James Cameron Commits to Avatar 2 & 3

[SelectivelyEvil13]

I don't really understand the fervor behind hating Avatar amongst some crowds nor do I understand worshiping the it like it's the apotheosis of film. I never approached it like it was going to be anything mind-bending, thus avoiding the hype-train-wreck many hold against Avatar. The story had its flaws and ridiculous moments, but that doesn't stop it from being an entertaining film that flows nicely with an amazing visual backdrop. The ties to Native American culture and the mythology of the Na'vi were at least positive changes of focus when contrasted with much of the dross that somehow makes it to theaters these days. "Emotional horsepower" is quite a bit much, but I'll take "giant smurf" tears over The Blind Side or Precious any day.

I suppose a sequel made sense after I saw it, but now that it's had time to sink in, I can't really say that it's such a good idea. By the third movie, will the same themes be brought up to the point of silliness? The first was by no means a bad movie and was pretty great for a viewing, but a "classic" trilogy is stretching its potential. The first film could stand alone, but we'll have to see if these next to films contribute anything.

 

[JoshTheater]

Whatever happened to Titanic 2 and 3? I really wanted to see those.

 

[Shadowseraph]

But... Disney only did ONE sequel to Pocahontas and nobody even remembers it! How are they going to have a story for Avatars 2 and 3 if they don't have a plot to steal?

 

[Chewster]

Is he going to get someone else to write the films for him? If not, expect the same we've gotten from him since the second Terminator: gorgeous visuals/effects, bad acting and a bland story. Unpopular opinion, I know, but I am sticking with it. In fact, the last good film he really did was his first (though I haven't seen the Abyss, it might be good). Heck, his second two major films were not even necessary and did nothing to add to the first of each.

This guy needs to stop directing films (or else direct other people's scripts), and working as the head of a special effects department. Of course, his films make bajillions of dollars, so I don't see that happening any time soon.

I could find dozens of near-perfect matches for the story of most movies coming out today.

Right, and because other people murder, that's cool if you do it too. Sorry no, that isn't the way it works. You cannot justify unoriginality by saying a lot of other people do it too. That just means that all those films are also unoriginal, but that isn't the subject of this thread.

The whole "native" narrative is actually as old as the medium itself (Nanook of the North anyone?) and Cameron did very little to try and put his own spin on it, story-wise. Good filmmakers manage to take the old and make it seem new by adding their own touches to the work, and while Cameron makes visually stunning films, they lack real substance because he cannot be bothered to pay attention to the overall package that film is, which has many different levels. He'd much rather play with his fun toys and make things look really nice.

This film was all icing and no cake.

 

[Blind Sight]

Avatar had flaws, but the story itself wasn't one of them ("Unobtanium" was, though). I enjoyed the movie, just not enough for it to be nominated for Best Picture. Maybe the sequels will be good, but that really doesn't happen often. I'm not going to hold my breath.

Also, for a site full of nerds, I'm always surprised people don't say the plot is just Dune in the jungle.

Thank God someone else noticed it, the themes are all there, good humans (House Atreides, the scientists in Avatar) show up that try to protect the natives (Fremen of Arrakis, the Navi) only to be betrayed by bad humans (House Harkonnen, the marines). Fortunately, the natives are actually super soldiers, just like in Dune. I remember when everyone was going on about how it was a Dances With Wolves rip-off, but I always stand on the 'Dune did it first' theory. Hell, even the environmentalist themes are in both works, but Herbert is WAY better at conveying it. Dune argues that we should respect the environment while still pushing forward for our own goals (Stilgar says something about how 'we will terraform the north, and leave the great deserts to Shai-Halad'). Cameron's Avatar pretty much just throws in annoying environmentalist lines like "they took their planet and turned it brown" and there's no context for it.

And while I'm on rant about Avatar, I really hate the anti-capitalist message in it with the evil corporate guy. Now I have no problems with people arguing against capitalism, but when you flat out-and-out bash it when Hollywood is driven by it then you're a hypocrite. That's like me writing a book about anarchism and getting the government to publish it.

Overall, can't say I'm looking forward to the next two Avatar movies, but if they get someone who can decently write then I'll probably enjoy them more then the first. Oh, and fix the dozens of plot holes.

I don't really understand the fervor behind hating Avatar amongst some crowds nor do I understand worshiping the it like it's the apotheosis of film. I never approached it like it was going to be anything mind-bending, thus avoiding the hype-train-wreck many hold against Avatar. The story had its flaws and ridiculous moments, but that doesn't stop it from being an entertaining film that flows nicely with an amazing visual backdrop.

I myself bash the movie cause I have a few friends that got insanely into this movie, and became hypocritical environmentalist douchebags as a result

 

[therandombear]

hey, didn't know they had enough story to continue after Aang beats the fire emperor

 

[oooooooooooooooooooooooooo]

Also, for a site full of nerds, I'm always surprised people don't say the plot is just Dune in the jungle.

Warning to those who do not know Dune's plot, there may be very minor spoilers bellow

Well they're really not that similar. Avatar is more of a Pocahontas in space then anything. Admittedly the basic premise of the two are little similar, ie Paul joining the Fremen and going on to fight the Harkonnen and Jake Sully defecting to the Navi to fight the RDA, and Paul being the Mahdi overlaps with Jake being the chose one thing that he is, but even those similarities are loose, and go no further. For example, Paul was never an enemy of the Fremen, while Jake started out as an enemy of the Navi. This is actually a fairly major point as it changes the story from one based around the lead character's morality (Avatar) to one that is based around multiple issues, revenge and politics being the first that spring to mind (Dune). There is much more to this subject then that, but I honestly don't feel like doing a whole write on the differences between the plots of the two stories, and anyway, I'm sure you get the idea.

 

[ryai458]

2014, and 2015... Great... Hope the story is better this time. I lived 1, but its story wasn't as good as like District 9.

Speaking of district 9 when you saw the trailers for skyline, if your confused youtube it, did anyone else think is was the aliens coming back to kick ass? and yes I used yuoutube as a verb.

 

[darkman80723]

My two cents worth here...personally I think this is a terrible idea. I really liked Avatar, I mean yeah it was a Dances With Wolves knock off ripping on the US foreign policy whilst shoehorning some nice warrior turned eco-terrorist by design and some pooty-tang. But it was semi-original and had some great closure, so stick to some direct to DVD animated films/cartoons; or even just chalk it up to a well rounded, well done, money maker and let it live in colossal memory as a great film. And frankly there are just some films that don't work as sequels, imagine if you will a Big Lebowski 2 or Schindler's List 2....just some things need to never exist. Another case in point: The prequel Star Wars, the Transformers movies (as they are, Ill admit I had SOME hope at first but good-ole Mikey Bay didn't disappoint(?) by actually making a decent movie), or the new Nightmare movie.
But on the flip side of it all Ive been wrong before about sequels being good movies. Two that come to mind for me are Iron Man 2, Empire Strikes Back, and Kill Bill 2. So we will have to wait and see, who knows, we might even be surprised but I personally wont get my hopes up.

 

[The_root_of_all_evil]

Dear News,
Please stop depressing me with these overpaid idiots jerking off on screen. It's going to be 2020 before I can even go back in a cinema now without seeing something taking money away from new filmmakers.
Root

 

[The_root_of_all_evil]

Whatever happened to Titanic 2 and 3? I really wanted to see those.

Funny joke becomes unfunny reality.

 

[Soviet Steve]

Bah, the story was done for all I'm concerned. I hope the humans Death Star that entire moon in part 2.

Amen brother!

In my opinion avatar wasn't so much a movie as a few cheap and shallow attempts at creating sympathy, with some 3D thrown in. The best thing that could happend to the Na'vi in my opinion would either be torture scenes with Mel Gibson brought in as a consultant.

I would explain but Plinkett does it in a much sexier fashion than I possibly could.

http://www.redlettermedia.com/avatar.html

 

[wiredk]

Massive fail. Space Fern Gully Dances with Smurfs was never interesting. Well, the technology behind it was interesting but it was soooo wasted on that movie.

Anyways, Movie two will have the humans delivering supplies with pox-infested blankets. And then, Movie Three will have them relocating the planet somewhere closer to the sun, in an unwanted part of the galaxy...

Than there will be a fourth movie where the planet gets paved and a casino put in its place.

 

[Canid117]

I have some advice James. Get someone else to write your dialogue.

 

[JUMBO PALACE]

Liked the first, don't see room for sequels though. It kinda... ended.

 

[luckycharms8282]

UUUrghh, way over hyped movie. Yes the visuals were good and the action was awesome. The story, however, was lame, full of holes, and just a rehash of Pocahontas.

 

[Ignatz_Zwakh]

God help us, and god help the film industry.

 

[Druyn]

See, its funny because theyre all going to be terrible, and everybody knows it.

 

[tahrey]

And there I thought one of the story's few plus points was that it was self contained and didn't easily leave itself open to sequels - and was probably originally planned as such. This is a purely money led thing, vs the first film's apparent "12 year labour of love" status (the 2014/15 release dates also speak volumes vs that, though I suppose most of the real heavy lifting has already been done). All respect for JC... suddenly lost. Though it may have been the studio forcing his hand.

It was an awesome piece of non stop eye candy, seeing it in IMAX 3D, but as I told mother dearest & her beau as they were about to pick it up from blockbuster ... go see it there while you still can, don't bother with the DVD until TVs are huge and three-dimensional, or you have a opposite-polarised twin lens HD home-cinema projector going to waste. The actual storyline is a thin shell to hang the unashamedly (nothing to be ashamed about) lush visuals on.

Dude should've got together with Hayao Miyazaki or Stephen Spielberg, maybe both, so their waning plotline powers could get respective boosts back up to their earlier creative peaks and have made something truly epic. Just sayin'. Unless he pulls something spectacular and unexpected out of the bag, it's going to be like Matrix / Reloaded / Revolutions all over again.
(I'd have said Lucas ... but ... no. That's just asking for trouble.)

 

[digitalarcane667]

I'm not looking forward to this. The story is unoriginal and the technology is starting to become really gimmicky.