Have You Watched "Avatar" Yet? It's AMAZING!

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The discussion centers around the film "Avatar," highlighting its impressive 3D effects and visual storytelling, which many found to enhance the immersive experience without overshadowing the narrative. While some participants praised the film as a top contender for best movie of the decade, others criticized its plot as unoriginal and predictable, drawing parallels to earlier films like "Dances with Wolves." The balance between story and special effects was a key point, with some arguing that the visuals alone do not compensate for a lack of depth in the script. There were also discussions about the scientific plausibility of elements within the film, such as the floating mountains and the concept of "unobtainium," with varying opinions on how much explanation is necessary for a science fiction narrative. The film's themes and character development were debated, with some viewers expressing disappointment in the stereotypical portrayals and overt moral messages. Overall, while "Avatar" was recognized for its groundbreaking visual achievements, opinions diverged on its storytelling and originality.
  • #91
Nebula815 said:
I actually thought the LOTR movies were lousy because I found the plot in them rather lousy.
In all my years, I never thought that - if someone were going to have a beef with LotR - it would be about the plot.

LotR is nothing but plot. All 1200 pages of it.
 
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  • #92
DaveC426913 said:
In all my years, I never thought that - if someone were going to have a beef with LotR - it would be about the plot.

LotR is nothing but plot. All 1200 pages of it.

What plot you referring to? Bunch of hobbits get together and go to a volcano to drop a ring in the lake? Yea that's real original and trippy :biggrin:
 
  • #93
cronxeh said:
What plot you referring to? Bunch of hobbits get together and go to a volcano to drop a ring in the lake? Yea that's real original and trippy :biggrin:
Plot is all about complication, misdirection, motivation of characters, etc. If you want a move that consists of "A wants to kill B" and "A kills B" you won't sell too many tickets. I'll bet that LOTR has sold millions of DVD sets even amongst people like myself that read the whole series 40 years ago.
 
  • #94
Too many of the same stereotypical character archetypes all to recognizable in American Cinema: Evil souless marines, greedy capitalist, the one marine who adopts the culture of the natives and realizes his culture contains elements of 'savagery' , noble natives who are able to peacefully coexist with all the wildlife , and pure and virtuous scientists who are the only group outside the culture of the natives that understands and respects the culture of the natives and henders all of the marines and businessmen's attempts to destroy there culture for selfish gains. The world is not that black and white.
 
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  • #95
This is the type of fantasy world we all dream about. Oh man, I wish I was on that planet.

I'm right there with you.
 
  • #96
DaveC426913 said:
That's pretty hard to swallow. Either they put symbolism in or they didn't. It would be awfully hard to accidentally see symbolism woven into a movie where there was none. It would be like the static on a TV screen coincidentally forming an image of a choo-choo.

I don't know about yours, but my static forms a choo-choo ::grin::
 
  • #97
I liked it but was also irritated by the use of the fashionable corporate/military bad guys.
 
  • #98
I liked the movie.
 
  • #99
watched it again on imax 3d and enjoyed it even more than the first time
 
  • #100
noblegas said:
... The world is not that black and white.

I believe that's why it's considered a science-fiction / fantasy film. :wink:
 
  • #101
Greg Bernhardt said:
watched it again on imax 3d and enjoyed it even more than the first time

I just did the same thing. I saw it last week in a retro-theater, with old-fashioned 10-minute reels, and the "burn holes" and the rough cuts when the reels changed, and relatively small screen.

I saw it again in digital 3D. I held my nose through the dippy dialog, but the amount of detail that came through in 3D was astounding. I noticed there wasn't so much "up close in your face" effects, but a lot more "deep into the distance" sensations. And all those tiny insects, which were only blurs in 2D, were all individual bugs whirling in circles throughout the depth of field.

They could have turned off the sound and I would have been happy.

And I did notice, second time around, at the beginning of the film that the "marines" who were on the planet/moon were called "nothing more than mercenaries working for the corporation" (OWTTE). Cameron could have done a better job at heightening this distinction between these and "legitimate" marines.

The movie needed a group of tough, powerful, human bad guys. What better than a rouge platoon of marines?
 
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  • #102
I was watching The Fast and the Furious yesterday and noticed it has a similar story as Avatar.
 
  • #103
Chi Meson said:
What better than a rouge platoon of marines?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G2y8Sx4B2Sk
 
  • #104
mgb_phys said:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G2y8Sx4B2Sk

'tis a nice color for lipstick, though. :)
 
  • #105
Dembadon said:
'tis a nice color for lipstick, though. :)

Now I see what they meant when they said Sarah Palin was going rogue.. Sarah Palin was going rouge, oh that explains it all.
 
  • #106
Chi Meson said:
And I did notice at the beginning of the film that the "marines" who were on the planet/moon were called "nothing more than mercenaries working for the corporation" (OWTTE). Cameron could have done a better job at heightening this distinction between these and "legitimate" marines.
Yes, this does change things, albeit subtlely. It would have helped to have this made more clear.
 
  • #107
Chi Meson said:
And I did notice at the beginning of the film that the "marines" who were on the planet/moon were called "nothing more than mercenaries working for the corporation" (OWTTE). Cameron could have done a better job at heightening this distinction between these and "legitimate" marines.
Wasn't that the whole political message of the film though?
A savage indictment of the role of the Royal Marines in attacking the innocent American colonists in the 18Century?
 
  • #108
i STILL haven't watched it yet!:D
:(
 
  • #109
we_get_it.png
 
  • #110
mgb_phys said:
Wasn't that the whole political message of the film though?
A savage indictment of the role of the Royal Marines in attacking the innocent American colonists in the 18Century?
Out of all the "whap in you face" messages of this film, I have to say I did not see that particular one.

I saw the US corporate takeover of Hawaii all over this film (with the US Navy "observing and complacent"). The Navi people seemed to be visually and linguistically a deliberate blend of native Americans and Africans and Pacific Islanders.

I saw the ongoing corporate stripping of Alberta for tar-sand (not "Tarzan"), I saw the UK heavy-handed control over India, the Japanese control over "Indochina," the Brazilian devastation of the rainforest, the gold-dredges of Alaska, the poisoning of lake Baikal, the fish wipe-out of the Snake and Columbia rivers...

There is no end or beginning to examples of corporations/empires taking whatever they want from wherever they want. All you need is the monetary or military might, and the rationalization and justification will follow.
 
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  • #111
mgb_phys said:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G2y8Sx4B2Sk
Hah! I didn't even notice that typo (obviously) :duh:

I meant to say "...a maroon platoon of marines." Gosh, I feel silly.
 
  • #112
Chi Meson said:
Hah! I didn't even notice that typo (obviously) :duh:
The first rule of PF - everybody writes rouge by mistake
 
  • #113
mgb_phys said:
The first rule of PF - everybody writes rouge by mistake

I though the first rule was "don't date your sister."
 
  • #114
Chi Meson said:
I saw it again in digital 3D. I held my nose through the dippy dialog, but the amount of detail that came through in 3D was astounding. I noticed there wasn't so much "up close in your face" effects, but a lot more "deep into the distance" sensations. And all those tiny insects, which were only blurs in 2D, were all individual bugs whirling in circles throughout the depth of field.

I tried to see it this weekend but, the IMax 3D screens were sold out for the entire day. I guess I'll have to get the tickets online next time. I haven't seen a movie in 3D before so this should be a good first one. I'll watch for the bugs and other details. Thanks for the heads up.
 
  • #115
Very awesome, awesome movie...love it and with the success its having it will probably be made into a trilogy

James Cameron is a genius!
 
  • #116
Chi Meson said:
I though the first rule was "don't date your sister."
I always thought the first rule was
Never throw poo at a man holding a gun.
And the second rule was
Never stand beside someone throwing poo at a man holding a gun.
 
  • #117
Borg said:
I tried to see it this weekend but, the IMax 3D screens were sold out for the entire day. I guess I'll have to get the tickets online next time. I haven't seen a movie in 3D before so this should be a good first one. I'll watch for the bugs and other details. Thanks for the heads up.

You got into the same problem as me. I was planning to see it in IMAX with a friend on Saturday. Due to an amazing lack of foresight, we forgot to consider:

(1) That Avatar is currently the most popular movie.
(2) That there was only one IMAX 3D theatre in the city of Toronto.
(3) That the whole city of Toronto was going to converge on this one theatre.
(4) That we were planning to arrive at 3 p.m., 20 minutes before the start of the movie.
(5) That many people are going to have the same stupid plan as we did.

Guess what happened?
 
  • #118
ideasrule said:
(2) That there was only one IMAX 3D theatre in the city of Toronto.
Well it is a world class city !
 
  • #119
ideasrule said:
You got into the same problem as me. I was planning to see it in IMAX with a friend on Saturday. Due to an amazing lack of foresight, we forgot to consider:

(1) That Avatar is currently the most popular movie.
(2) That there was only one IMAX 3D theatre in the city of Toronto.
(3) That the whole city of Toronto was going to converge on this one theatre.
(4) That we were planning to arrive at 3 p.m., 20 minutes before the start of the movie.
(5) That many people are going to have the same stupid plan as we did.

Guess what happened?

You're in T.O., eh? We went to the Coliseum near Square One. It's also in Woodbridge at 400 and 7.
 
  • #120
Theres one in Brampton too, in Trinity Commons
 

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