Visually it is truly the most incredible spectacle committed to film. However the story was thin and unoriginal and the first half of the script was appalling. Lazy use of, and overly lengthy, voice over for exposition, including one random line of voice over from no where about two thirds of the way in. Script writing 101 is show it, don't say it.
Just because it's the highest grossing doesn't mean it's well made. Pretty to my eyes, a creative vacuum to my brain.
This Movie is basically Pocahontas. But in stunning 3D.
by far better in 3D
There are many flaws with the story line, but the back story is so pedestrian it is hard to forgive even with all the CGI involved into this production. The indigenous culture is so cliche, it is cringing every time their characters are talking, walking or just interacting with the scenery. If you add to this, a love story and a banal rivalry with the heir to the clan, it become yet another worthless plot. Everything is there to get your hormones pumped up like any other David vs Goliath meets Romeo and Juliette. It was painful to watch the first time, and it is even more so 8 years on.
Sure, if you don't want to think about the story, it is entertaining, but otherwise this is pretty much as shit as you can get with a big budget.
Pocahontas in space
I know what you are saying and I can appreciate weird names, my point with the mineral was that it was impossibly hard to get, it was unobtainable... it's Unobtainium. I wasn't thinking about it from scientific naming conventions, I just thought it was heavy handed and a bit silly.
As I said the term has already been long been used as catch all for minerals etc that are exactly that, rare and near impossible to find, but they still all have real names that are [usually] derived from something particular to their structure. It's like naming a small country in Asia, Asia. It's counter intutive as you would be constantly clarifying what it was you were refering to. That's all I meant by that they wouldn't actually call it that, and the scientific people there would have known what it was really called. It was for the audience.
I think it just hit me in the same neurons as when you see films with variations of scenes like;
"Gentleman, as you already know... blah blah blah explain the whole plan"
If they already know, why are you telling them?! It's poor exposition aimed squarely at the audience and totally pulls me out of the scene.
I do totally, totally get that it's a movie though. I just get passionate about the medium :)
I just found the first half hour of Avatar to be littered with clunky exposition, some really bad dialogue, and things like that that I admit really did taint the rest of the film for me. I will give it a second viewing sometime and see if now the hype has worn off it sits any better.
woo, got my rant on there! :)
dunpealhunter:
The story is almost beat for beat the highlights of the accounts of the Pocahontas and John Smith story as we have grown to know it (it's up for debate), a point that has been made from many, many quarters. Amongst others, Disney have had a crack at the story as has auteur Terrence Malick. Watch "Pocahontas" and "The New World", both are dramatised accounts of there in relationship and the the founding of Jamestown and . Scratch the surface of that relationship and there is Avatar.
Also using with the name "Unobtainium" for the mineral/MacGuffin that was sort was for the lowest common denomiator in audience. A mineral would never actually be called that. It might refered to as that to a total lay person as it is a colloquial term, but they weren't. I'm pretty sure that wasn't the point at which I wanted to punch James Cameron in the nuts, but it didn't help.
My 2c. Feel free to disagree, discussion livens things up. I'm going to steadily work through everything I've seen and see if we can't get some engaging movement in these shouts. We are here because we love movies, lets talk about. Staying within constructive bounds of course, degenerating misses the point. Again my 2c.
Watched this at the movie theater back in 2009 and gave it a try at home this year: while the 3D effects are still OK (although not that impressive anymore after having seen quite a few other action flicks with decent 3D effects since 2009), the story is just too flat, as are all the characters IMHO, to let it stand out besides all the other mediocre action flicks available!
Take a look a the original Matrix movie: this provided mind-blowing action sequences (for the time it was released) and still managed to provide a story and characters one cares about. Avatar is nowhere near that level of brilliance and for me a perfect example of Cameron flick that is hyped and provides no real sustenance.
The only good thing about this movie are its visual effects and maaaaaybe soundtrack. Everything else sucks. The plot is especially bad.
'Forgettable' is the less insulting adjective i was able to find for this movie. I mean it's obviously pretty bland and boring, the story, the characters and all. Yeah the special effect are decent, but nothing truly amazing as the industry advertisers wanted to make us believe... I honestly wouldn't even suggest the one-time watch. It's just a disappointment and, at times, an insult to the spectator intelligence.
ps: i'm a fan of this kind of sci-fi/fantasy movies (as well as other genres) and i've watched many great examples of it. If a movie is well executed i'll like it is so regardless the genre, and i'll like it regardless. So don't even think i'm giving a bad review because i don't like the genre. Accept the fact that the movie is objectively mediocre.
So very Hollywood fairy tale of good and love. Visually beautiful, innovative and wonderful to watch in the format in 4DX. But very schematic plots.
The film reminds me of a few real life atrocities, but especially of the infiltration, manipulation and murders of the Native American Osage people for their oil in the 1920s... if you steal a bowl, warp the material a bit, then paint over it, is it the same bowl? Is it any less stolen? Cui bono? Still, nice CGI.
When I saw it on the 3D Cinema I thought that it was the best movie I have ever saw. When I saw it in bluray I discover that some of the amazing 3D scenes are boring in 2D and, paying more attention to the script, I tought it's kind of a "meh". This movie could have been shorter too.
It reminded me of cowboys and Indians but with blue aliens. That said the plot left a lot to be desired but the cgi was really beautiful and a great representation of what cgi is capable of.
stunning visuals but a very weak writing and storytelling. absolutely overrated in my opinion
Hate this film. Can explain why in many words. Don't want to waste even more time than I already did while actually watching the thing.
Was okay the first time but I've seen it sooooooooooo many times so its just rubbish
Overrated.. (The most intresting thing in the movie was the CGI enviroments..)
I still remember sitting in the theatre, moaning to myself the question "when will this be over?" because, for the first hour and a half, it felt like a nature documentary. It was gorgeous but so devoid of plot. Then, finally, a plot emerged! But it was rushed and basic. More was put into the graphics than into making this a GOOD movie.
This is a bad Pocahontas remake
I saw Avatar once then it was first released on Bluray. Didn’t like it back than and after my rewatch 13 years later I still don’t.
This might as well be 'Pocahontas' in space.
The longer I watched it, the lower my rating for it got... and well, I quit at about halfway. It's pretty, but even that is not much of an advantage, as I feel like these scenarios are not exactly new? It honesly felt like your standard magical forest, and being high-res did not make up for the lack of creativity.
a visually beautiful yet forgettable and cliche white savior's wet dream.
What a piece of shit letdown. It's a simple, sad digest on racism and xenophobia - which is good - but it's told so badly, that even Rodney King did a better job at dismaying anyone from...anything? Effects, effects, effects, neon... It was not engaging and not worth anybody's time.
I have to agree with MajorMercyFLush and stryjewski. This movie is a snorefest. The amount of acclaim it recievs saddens me when shallow drivel like this is going to be held as a blueprint of successful filmaking.
It's nothing more than a set of video game like sequences sans the interactivity that makes video games appealing. So you can't interact with it, and the plot is for the lowest common denominator. Where does that leave it in my books? In the trash.
I'm not a movie buff by any stretch, I won't claim to hold knowledge in writing or rant about the scientific names of minerals. I'll just say the movie was blah. I don't even get where people claim it looked amazing visually, it just looked like a crapload of cgi to me.
The story itself is so weak I found myself bored for more then half of the 2 hour plus movie. The bad guys attack and win the first battle but the good guys regroup and win the war.... Isn't that every episode of the A-Team? Not one time does the movie surprise you with a turn of events outside your expectations. Don't get me started on the cartoonishly tough military leader or the final fight scene where the bad guy tells the good guy what he's about to do. How classic. I'm sure the fanboys will flame the hell out of this as apparently some see this movie as life changing. If this movie changed your life you need to get out more.
All flash, no payout. Horrible writing, generic, insulting story, and rehashed tropes. Disgusting.
A friend who I thought was pretty intelligent was all about this movie because he saw an anti-imperialism/colonialism/neoliberalism subtext to it. I just thought the movie made me dumber. Also on the colonial tip, if one were to read the film that way, it would reek of paternalism, that the savage can only resist with the support of the colonizer.
MAjorMercyFlush: good call on the pocahantas tip.
White Savior Syndrome: The Movie.
The wet dream of every white man with a savior complex.
Avatarrrr
Respect Indigenous uprising #landback
Checking the movie in the cinema tonight as they re-released it - this time in 4K 3D HFR Atmos. It is most definitely amazing to see it like this and a great way to refresh my memory in anticipation of the upcoming Avatar 2.
Predictable plot and flat characters but somehow you just have to see it all play out...probably because of the visuals. It's worth one watch at least. #ShiftvW8
This is the baddest ass movie I have ever seen! Best seen in blu ray or 3d!!
The first one was spectacular, not so the latest
Sigourney Weaver in bad shorts instead of party panties.
Favourite film of all time
Full of talented team for this movie maker.
I love this movie so much !!!!!!!
The special effects are great .
The sory is original .
It is just perfect !
Extended Cut is Best Cut
this movie is a lot like donuts. they look awesome, but there's nothing really there and too many will make you sick.
Shout by DeletedBlockedParent2013-04-23T01:06:56Z
Not to be missed ..