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

[Venardhi]

Other than the couple annoying little science wtf moments (6-limbed animals all around made little sense with 4-limbed humanoids, where do waterfalls come from on floating islands no bigger than a city block?) I found it to be a very entertaining movie. It has a bit of the feel of a classic blockbuster action movie with paper-thin villains that are still performed well enough that you don't really mind and a plot that doesn't really challenge. I was doubtful of the animation from seeing the trailer, but in IMAX 3D there were very few moments that I even noticed it, and more than a few that made me think 'woah, holy shit, that looks totally real.' I do think I need to see it again before I can give it a rating though.

 

[Bisz]

When people like something they let others know. We were all just glad it was over.

Must be an American thing. The only times I've ever heard clapping and cheering in a British cinema was for all three Star Wars prequels and this was very much at the beginning of the movies. I felt like clapping Avatar actually, I looked around to see if we were going to have a Star Wars moment, but it didn't happen. People seemed happy enough though.

That only happens, in my experience, with opening night/midnight crowds full of people all eager to see the film.

If you went to a regular showing during the afternoon or earlier in the evening then no you wouldn't get the applause affect.

So my qualifer is that only happens with gung-ho audiences showing up at midnight or at sneaks.

There was clapping after Sherlock Holmes during the week day the week after it came out.

 

[Hyperspace05]

Venardhi, about two of your complaints:
1) 6 limbs vs 4 - There is actually one creature that is shown as being in-between (two sets of arms merged at elbow, with two fingers for each arm) - the 'monkey' creature shown early in the film: (they also are the only non-Navi creatures we have seen with 'hair')
http://www.surrealaward.com/avatar/imagevideo/filmstill208.jpg
2) we can see in some of Jake's log entries at night that the rain is puring down at night (which is what happens a lot in rainforests) But yes the amount required does seem perhaps excessive.

 

[Tyson]

i am a blue person feel bad for my tree wha whaaa whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa


Barf.

 

[Trekker4747]

Must be an American thing. The only times I've ever heard clapping and cheering in a British cinema was for all three Star Wars prequels and this was very much at the beginning of the movies. I felt like clapping Avatar actually, I looked around to see if we were going to have a Star Wars moment, but it didn't happen. People seemed happy enough though.

That only happens, in my experience, with opening night/midnight crowds full of people all eager to see the film.

If you went to a regular showing during the afternoon or earlier in the evening then no you wouldn't get the applause affect.

So my qualifer is that only happens with gung-ho audiences showing up at midnight or at sneaks.

There was clapping after Sherlock Holmes during the week day the week after it came out.

 

[777]

http://hijinksensue.com/comics/2009-12-21-triumph-of-the-usurper.jpg

Check this cartoon strip out.

 

[NIUPonyBoy]

Can I vote terrible twice?

The visuals were simply amazing! Everything else blew. And blew hard.

 

[Hyperspace05]

Sure you can. If I can vote 'excellent' twice.

 

[Blue_Trek]

Forgot where I read that Zoe said that the sex scene was cut out and will be in the DVD/Blu-ray. They had to cut the scene to keep it PG13. Now for sure that Disc is going to have huge sales, lol

 

[galleywest]

I finally saw Avatar. I wasn't overly excited to see it, but nor was I opposed to it in any way. Take this review knowing that I read no reviews, knew nothing about the movie aside from the previews, and had no positive or negative bias going into it.

I thought it was awful. I'm sorry, I know I'm in the distinct minority, but I thought it committed the greatest sin a movie can commit: it was boring. Is there any possible way the viewer does not know from the moment Jake puts on his Avatar body exactly what's going to happen? Are there any cliches about environmentalism vs industry, colonialism and multinational corporations, cowboys vs indians that were not used in this movie?

My biggest problem with it is that it's touted (and touted, and touted, and touted) as being this super-original, completely new, imaginative world and aside from the window dressing of the special effects it simply wasn't. The natives use bows and arrows and ride horses. They ride "dragons" and go through a process through which the dragons must choose the rider (*cough*Anne McCaffrey*cough*). The natives are noble, stong, attractive, graceful, and live in harmony with the land while the outsiders are ignorant brutes, except for the one who comes to "learn their ways," fall in love with the chief's daughter, and save The People. It was so derivative--the people behind me were laughing hysterically and while at the beginning of the movie I thought they were jerks, by the end I agreed.

Not the worst movie I've ever seen, but it could have been at least 1/2 hour shorter. Also, no matter how good the cg is, it's still cg to me. I just cannot get into the story the same way. Also, finally, Jake was not a very good voice actor. It surprised me that someone who is obviously not American would be tapped to play this character. His character's background as an American marine and the actor's ability to convey his character through his voice during the cg parts were crucial to the movie. He kept slipping into his British/Australian accent over and over again.

I wish I could say better about it but I can't. Now I'll go before I'm run out with torches and sticks!

 

[Arlo]

I thought it was awful. I'm sorry, I know I'm in the distinct minority, but I thought it committed the greatest sin a movie can commit: it was boring. Is there any possible way the viewer does not know from the moment Jake puts on his Avatar body exactly what's going to happen? Are there any cliches about environmentalism vs industry, colonialism and multinational corporations, cowboys vs indians that were not used in this movie?

This, this, and MORE this. It was so dreadfully boring and hackneyed. And the three friends I saw it with agreed as well. You aren't in as small a minority as you think

 

[Arlo]

Avatar blew Star Trek out of the galaxy. Not just because of great effects, but I didn't leave the theater having to fill in all the plot holes and explain any ridiculous coincidences, etc.

Oh really? Ok, for starts:

- Waterfalls on floating mountains. Where did the water come from?
- Rodriguez commits mutiny/disobeys orders, and yet back at the base isn't thrown in the brig?
- Mechas holding guns. WTF?
- If they wanted the Unobtanium, why not just GO AND TAKE IT? Why waste time/resources Dancing with Natives and blowing up things that don't achieve that goal?
- Magic glass: At one point, arrows bounce off cockpit glass. At the end battle, they go right through.

 

[stj]

Are there any cliches about environmentalism vs industry, colonialism and multinational corporations, cowboys vs indians that were not used in this movie?

Of course there are.

Environmentalism vs. industry movies seem like they are always centered around the struggle to reveal the dastardly effects of industrial contamination, none of which is a part of Avatar.

Colonialism and multinational corporations are not associated in movies at all, certainly not often enough to be considered cliche. Colonialism movies almost always have a decent government official struggling for a wiser policy, and none of that is a part of Avatar. Multinational skullduggery amongst the third world nations is usually portrayed as far as I can remember as corruption of the local government, or misusing the military for their own ends. Again, neither is a part of Avatar.

And as for cowboys vs. Indians?

In the vast majority of cowboy movies, the Indians are the villains. In a few, like Cheyenne Autumn or Light in the Forest, they are tragically doomed to fall to a superior culture. In an even fewer number of movies, the right thing for the hero to do is to betray his race. Little Big Man, Soldier Blue and Dances with Wolves are not so many movies (we are talking about in forty years!) that it is sensible to use the word cliche.

Not getting into the story because the moral is offensive is not "boring."

 

[Brit]

You aren't in as small a minority as you think

Oh I think you all can see exactly the minority, just by looking at the top of this page, but just incase you need more here are the numbers from Box Office Mojo.

Readers A- (2612 votes)
Your Grade Log in
GRADE BREAKDOWN
As: 2,228 85.3%
Bs: 187 7.2%
Cs: 55 2.1%
Ds: 30 1.1%
Fs: 112 4.3%

Brit

 

[Gojira]

Finally saw Avatar last night with my wife and we both equally loved it and didn't want the movie to end! I was afraid the movie would not live up to the hype and I was very surprised that it exceeded my expectations. I really loved it and can't wait to own it on DVD!

 

[Star Wolf]

You aren't in as small a minority as you think

Oh I think you all can see exactly the minority, just by looking at the top of this page, but just incase you need more here are the numbers from Box Office Mojo.

Readers A- (2612 votes)
Your Grade Log in
GRADE BREAKDOWN
As: 2,228 85.3%
Bs: 187 7.2%
Cs: 55 2.1%
Ds: 30 1.1%
Fs: 112 4.3%

Brit

Like Jim Rome says, Scoreboard!

 

[Bisz]

There was clapping after Sherlock Holmes during the week day the week after it came out.

I was in a hurry, but come now, I'm sure you know what I meant.

It was a weekday and it was the week after it debued, meaning that it hadn't just opened and the people seeing it weren't diehards.

 

[Bisz]

- Waterfalls on floating mountains. Where did the water come from?
- Rodriguez commits mutiny/disobeys orders, and yet back at the base isn't thrown in the brig?
- Mechas holding guns. WTF?
- If they wanted the Unobtanium, why not just GO AND TAKE IT? Why waste time/resources Dancing with Natives and blowing up things that don't achieve that goal?
- Magic glass: At one point, arrows bounce off cockpit glass. At the end battle, they go right through.

Point by point:

- Where does rain come from, I mean come on, everyone knows that water falls down, so how the heck does rain get all the way up to the clouds?
- They are a private security force, not a military, so its not mutiny. Half valid point here I guess.
- In exactly what Anime do mechs NOT hold guns, or swords?
- I thought they explained this several times and I would think its obvious. Why kill hundreds of people and blow stuff up if you could get the same result by peaceful means? They tried negociation, it failed, THEN they went to blow stuff up.
- Point.


You got 1.5/5. Not that great :S

 

[Trekker4747]

There was clapping after Sherlock Holmes during the week day the week after it came out.

I was in a hurry, but come now, I'm sure you know what I meant.

It was a weekday and it was the week after it debued, meaning that it hadn't just opened and the people seeing it weren't diehards.

Actually, I didn't know what you meant, hence the confusion.

 

[CaptainCanada]

- In exactly what Anime do mechs NOT hold guns, or swords?

His point being (and I wondered about this too) why not just build the guns into the mechas (theoretically, I suppose, they could hold more than just weapons, but I'm sure you could mount the guns while still keeping hands.

Overall, I liked it; voted Above Average. The story was, as everyone has said, very familiar, but a familiar story told well resonates, and I think this did. I'd grown to care a lot about the characters by the end, even if I was aware they're pretty standard ones by this point. And the effects and the realization of the world was fantastic.

This is the second movie I've seen in 3D (Up was the first), and this one did a much better job of selling the concept, though it can still be a bit of a pain (wearing the 3D glasses over other glasses is particularly difficult).

Worthington's accent was shaky in a few places, but he did his job: be the empathetic everyman. Zoe Saldana was really terrific in an all-CGI performance; it's a bit of a shame she won't get the same type of visibility the other actors will get as a result of this. Lang was good as the very 1D villain.

I sure hope that those two human nerds staying behind are gay, or else that there a few very open-minded Na'vi ladies, otherwise they're going to get lonely.