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

[Harvey]

Because it looks gorgeous. Honestly, I have a lot of problems with the plot, none of which have anything to do with the insulting notion that I'm offended by invaders being depicted as evil. But as far as visual spectacle goes, you'd be hard pressed to find a more satisfying film released in 2009.

 

[NIUPonyBoy]

Visually it is stunning, most of the time. It's just the visuals during the tree of life scenes and with all the smurfs on 'roids running around... just looks like a Pixar flick.

 

[Brit]

What was likable about it?

I loved the film, it was just what I have wanted to see on the screen for a long time. It was Science Fiction and Romance combined with a heroine in the mold of Rya Bennton, Chasida Bergren and Jorie Mikkalah.

I love it because it attracts all kinds of people especially those that always thought they wouldn't like Science Fiction. I love it because for once Science Fiction isn't catering to the demographic that thinks stories should be technology driven and not character driven.

I love it because it's opening doors not shutting people out.

Brit

 

[Lt. Trull]

so.... how will that effect Na'vi evolution... the intentional mixing of human and Na'vi dna...
going on the assumption that there will be a viable offspring from all the human/na'vi hybrids?

 

[Admiral Buzzkill]

Why?

Because it's a great movie.

What was likable about it?

Everything.

Next.

I love it because it attracts all kinds of people especially those that always thought they wouldn't like Science Fiction. I love it because for once Science Fiction isn't catering to the demographic that thinks stories should be technology driven and not character driven.

I love it because it's opening doors not shutting people out.

You know what you have to do to get "mundanes" to like a sci-fi movie?

Give them one with a story that isn't inbred fanboi crap. Even a transparently derivative one will do, as long as it's direct and well-told and there's an emotional core to it. The fanboisie don't particularly prize that kind of thing, but they also don't make monster hits out of movies.

 

[Harvey]

Everything? I think we can at least agree that James Horner's score was pretty average, no?

 

[Admiral Buzzkill]

Everything? I think we can at least agree that James Horner's score was pretty average, no?

I thought it was one of his better ones, rather than average - but either way, it was quite likeable.

You know, I don't hear much of anything in big movie scores of the last decade that really stands out to me as wonderful. A lot of it is good enough, but not brilliant. I liked Giacchino's score for Star Trek a lot - but it's not brilliant, nor are the scores for, oh, the Lord Of The Rings films. Seems that there was a lot more to get excited about, in this regard, in the 1980s than in the 2000s.

 

[Harvey]

Fair enough. I thought it was easily one of his least original scores, but I've never been a huge fan of Horner.

 

[Admiral Buzzkill]

Fair enough. I thought it was easily one of his least original scores, but I've never been a huge fan of Horner.

I'm not a fan of Horner either. I'm not a fan of McDonalds, but once in a great while - maybe four times a year or so - I enjoy a Quarter Pounder with Cheese. I'm not proud of that, but it's so.

 

[Harvey]

I've never been able to do McDonalds, certainly not since I was 12. But, for some reason, Burger King does the trick. Also not proud of that.

 

[Admiral Buzzkill]

You know, I used to like Burger King and I used to like Wendy's - to the extent that I really like "fast food" at all. Now I can't stand either. Did they change, or did my tastes?

The best fast food used to be Roy Rogers - actually still is, but it's a much smaller regional chain now rather than national.

 

[Harvey]

Yeah, I've never been to a Roy Rogers. I wonder if there are any out here in the northwest. And it's probably your taste that changed. When I was younger, there was a time when I remember Pizza Hut not tasting like cardboard, but it hasn't changed, and it sure tastes like cardboard now.

But, derailing the thread.

 

[RoJoHen]

Burger King is delicious, and they've been even more delicious because of this economic recession: they've had $1 double cheeseburgers for the last year!

 

[NIUPonyBoy]

BK, McD, Wendy's, etc Fast food in general is nasty. It was ok to me as a kid, which is more than likely why I was kinda fat then.

 

[Asbo Zaprudder]

Maybe if the RDA had bribed the Na'Vi with fast food, that would have worked. In any case, it might have made them too corpulent to be arsed to fight back.

 

[Kegg]

Horner's done worse ("Troy") and I liked the touch of people singing in Na'vi, so I actually rather liked his score for this film; though if Avatar is the next Star Wars he didn't exactly drown us in memorable leitmotifs like John Williams did.

Love McDonalds without shame, but I seldom go there for some reason.

 

[The Nth Doctor]

Simply put, Avatar is Fern Gully meets Dances with Wolves with a heavy dose of coincidences, contrivances, stereotypes, and predictables, all covered in James Cameron jerk-off special effects. Complete with telling, not showing scriptwriting. A pity because it was visually beautiful, had a few interesting concepts, and a solid cast, but the writing and execution were horrible.

*Emphasis mine.

Huh? I don't get the hate for James Cameron sometimes, with all due respect. I understand you didn't like Avatar as much as others but what exactly constitutes as "jerk-off special effects"? I'm a little confused. Does jerk-off equate to underdeveloped or underutilized special effects or an overabundance of special effects? Or just James Cameron sitting around in a computer graphics bay jerking off while telling the technician to "add more"...

I thought the special effects were the highlight of Avatar. They were incredibly photorealistic and it gave the proceedings a heightened sense of reality. The attention to detail was impeccable and it was a really immersive moviegoing experience. I had plenty of story qualms (your comparisons to Fern Gully and Dances With Wolves are adept) but I thought the special effects were really extraordinary.

I especially admired the way Cameron staged them, too. Unlike a lot of other directors who handle special effects-laden blockbusters (like, say, Michael Bay for example) the visuals were crystal clear and the imagery was well-cut and well-presented. I had a firm grasp as to what was happening. Cameron always had a really good grip on how to geographically and visually stage an action sequence, for example, and he once again proves that in Avatar.

So, I'm just confused. What was Cameron jerking off with the special effects? Or, more so, how?

Sorry for the late reply. I've been rather busy the last few days.

Don't get me wrong about the special effects, they are beautiful, even unprecedented in some places, but the feeling I got out of the film was that it was more about "Ooooo! Look at all of the gorgeous images" to the point where the story took a back seat. I felt like Cameron cared much more about showing off his special effects abilities than telling a story. I'm not going to get into an argument about the script itself, but that's how I feel about the special effects.

 

[Admiral Buzzkill]

It was ok to me as a kid, which is more than likely why I was kinda fat then.

Maybe. I'm more fit than I was when I was younger, and it's pretty much without respect to what I eat - only how much.

 

[Lt. Trull]

Burger King is delicious, and they've been even more delicious because of this economic recession: they've had $1 double cheeseburgers for the last year!

I prefer bk's $1 double CB....
ever since I found out it costs them more to make the burger then they are selling it for....

 

[T'Baio]

So their pushing back Clash Of The Titans a week so they have time to 3D it. The studio is trying to convince Michael Bay to make Transformers 3-D (what a nightmare that would be). Len Wiseman is making another Underworld...in 3D. The last two Harry Potters are gonna' be in 3D.

And they laughed at Cameron when he said Avatar would be a game changer.

Who's laughing now?