Escape to the Movies: Avatar

[Cosplay Horatio]

By the way, where can I get one of those voice amplifiers that sounds like a proton pack when you start it up? That thing is awesome![/quote]

My god, you're so right about deviantart. As much as I love that site, there's just too many people turning all your favourite videogame characters into gay porn stars.

Nice review as always.

Our favorite movie, tv show, and anime characters too.


I'm still not sure about seeing it but I know when I do watch Avatar it will be this weekend or wait till the DVD is released and rent it for 2 bucks or rent from Netflix.

 

[Rigs83]

I REALLY want to see this film!

I really just did, in Imax 3D and I am really going to see it again.

 

[ssgt splatter]

Heh. I liked the little disclaimers at the begining and end of the clip.

The one about 2012 was pretty funny too.

 

[Chunko]

Hey guys can anyone tell me if there are any spoilers in this video. I don't want to see it if there are any spoilers.

 

[slabomeat]

It looks fun and entertaining, but im still not sold yet. Looks like i'll just get a pirated version.

 

[Kimarous]

I'm sorry, but no... just... no. There is no way I'm going to see this movie, or at the very least, pay to see it. As another poster aptly put it, it's friggin' "Gears of War" in it's execution: absolutely stunning in it's execution, but strip away the pretty graphics and you get a bland piece of dry toast. Anyone who claims this is a "good" movie is nothing more than a graphics whore in my eyes. Oh, and the whole "weaker story helps prevent distraction from the visuals"... look no further than "Lord of the Rings" to see how absolutely warped that logic is.

 

[OmegaXIII]

i saw the movie yesterday
the story was not original - but very well told
other then that, it was the most visually amazing movie i have every seen
and one of the best movies i have seen in years

cant recommend it highly enough

This, heavily emphasised. I had no expectations going into this movie (i went to the theatre to see Law Abiding Citizen but was late!) and ended up absolutely blown away. Who cares if it's not original, bugger all is anymore.

 

[Rigs83]

Although your review gives the movie praise I still hesitate to see this movie because the overall plot seems so generic and uninteresting.

Good review though, it definitely gave me second thoughts about judging the movie by its overdone advertising campaign and horribly mediocre video game release.

Did you miss the part where he said that the plot wasn't really the point? It was pretty much everything between "stop the dances with smurfs gags" and "don't spend months debating whether you'd shag a Na'Vi".

I don't want to see this movie, there is going to be so many different scenes where I'll have to call bullshit.

I know these movies by trailer now and I hate that.

You'll have to call bullshit? What do you mean you know them by trailer?

I think Mr. Grey means to say that he can't enjoy anything unless it either fails miserably at the box office or is boring. Think the German Art Critic from SNL.

 

[Rigs83]

Wow, this is the first time I heard of the Dances with Smurfs thing. Because I am dirt poor this holiday season, I'll probably not going to see this in theatres. But in 3 months, I'll definitely pick it up.

It's one of those movies that will sucks at home unless you have an insane home theater and will still suck because the 3d TVs sets are still mostly in the prototype phase.

 

[Croaker42]

First person with the strength to pull me out will be crowned the king of England. (j/k)

OT; Bob you may have swayed my thoughts on this just enough to give this film a chance.

 

[Rigs83]

So, according to moviebob, we should ignore the poor story telling and archetypal characters (which are somehow able to be 'well developed') just because it has really cool graphics?
I may be wrong, and correct me if I am, don't people usual complain if a movie focuses more on visuals than story? Isn't that one of the reasons (other than his supposed 'oral praise' of the U.S. armed forces)that some many on the Escapist ,Moviebob included, despise Micheal Bay to the point of wishing the man dead?

"Avatar" is more of a watershed type of movie. Think of "the Jazz Singer" that introduced sound, "Star Wars" that introduced computer controlled cameras or "Matrix" that introduced bullet time and finally "Toy Story" for CGI movies. "Avatar" introduces truly immersive 3D and future directors will take it and run with it to make a "Citizen Kane" or "Empire Strikes Back" level films since now they are free of the burden of creating the technology and can just use it as they see fit.

We need a simple movie that has a very broad appeal to ensure the success not only of the film but of the style or technique used. I personally loved it (and no I will not do a Na'Vi) and want to see it again to see what I missed.

 

[soladrin]

yeaaa.. still not going to the theatres for it.

 

[Spiner909]

All these details I don't know about got me rather confused, but I was going to see the film anyway so I definitely will now.

 

[DaxStrife]

Well, I kinda expected the movie to turn out like Bob said.
What I consider the new debate sparked by this movie is how the d-bag crowd (you know the ones) will lust over the CGI girl and still call furries "fags."
In fact, that's what really creeps me out over this movie: Cameron himself came out and said he wanted males to be lusting over his CGI girl-thing, which someone makes the whole thing seem really skeezy.

 

[Rigs83]

I'm sorry, but no... just... no. There is no way I'm going to see this movie, or at the very least, pay to see it. As another poster aptly put it, it's friggin' "Gears of War" in it's execution: absolutely stunning in it's execution, but strip away the pretty graphics and you get a bland piece of dry toast. Anyone who claims this is a "good" movie is nothing more than a graphics whore in my eyes. Oh, and the whole "weaker story helps prevent distraction from the visuals"... look no further than "Lord of the Rings" to see how absolutely warped that logic is.

Film is a visual medium and the whole point of this film is to usher in a new technology the same way "The Jazz Singer" did with sound and "Toy Story" did with CGI. Every now and then Hollywood needs to reveal a new innovation to get people back in the theaters like Technicolor, CinemaScope and THX. If the film does well we will get a bunch of mediocre copycat films but as the cost goes down you'll see some true innovation and maybe a "Citizen Kane" will emerge.

As for the story of course it's the same hero of a thousand faces rehash we have seen a hundreds times before but we watch it because we like to see it told in new-ish ways. Not every movie has to be the best ever to be worth the ticket.

 

[RebelRising]

Why did I have to wait over a minute for the actual review to start?

 

[twistedmic]

So, according to moviebob, we should ignore the poor story telling and archetypal characters (which are somehow able to be 'well developed') just because it has really cool graphics?
I may be wrong, and correct me if I am, don't people usual complain if a movie focuses more on visuals than story? Isn't that one of the reasons (other than his supposed 'oral praise' of the U.S. armed forces)that some many on the Escapist ,Moviebob included, despise Micheal Bay to the point of wishing the man dead?

"Avatar" is more of a watershed type of movie. Think of "the Jazz Singer" that introduced sound, "Star Wars" that introduced computer controlled cameras or "Matrix" that introduced bullet time and finally "Toy Story" for CGI movies. "Avatar" introduces truly immersive 3D and future directors will take it and run with it to make a "Citizen Kane" or "Empire Strikes Back" level films since now they are free of the burden of creating the technology and can just use it as they see fit.

We need a simple movie that has a very broad appeal to ensure the success not only of the film but of the style or technique used. I personally loved it (and no I will not do a Na'Vi) and want to see it again to see what I missed.

While I haven't seen the 'Jazz Singer' I have seen both 'Star Wars' and 'The Matrix', the original 'Star Wars' trilogy had a decent story and memorable fleshed out characters and focused on story rather than special effects. The Matrix had an original story, if not truly well defined characters, and again focused more on the story than the effects. True, 'Star Wars' and 'Matrix' and their visual effects moments and did pioneer certain technologies, but that wasn't the entire reason that they were made and that's why, I think, they are such memorable movies.
Avatar, on the other hand, seems like it's merely a chance for Cameron to show off all of his pretty and expensive toys (much like Lucas with the prequel Star Wars trilogy).

 

[gigastrike]

Do her? Hell no! That nose is weird!