James Cameron's "Avatar" (grading and discussion)

[FPAlpha]

What if the nuclear reaction or radiation also destroys the unobtanium?

Simplest way to believably take out the nuclear option..

Anyway.. i'm against the Na'vi start using Earth weapons and technology. The Na'vi are living in concert with their planet, in a union which is a big part of their appeal and to start using modern technology would devaluate that.

I hope they find a good and above all unique story and that is infinitely harder thsn just letting the computers glow red hot to spit out some pretty pictures.

 

[USS KG5]

The most logical plot for a sequel would be the humans returning, in force, twelve years or so after the original (the turnaround time for the trip it seems).

A sequel would therefore be able to explore the obvious loose threads from Avatar, most clearly: -

1. Who is Ey'Wa, we know she is real, Grace said so, so who is she, the living consciousness of Pandora one would assume?
2. What would happen if someone with half a brain had led the campaign against the Na'Vi - someone who had a bit of subtlety, a REAL piece of work, not a jarhead?
3. The Avatar concept itself lends itself to a whole new level of story - what about a whole ARMY of Avatars?
4. Could this planetary network be elevated to a whole new level? Could, in fact, we have seen a tiny portion of Pandora's capabilities?

There is a lot that could be explored on Pandora, will be intriguing to see if a sequel could be as powerful, I doubt it to be honest.

 

[Greylock Crescent]

Cameron confirms that "I have a trilogy-scaled arc of story right now, but I haven't really put any serious work into writing a script."

That's fine ... he didn't put any serious work into writing this script either.

 

[Shurik]

Who is Ey'Wa, we know she is real, Grace said so, so who is she, the living consciousness of Pandora one would assume?

I assumed that Pandora's whole ecosystem is a variation of Solaris' ocean, a one big consciousness.

 

[melancholymecha]

3. The Avatar concept itself lends itself to a whole new level of story - what about a whole ARMY of Avatars?

I want to see more Avatars playing basketball.



ok seriously now, where were those other avatars during the film?

 

[Captain Craig]

Cameron confirms that "I have a trilogy-scaled arc of story right now, but I haven't really put any serious work into writing a script."

That's fine ... he didn't put any serious work into writing this script either.

No joke.
After the purty visuals this movie is weak. All this apologetic nonsense about the 'great pacing' is nothing but an attempt at making up excuses for its lack of being an actual good story.
Sites like Megacritic only confirm for me director loyalty, well that and the hypocrites around here praising Avatar while bashing other films for the same plot problems. Pacing is not a some 'mulligan' for me like others it seems.

I'd rather watch District 9 and Transformers back to back than Avatar again.

Oh, and I just got in from Sherlock Holmes...better.

 

[T'Baio]

Is there some sort of smiley with a tear being shed?

 

[Arrqh]

Thing is, on the possibility of sequels... well the movie is called Avatar and it's called that because the people are using Avatars. It seems silly to me to keep the name if none of the main characters are actually, you know, using Avatars. So... na'vi in human avatars? Humans and na'vi in the avatars of a third race? A third race in human avatars? I'm just throwing out random stuff here, but I just have a hard time seeing the franchise (which is really what it will be) going in a direction that doesn't actively use the concept that inspired its namesake. I suppose its possible, but that just sort of seems to lose out on one of the few more interesting elements of the mythos.

 

[stonester1]

It's a cool name.

Let's not be so literal in our title analysis, hm? This is ART.

 

[Tom Servo]

Is there some sort of smiley with a tear being shed?

Me and my buddies now have a new ritual whenever we walk out of a film, such as tonight when we saw Sherlock Holmes, which, I admit, I enjoyed a lot.

However, whenever we leave a film now, we say, that was good, but not as good as Avatar.

 

[Thespeckledkiwi]

Cameron confirms that "I have a trilogy-scaled arc of story right now, but I haven't really put any serious work into writing a script."

That's fine ... he didn't put any serious work into writing this script either.

Sites like Megacritic only confirm for me director loyalty, well that and the hypocrites around here praising Avatar while bashing other films for the same plot problems.

*cough Armageddon cough*

 

[MarianLH]

It's about 4 years before Earth even knows what happened, if the mining colony got a message off.

5.5 years before the Earthmen get home to be debriefed.

How do you fight a war at the end of a 4.5 (or so) light year supply line? Against an entire planet with a totally hostile ecosystem?

Knowing Hollywood? Humanity coincidentally invents FTL in time for the sequel. Or worse, the writers forget that they don't already have it.



Marian

 

[Hyperspace05]

Knowing Hollywood? Humanity coincidentally invents FTL in time for the sequel. Or worse, the writers forget that they don't already have it.

You need to read some of the official Pandorapedia site, which has info on the Avatar universe beyond what was shown in the film. It has detailed info on the starship capabilities, which do include limited FTL communications. Go read up on it...

Now since a lot of that was not included in the movie, I suppose it isn't fully "canon", and could be contradicted in a sequel. But still...

But that is just scratching the surface of the Avatar universe, which they have put a lot of thought into. (that should be clear, whether or not you liked the film)

 

[Mark de Vries]

I haven't read through the entire thread, so my apologies if I repeat things that have been discussed before.

I saw Avatar last night and I'm afraid it has been overhyped for me. It did not live up to my expectations, which weren't exagerrated I think. The CGI looks pretty, the lead characters are sympathetic (unless they're not intended to be, of course) and I enjoyed myself.

But the story was very predictable and I saw no need for it being in 3D. The 3D glasses that were handed out were a nuisance more than anything. I saw a few instances were things were truly in 3D, but the rest was 'just' high quality 2D to my eyes. So that didn't work at all for me.

The plot has a few gaping holes in it (wasn't it very easy for Jake to get accepted by the aliens? "Oh, you're one of the Sky people? Come and learn all we know") and storylines could've been better developed (what was the history between the humans and the aliens? There were schools, but they were closed, but the scientist/teacher (Sigourney Weaver's character) seemed very welcome by the aliens. What's the story there?).

Still, I enjoyed myself, even at the excessive running time of almost three hours. But it's far from Cameron's best piece of work. Aliens, T2, The Abyss and Titanic are all better efforts overall.

I voted 'average'.

 

[Kegg]

The plot has a few gaping holes in it (wasn't it very easy for Jake to get accepted by the aliens? "Oh, you're one of the Sky people? Come and learn all we know")

There are probably holes in the plot, but that wasn't one of them. They did seriously consider killing him, and this was at the point humans were still little more than a nuisance to them. What made him interesting was, well, he was the first human warrior they'd come across. From that and the intercession of Neytiri herself things snowballed.

 

[Star Wolf]

The plot has a few gaping holes in it (wasn't it very easy for Jake to get accepted by the aliens? "Oh, you're one of the Sky people? Come and learn all we know")

There are probably holes in the plot, but that wasn't one of them. They did seriously consider killing him, and this was at the point humans were still little more than a nuisance to them. What made him interesting was, well, he was the first human warrior they'd come across. From that and the intercession of Neytiri herself things snowballed.

I agree, Jake Sully was the first Sky Person they ran across who had a purpose. The scientist and schools had nothing to offer to a society without scarcity, who lived in Eden if you like. There were no farms or domesticated animals whose yield could be increased by the scientific method, just animals which bonded with their human partner. They jacked into the planet itself which kept their history so a written language was not even needed to record things.

More so then the marine the scientist were children in the eyes of the Na'vi. They were over dressed and couldn't even walk around because their feet were to soft. Just as humans care for the special needs children among us the scientist were cared for once a village decided not to kill them on sight.

 

[Mark de Vries]

The plot has a few gaping holes in it (wasn't it very easy for Jake to get accepted by the aliens? "Oh, you're one of the Sky people? Come and learn all we know")

There are probably holes in the plot, but that wasn't one of them. They did seriously consider killing him, and this was at the point humans were still little more than a nuisance to them. What made him interesting was, well, he was the first human warrior they'd come across. From that and the intercession of Neytiri herself things snowballed.

I know, I understood they were very interested in him because he was a warrior. Doesn't mean he has to go through all the initiation rites and become a fully-fledged member of their people. But the fact that it happened isn't the problem: that it fitted so perfectly with Jake's mission is.
He gets an assignment to infiltrate the alien people, is a blundering fool while sent down to the planet*, meet the people he's supposed to infiltrate, who then invite him to do so? A bit too convenient for me.

*Seriously, he's a marine in an unknown enviroment, wanders off to look at the pretty flowers and doesn't think to keep track of the people he is supposed to protect? I mean, he knew the planet was dangerous.

 

[RAMA]

OK so it was a good movie overall, but it reminded me of an environmental kids movie I watched many years back, can't recall the name of it...and the military were really set up as a bunch of simplistic bad guys...what a shame all those highly trained men and all that marvelous equipment had to be wasted for such a dubious project. The exploration of an alien culture and planet is fairly unique, and there are a few unusual (in film) ideas for an SF movie in this, and of course the new technology of FX warrants an "above avg" grade from me. Its probably the 3rd best SF film of the year behind District 9 and Star Trek.

RAMA

 

[Kegg]

^
RAMA: Ferngully?

I know, I understood they were very interested in him because he was a warrior. Doesn't mean he has to go through all the initiation rites and become a fully-fledged member of their people. But the fact that it happened isn't the problem: that it fitted so perfectly with Jake's mission is.

Ah. Excellent point, hadn't considered it like that.

 

[USS KG5]

Who is Ey'Wa, we know she is real, Grace said so, so who is she, the living consciousness of Pandora one would assume?

I assumed that Pandora's whole ecosystem is a variation of Solaris' ocean, a one big consciousness.

Yes, which makes a Borg Queen like manifestation in a sequel all the more likely.