Avatar: what do you think of it?
- Thread starter redisforever
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I think it was a great movie. Not the best movie ever, but it was still really damn good.
Those guys harping on about it being a story that's been done to death? Shush. There are TONS of re-told stories these days, and most of them aren't retold this well.
Those guys harping on about it being a story that's been done to death? Shush. There are TONS of re-told stories these days, and most of them aren't retold this well.
i loved it. Aang is a well flushed out... oh shit. never mind. i'll just go sit in my corner and watch my nick shows by myself then.
I enjoyed it immensely. It's relatively well-written, visually spectacular (I weep for those just watching it now who didn't get to see it in 3D in the theatre - it remains the only movie I've seen that really used the effect with subtlety), and the world-building aspect is really interesting. But I always enjoy media where a central theme is learning about an alien culture, so I'm probably biased in that.
The main criticisms I've seen of it were about how it was Pocahontas in space. Which it totally is. How this is necessarily a bad thing, I do not know.
That and criticisms about the notion that the native culture can only be saved by an outsider. But I've always found that criticism especially silly. For one, an outsider attempting to integrate with a society will necessarily see some ordinary parts of the culture more easily, since, to him, they will be exceptional. So it is not at all unthinkable that an integrated outsider might, in some respects, be in a particularly good position to deal with these problems. Add to that the fact that the humans had been studying them for some time, while they had spent virtually no time studying the humans, and you have very strong justification for needing human help to come out victorious. So no, I don't think this is a strong case of the brave white man saving the imperilled natives who are inherently helpless to save themselves. I think the film presents plenty of justification for having an outsider save them. If anything, the film is about the necessity to attempt to understand cultures and about how this can be mutually beneficial - you get to understand other cultures, and you understand your own by letting them look at yours. I think people seeing these as problems tend too often to treat blatant xenophobia as the only solution to cultural imperialism.
The main criticisms I've seen of it were about how it was Pocahontas in space. Which it totally is. How this is necessarily a bad thing, I do not know.
That and criticisms about the notion that the native culture can only be saved by an outsider. But I've always found that criticism especially silly. For one, an outsider attempting to integrate with a society will necessarily see some ordinary parts of the culture more easily, since, to him, they will be exceptional. So it is not at all unthinkable that an integrated outsider might, in some respects, be in a particularly good position to deal with these problems. Add to that the fact that the humans had been studying them for some time, while they had spent virtually no time studying the humans, and you have very strong justification for needing human help to come out victorious. So no, I don't think this is a strong case of the brave white man saving the imperilled natives who are inherently helpless to save themselves. I think the film presents plenty of justification for having an outsider save them. If anything, the film is about the necessity to attempt to understand cultures and about how this can be mutually beneficial - you get to understand other cultures, and you understand your own by letting them look at yours. I think people seeing these as problems tend too often to treat blatant xenophobia as the only solution to cultural imperialism.
Like every Nintendo game nowadays, it has no right to exist. Whether it's good or not is beside the point; it has no right to exist.
It sucks.
James Cameron has sold out. Instead of making movies focused on a particular audience he has gone with trying to appeal to all audiences because it makes more money.
Titanic sucked. Avatar sucked.
Aliens, Terminator 1/2 and True Lies? AWESOME MOVIES!
James Cameron is not what he once was...
James Cameron has sold out. Instead of making movies focused on a particular audience he has gone with trying to appeal to all audiences because it makes more money.
Titanic sucked. Avatar sucked.
Aliens, Terminator 1/2 and True Lies? AWESOME MOVIES!
James Cameron is not what he once was...
Agreed. That I could at least re-watch and enjoy, not think, "Seen it already. Bored."Zhukov said:
To put it bluntly, it does everything wrong. The characters are bland, uninteresting, one dimensional characatures and have little to no real logic or decision making to the entire process.
As someone who likes CGI, I found the entire environment boring, it looks like the Night Elf forest except everyone has USB ports. I walked out the theatre without remembering any of the characters names except "JAAACKE SUUULEY!". A character who when given the opportunity to walk again, has no emotional connection to what this technology has offered him and instead decides the run around like an idiot. A romanticised tribal culture in perfect harmony with absolutely no flaws vs the evil technologically advanced society (whose entire military consists of rednecks apparently) that is both morally bankrupt and despite having an organised military seems to blatantly ignore fundamental flaws in their strategies.
The plot is heavy handed in everything it does and offers nothing in terms of twists or character development thought often because the characters have no personality beyond their one schick.
The environmentalist message is poorly conveyed and ultiamtely as a result of its plot holes seems to imply that if humanity is faced with annihilation or environmental damage, humans should die out.
The subliminal messaging deal seems to me a really poor effort in attempting, District 9 is the big comparison here as they make a visually unappeal species and through actually developing a narrative and their interaction with characters you get to see this growing compassion for things you are intially told to hold contempt for. The Na'vi on the other hand are designed to be the good guys, from the friend dog noses to the sexuality of the big full human lips, the only way this species could have been interesting is if they had ultimately turned out to be the violent Aztec-like savages as opposed to the perfect society. Flaws make things interesting, not perfection.
Red Letter Media does a good job at explaining the problems with that movie. Effectiveness being distinct from good.
As someone who likes CGI, I found the entire environment boring, it looks like the Night Elf forest except everyone has USB ports. I walked out the theatre without remembering any of the characters names except "JAAACKE SUUULEY!". A character who when given the opportunity to walk again, has no emotional connection to what this technology has offered him and instead decides the run around like an idiot. A romanticised tribal culture in perfect harmony with absolutely no flaws vs the evil technologically advanced society (whose entire military consists of rednecks apparently) that is both morally bankrupt and despite having an organised military seems to blatantly ignore fundamental flaws in their strategies.
The plot is heavy handed in everything it does and offers nothing in terms of twists or character development thought often because the characters have no personality beyond their one schick.
The environmentalist message is poorly conveyed and ultiamtely as a result of its plot holes seems to imply that if humanity is faced with annihilation or environmental damage, humans should die out.
The subliminal messaging deal seems to me a really poor effort in attempting, District 9 is the big comparison here as they make a visually unappeal species and through actually developing a narrative and their interaction with characters you get to see this growing compassion for things you are intially told to hold contempt for. The Na'vi on the other hand are designed to be the good guys, from the friend dog noses to the sexuality of the big full human lips, the only way this species could have been interesting is if they had ultimately turned out to be the violent Aztec-like savages as opposed to the perfect society. Flaws make things interesting, not perfection.
Red Letter Media does a good job at explaining the problems with that movie. Effectiveness being distinct from good.
A blend of Dances with Wolves and Dune but very well done and with magnificent effects and mechanical design. Can't say I enjoyed being bludgeoned over the head with the movie's message but hey, you can't have everything.
...and yes, District 9 beats Avatar and leaves it naked in a ditch.
IMHO one of the worst things about it is also one of the best: the inadequacy of "The Chosen One". Upon second viewing his naivete, moral weakness and tactical stupidity really stand out but this largely redeems him for being yet another "white messiah" and it highlights the downside of a society where people entrust their destiny to someone because of a few omens and one speech.
I kinda liked the reverse-Pygmalion aspect of the central romance too.
I kinda liked the reverse-Pygmalion aspect of the central romance too.
...and yes, District 9 beats Avatar and leaves it naked in a ditch.
It was a fun ride, impressive effects and adrenaline pumping sections. But it was just over-cliched in their portrayal of ethnic/tribal races, everything, including their reactions is just totally stereotyped and predictable. As was the ending. But good enough value for what it was - a visually impressive piece utilizing modern technology.
I agree, it was generally a good 'fun' movie. There were a few flaws, and it definitely isn't anywhere near THE GREATEST MOVIE EVER MADE like the fucking advertisements and my friends told me. Really, this movie was so over-hyped in Australia.
it was nice but over all it eye candy with a predicable story. i fully knew the ending after the revival that the magical tree could transfer a soul to another body. at that point i knew the what would happen to the main character after the good guys won. also he gets the girl in the end which was also was obvious.
i have no interest in seeing it again. in fact i could care less about the existence of a squeal.
also it action which nice when combined with the cgi. still not worth re-watching though. it could have been shorter too
i have no interest in seeing it again. in fact i could care less about the existence of a squeal.
also it action which nice when combined with the cgi. still not worth re-watching though. it could have been shorter too
It wasn't a particularly memorable experience tbh, not bad though, I don't regret seeing it, just wasn't as amazing as people make it out to be
On a side note however, isn't it a little late for this kind of a thread.. that movies been out for a damn long time.
On a side note however, isn't it a little late for this kind of a thread.. that movies been out for a damn long time.
You mean the Pocahontas reboot?
Well it's a very decent family movie, i.e. for the kids, but it has nothing beyond that.
Well it's a very decent family movie, i.e. for the kids, but it has nothing beyond that.
Now that I'm past (God dammit, is it past or passed?? I just got off work) my late high school days of depression, angst and cynicism, I can admit that I used to be WAY too hard on Avatar. However, I still don't like it. The story felt like something I'd seem before, the "message" was ham-fisted, there were no outstanding performances, and I've never been one to love a movie because of aesthetics alone (except maybe for Pulp Fiction).
It wasn't so much the movie that frustrated me as much as the hype and the movie's fanbase. It seemed like EVERYONE around me thought it was seriously the best film they'd ever seen, and I'd often get confused looks from people when I told them I wasn't impressed beyond the visuals (true fucking story: a met a stranger at a pub over a year ago and we were getting alone great, exchanging jokes and whatnot. The topic changed to films and he suddenly THREATENED me when I told him I disliked Avatar. That incident has always put a stain on my opinion of Avatar).
If I had to put it simply: The primary reason ANY film should be made is to tell a story, NOT for the director to show off his toys. This took me out of the experience completely, because nothing seemed genuine and everything was epic-scale.
RedLetterMedia has the most accurate review I've ever seen for any movie.
It wasn't so much the movie that frustrated me as much as the hype and the movie's fanbase. It seemed like EVERYONE around me thought it was seriously the best film they'd ever seen, and I'd often get confused looks from people when I told them I wasn't impressed beyond the visuals (true fucking story: a met a stranger at a pub over a year ago and we were getting alone great, exchanging jokes and whatnot. The topic changed to films and he suddenly THREATENED me when I told him I disliked Avatar. That incident has always put a stain on my opinion of Avatar).
If I had to put it simply: The primary reason ANY film should be made is to tell a story, NOT for the director to show off his toys. This took me out of the experience completely, because nothing seemed genuine and everything was epic-scale.
RedLetterMedia has the most accurate review I've ever seen for any movie.
I never saw Avatar. I'd say something about it, but it would be quite uninformed since i've not actually seen the movie. I did hear the movie was visually pleasing but otherwise wasn't really much to bother with. That's all I know. I don't care enough to watch it myself.