The Avatar paradox.

[DonIago]

What does your first sentence have to do with the second?

I liked the film, and I still do, even as I recognize the plot isn't exactly treading on new ground (but I'm willing to see what the sequels have to offer there!). My biggest frustration is that they released an extended edition that, for me, improves the story a bit, but didn't realize that one in 3D. I have a 3D TV (yes, yes, I know...), so this actually does matter to me.

 

[CorporalCaptain]

People hated it so much they went and made it the #1 bestselling Blu-Ray of all time (before the 3D Blu-ray even came out).

I loved it so much that I didn't buy it.

 

[Relayer1]

Cameron is way over represented in my list of favourite movies at 2 and 3 with Terminator and Aliens, but from Titanic onwards, he seems to be using poor or inconsequential stories as vehicles for technical spectaculars, big messages or both.

You don't make a complete movie that way...

 

[DonIago]

I'm very conflicted on Titanic, and likely biased because I was a bit of a "Titanic" buff a decade before the film came out. To me seeing the ship and the historical events recreated in such detail was a tremendous experience, and when I rewatch the film, it's that more than the story that holds my interest.

I don't exactly have that excuse with Avatar, so there must be other reasons why I rewatch that.

 

[M'rk son of Mogh]

The only thing I don’t understand is why Avatar seems to be the champion of unoriginal storytelling when you can make that argument for most any movie made.

 

[Relayer1]

I'm very conflicted on Titanic, and likely biased because I was a bit of a "Titanic" buff a decade before the film came out. To me seeing the ship and the historical events recreated in such detail was a tremendous experience, and when I rewatch the film, it's that more than the story that holds my interest.

I don't exactly have that excuse with Avatar, so there must be other reasons why I rewatch that.

Same here. I spent some time researching it and it's sister ships when Ballard first found the wreck.

My main interest in watching it is the events and 'real' characters.

 

[Saul]

I only watched the movie once. I have no interest to watch it again or the sequel. I always felt a large part of it's success was the hype surrounding the return of 3D to cinemas and this film being unlike any other before. It was also his film to follow Titanic. With Marvel and star Wars around the never coming sequels interest no one.

 

[Mr. Adventure]

Cameron is way over represented in my list of favourite movies at 2 and 3 with Terminator and Aliens, but from Titanic onwards, he seems to be using poor or inconsequential stories as vehicles for technical spectaculars, big messages or both.

Are you sure those weren't documentaries?

 

[Ethros]

Loved it then, love it now

 

[Q2UnME]

AVATAR is currently showing on HBO; watched it again last night. Visuals still holdup extremely well, even in up-scaled 4K. That being said, the plot is thin and predictable. I sill enjoyed myself though.

Q2

 

[Noname Given]

IDK - I thought "Pocahontas...IN SPACE"...er, I mean Avatar was okay. It was anything but original, and I don't think the "message" was rather heavy handed; and it really wasn't original - but hey, mpst stories that really resonate with people, aren't original either.

I think Cameron missed his shot at making a really financially successful sequel (if they ever ultimately do). It's 9, going on 10 years since the original was in theaters.

 

[crookeddy]

I loved it so much that I didn't buy it.

You must be cool.

 

[GreenDragonKnight]

Wow... I didn't expect this many replies so soon!

But, here's what I think: Titanic , of course, came out in '97 and was an unbelievable success. 9 years go by, and suddenly, out of the blue word gets out that Cameron is back with something completely new and spreads like wildfire and everyone sees the trailer and of course it looks really interesting so people start flooding the theaters, buying the tickets like crazy, it destroys all previous box office records and then...
Then the initial hype dies out, and everyone's like, uh, what exactly was all the fuss about...?

As with Dances With Wolves (a.k.a. Avatar part I), it was a huge success at first but did not withstand the test of time. Not like the Godfather or Casablanca or some of these classics that are still, decades later loved and respected - and rightly so - Dances With Avatars/story of the poor suffering 12'-tall blue Indians who need a great white savior to come save them was just a flash in the pan.

 

[CorporalCaptain]

You must be cool.

I totally am, but on the other hand one's opinion on Avatar is hardly the deciding factor.

 

[LJones41]

And yet, all kinds of mediocre to garbage movies, including the Harry Potter series, the DCEU (yes, Wonder Woman included), the latest Star Trek and Star Wars, etc., regularly get called "great."

And a lot of MCU films as well.

But what is mediocre and garbage to some is great to others. So . . . to declare a movie as garbage or great as a fact is contradictory.

And I'm a she, not a he.

 

[OCD Geek]

Dances With Avatars/story of the poor suffering 12'-tall blue Indians who need a great white savior to come save them was just a flash in the pan.

Oh, Avatar definitely has a white savior problem. On the other hand, a big budget tentpole sci-fi franchise where the humans are, by and large, the bad guys fascinates me.

 

[DonIago]

That I'm willing to rewatch Avatar on occasion indicates that, for me at least, it has withstood the test of time to at least some degree.

I have an expansive film collection including movies I've only watched once...if that.

 

[crookeddy]

Wow... I didn't expect this many replies so soon!

But, here's what I think: Titanic , of course, came out in '97 and was an unbelievable success. 9 years go by, and suddenly, out of the blue word gets out that Cameron is back with something completely new and spreads like wildfire and everyone sees the trailer and of course it looks really interesting so people start flooding the theaters, buying the tickets like crazy, it destroys all previous box office records and then....

Yup, that isn't what happened though. Avatar had a soft opening weekend of $75 million. The people that did see it loved it though, and word of mouth gave it another $75 million weekend, and then another. There was legitimate OBSESSION with this movie. There were reports of people becoming depressed that Pandora isn't real.

And then it all went away, and hardly anyone admits to having liked Avatar.

Weirdly, this is the exact same thing that happened with Titanic...

 

[DonIago]

People can't abide (perceived) greatness in their midst.Easier to tear something down than to admit it might actually deserve some degree of respect.

 

[CorporalCaptain]

Yup, that isn't what happened though. Avatar had a soft opening weekend of $75 million. The people that did see it loved it though, and word of mouth gave it another $75 million weekend, and then another. There was legitimate OBSESSION with this movie. There were reports of people becoming depressed that Pandora isn't real.

And then it all went away, and hardly anyone admits to having liked Avatar.

Weirdly, this is the exact same thing that happened with Titanic...

Well, not exactly. With respect to Avatar's domestic gross, you were basically right about the first two weekends, but not the third, which was almost 10% down from $75M, thereafter to keep bleeding support, bit by bit.

http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?page=weekend&id=avatar.htm

If you switch and look at weekly gross, instead of focusing on weekend only, you can see the surge in the second week, from $137M in the first to $146M in the second, supporting your contention that interest surged because the word spread. But on the third week, it's down to $96M, and thereafter the gross kept falling, again bit by bit. By the twelfth week or so, its blockbuster days were done, and it was down to #5 and dropping.

http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?page=weekly&id=avatar.htm

The original Star Wars, on the other hand, was #1 for (at least) 30 consecutive weeks, in 1977 (assuming the few weeks here and there missing from the chart follow the trend; someone else can double-check this, if it matters). It didn't even peak until August, almost three months after initial release.

http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?page=weekly&id=starwars4.htm

(edit - Looks like theaters were still adding the film more or less right up until the peak performance.)