilogies.

Exactly. Sometimes you just want to sit down and watch things explode, without having to engage any part of your brain other than the bit that lets you eat. It's one of the reasons why I love the Transformer's films while everyone else seems to want to kill themselves while watching them. Never understood that.

 

[DoctorNick]

Well while I'm going to withhold judgment until I actually see it, I must say that the basic premise of 'EVIL Technology Users' VS 'Organic Hippie Native Culture' already doesn't place it off to a good start in my mind.

If I want to be preached at while watching a movie I'd go watch a Michale Moore flick.

P.S. I fucking hated Ferngully.

It sounds like it's basically modern American steroptypes versus stereotyped Native Americans, IN SPACE, doesn't it?

Yeah, yeah it does.

Reading more about it online not only does the crazy IN SPACE environmental message take center stage, but so does rampant commentary and allegory on the War on Terror!

Because god know we don't get enough of those from every other Hollywood writer who thinks they're a lot more clever than they really are!

I don't know, this movie is going to have to fucking AMAZING to overcome the above for me.

You seem like a very angry person.

Anyways, the movie was pretty good. The plot didn't drag along at all throughout the movie. CGI was pretty and the characters were nicely developed. I don't see why everyone hates it so much.

I don't know, I certainly CAN be a very angry person about a few things. Being beaten over the head in not-so-subtle-ways with a message that I have a lot of reservations about when I paid good money to be entertained is most definitely one of them. For another example; this is why I won't go and watch most Oliver Stone movies.

Then again, I never said that I HATE this move being that I still haven't seen it.

I'm just making the point that the basic premise already sounds iffy to me so the CGI, characters, action and everything else are probably going to have to be pretty damn impressive to overcome that.

While I do have hope, that doesn't change the fact that Hollywood has gotten good at disappointing me.

So, we'll see.

 

[Lovelocke]

Old enough to have seen lots of shitty movies, and that was not one of them. Also, old enough to know what to expect from each genre and director and not flame on just because Jesus did not descend from the Heavens after the movie to absolve me from my sins

16, got it.

 

[Danpascooch]

Beats cold garbage right?

I am seeing it in an hour

 

[MelziGurl]

Old enough to have seen lots of shitty movies, and that was not one of them. Also, old enough to know what to expect from each genre and director and not flame on just because Jesus did not descend from the Heavens after the movie to absolve me from my sins

16, got it.

What's their age got to do with anything? They gave an opinion and while you don't have to like it, you don't need to go nitpicking. You're just looking for an excuse to start something.

OT: I haven't seen it and I tend to ignore the little messages in movies that might prevent me from enjoying movies. From what I've seen it looks like I'll enjoy it.

 

[Simriel]

Yes, it is the same story as a dozen others, yes it follows every Trope in the book, however, Yes it tells the story in a new and interesting way that makes you interested and Yes it is the most jaw dropingly beautiful film I have ever watched. Also the cast is utterly superb to a man, they each play their roles well and make the characters compelling.

 

[Simriel]

Well while I'm going to withhold judgment until I actually see it, I must say that the basic premise of 'EVIL Technology Users' VS 'Organic Hippie Native Culture' already doesn't place it off to a good start in my mind.

If I want to be preached at while watching a movie I'd go watch a Michale Moore flick.

P.S. I fucking hated Ferngully.

It sounds like it's basically modern American steroptypes versus stereotyped Native Americans, IN SPACE, doesn't it?

Yeah, yeah it does.

Reading more about it online not only does the crazy IN SPACE environmental message take center stage, but so does rampant commentary and allegory on the War on Terror!

Because god know we don't get enough of those from every other Hollywood writer who thinks they're a lot more clever than they really are!

I don't know, this movie is going to have to fucking AMAZING to overcome the above for me.

You seem like a very angry person.

Anyways, the movie was pretty good. The plot didn't drag along at all throughout the movie. CGI was pretty and the characters were nicely developed. I don't see why everyone hates it so much.

Everyone loves it. Anyone I talk to thinks its amazing. A few people hate it thought because it has a cliched story, but cliches BECAME cliches BECAUSE THEY WERE GOOD! It isnt an intellectual movie, but tbh of late any movies I have seen that try to be have failed utterly and came across as preachy and pretentious. Watch it in the same way you would watch independence day. Also Welcome To Earth.

 

[Guitarmasterx7]

I'm not going to pretend I dislike the movie, because I haven't seen it. But based on what I know about it I really have no will to. It sounds extremely cliche and I don't care how good the CG is, it would be impossible for me to take those big blue cat things seriously. It seems like all the selling points have been done in a much more compelling way 6 months ago by district 9.

 

[Chewster]

I wasn't particularly impressed by the trailers and since it is supposed to be this giant comeback for James Cameron, who hasn't made a good film since The Terminator, I think I'll just skip it and save my twelve dollars.

Aliens? The Abyss? Terminator 2? Titanic? (That was pretty crap!)

Oh and Aliens which is regarded as a scifi staple a quality roller coaster ride was about the evils of corporate America. Terminator was anti technology. No one seems to think these films are too preachy!

Aliens had none of the pacing or intelligence of the first (the evils of corporate America having already been explored thoroughly in the original, and in a much less ham-handed way), so I fail to see how it is a staple of anything, other then how to make a sequel that falls far short of the original.

Ditto for Terminator 2, as mindlessly enjoyable as it may be.

Titanic was irritatingly maudlin and unleashed that schmaltzy Celine song all over us, giving it two strikes against it.

Can's speak for The Abyss though, since I've yet to see it, but I hear it is alright. Given Cameron's track record, I think it'll be a while before I bother getting around to it.

 

[Lunar Shadow]

I honestly fail to see what's so exciting about this film. Whoop-de-doo, the bar for CGI has been raised for all of about six months, or whenever the next hyped-to-fuck blockbuster comes out. Yay, it's got marines, and giant robots, and lots of guns. What I really don't get though: Pandora is supposed to be a completely alien planet, right? So why do the aliens look like blue people and (going from what's in the trailer) where the hell did they learn english? So what, they're alien enough that they can get blown to shit on screen, but they're not so alien that they've evolved an alternative to vocal chords or eyeballs or five fingers a hand?

I've noticed a lot of people saying it's really beautiful. I've not seen the whole film, so maybe I'm missing something, but it looks no different to those recent Star Wars films everyone loves to slag off so much. Lots of bright colours, beasties that look cool but would never work in real life, lots of sparkly particle effects. Again, whoop de doo. David Attenborough's got a series on the telly right now called Life. Now that's beautiful, and you can watch it for free. Or even better, rent Planet Earth and watch it on a massive TV screen. I can guarantee it's more beautiful and engrossing than whatever the concept artists at Cameron Co. are squirting out.

EDIT

Just read the plot synopsis on Wikipedia. This is what's been getting all the rave reviews? The cliches have fucking cliches. And seriously, what the hell is up with all the blue-alien romance recently? Is sex getting that boring we need to bring in extraterrestrials to spice it back up?

Actually the Na'vi don't have 5 fingered hands, only the Avatar's due since they were mixed with human gentics. Also, they were taught English by the scientists in the Avatar bodies before the movie started, back before they pissed the Na'vi off.