So suddenly NOT watching Avatar has made me the social outcast.

[Pyro Paul]

So now I am shunned because A. I haven't seen Avatar and B. I am not facinated by pretty things that can be made on the computer for a sci-fi movie.

What is going on? can I just not win?

because you are a loser.
to make a blanket statement such as 'It is made on computer' just screams of your ignorance on the subject. your nonsensical standpoint on the subject is much like questoning weither the moon exists or stating that the world is flat. you shouldn't wonder why you garner scorne from people.

Most of it was made with computers. Sure, there were actors, but most of the movie was still just animation made with computers. also, insults? really? are we all five years old?

so by that logic;
the Mona Lisa was made with Just paint...
the Pantheon was made with Just Concrete...
both of these objects are in no way special or unique and are equially worthless.

the medium something was made with does not denote the quality of the end product.



and of course insults, lest you wish to baby ignorance and let it fester.

 

[chickenlord]

god...what do people see in avatar?! it wasn't that great...aparently im in the minority that didn't love it...

 

[Hazy]

They brand you for not watching the movie?

...

How old are these people, again?

 

[Hurr Durr Derp]

If you're a social outcast for not watching a movie, it's a safe bet you already were a social outcast to begin with.

 

[Lamppenkeyboard]

It's an artificial language that nobody speaks, outside of a few bored people with nothing better to do. Much like Klingon. It's not exactly the kind of thing you'd brag about at a party. "I speak Na'vi!" /blank stares at your useless talent

english is an artifical language, and several hundred years ago nobody spoke it... now look at it, it is the most widely recognized language in the world.

So we are all going to be speaking Na'vi?

 

[Ashhearth]

Meh I deal with those kinds of kids at school all the time. The trick is to just either not answer any questions they put to you and totally ignore them (which I find hilarious when they're trying to cheat off me) or politely tell them to go away and say that you have some really important homework due and you want to get it done. Personally I like the 1st option but then again I have a sick kind of humor.

 

[Warushi]

Seems like a waste of brain waves to keep caring about what these people think of you. It's you that makes you, not their opinions. There's no reason that you should be living your life through their eyes. And don't say that you're not, because you caring about their opinions and stressing yourself because they don't 'accept' you is exactly what living through is.

Simply put, you shouldn't care what anybody else says. Only you can control you, nobody else.

 

[Monkeytacoz]

you haven't seen Avatar? you aren't missing much

 

[Melon Hunter]

Perhaps just not be overbearing on other people's opinions? OK, so you're being criticised for not seeing the movie, but overreacting by judging the movie based on Internet hearsay will get you nowhere.

I really enjoyed the film.
I'm not understanding why people are griping about it, especially when they haven't seen it.
"I heard about it from this kid I know, so I know it's bad."
When it comes to movies: That's one of the stupidest thing I've heard.

The visual effects were breathtaking, and the story took themes and characterizations from other works and combined them in a really awesome way into a great, fun story. A fresh, visually stunning, and entertaining take on older themes.
Geez, some people ***** about "originality" more then an introverted goth kid bitches about individuality.
Get over it and enjoy yourself.

And I second this. I find it hard to understand why, of all the people I know who have seen it, loved it, and yet on the Escapist there seems to be a lot of people who disliked or downright hated it. Even if you take the whole 'Dances with Smurfs' arguement into account, it's not like the plot was bad - there's no gaping plot holes.

 

[meece]

To be honest while it may not be 100% original....what is?

It's like calling an FPS unoriginal for giving you crosshairs and a healthbar and an RTS for having SOME method of collecting resources.

What that doesn't stop is me going out and saying "ooh this is a great film". But hey it's like watching something you don't think you'll like when everyone else (in terms of the general population) is saying it's good..... because you could well be wrong and never know how much you're missing out because you don't know because you never watched it.

To keep with the game analogies: it's like saying Halo ripped off a whole bunch of other games and is shit without ever having seen it or played it....without playing it YOU'LL NEVER KNOW!

<----(doesn't actually like Halo that much...but it IS a good analogy)

 

[benbenthegamerman]

So now I am shunned because A. I haven't seen Avatar and B. I am not facinated by pretty things that can be made on the computer for a sci-fi movie.

What is going on? can I just not win?

because you are a loser.
to make a blanket statement such as 'It is made on computer' just screams of your ignorance on the subject. your nonsensical standpoint on the subject is much like questoning weither the moon exists or stating that the world is flat. you shouldn't wonder why you garner scorne from people.

Most of it was made with computers. Sure, there were actors, but most of the movie was still just animation made with computers. also, insults? really? are we all five years old?

so by that logic;
the Mona Lisa was made with Just paint...
the Pantheon was made with Just Concrete...
both of these objects are in no way special or unique and are equially worthless.

the medium something was made with does not denote the quality of the end product.



and of course insults, lest you wish to baby ignorance and let it fester.

did i say it was worthless crap? no, i said it was mostly made with computers. I thought it was beautiful, but when push comes to shove, it was just a really big animated movie with actual actors. Not that that is bad.

 

[dasUnbekannte]

You know, the story wasn't original, but it wasn't AWFUL. It was very pretty and does the CGI very well. Normally CGI anything bugs me because it just looks so wrong and artificial but they did something right making this, the rendering is spot on.

If you've ever done anything with rendering or have any interest in it, it's entertaining if only to look at how well it's been done.

I really don't get the animosity for it.

 

[DigitalJedl]

I really enjoyed the film.
I'm not understanding why people are griping about it, especially when they haven't seen it.
"I heard about it from this kid I know, so I know it's bad."
When it comes to movies: That's one of the stupidest thing I've heard.

The visual effects were breathtaking, and the story took themes and characterizations from other works and combined them in a really awesome way into a great, fun story. A fresh, visually stunning, and entertaining take on older themes.
Geez, some people ***** about "originality" more then an introverted goth kid bitches about individuality.
Get over it and enjoy yourself.

This is the post you're looking for.

 

[RagingScottsman]

I also get funny looks for not having watched Avatar. My reason for not watching it is that I'm morally opposed to 3d movies.

 

[Treblaine]

It seems I just cannot win. People ask me questions about Star Wars, Star Trek, Transformers, Stargate, computers; then they label me the nerd. I didn't go around talking to them about it. They asked me about the specifications of the PS3 vs the 360. I didn't just bring it up at random. I didn't go around telling people that HDMI is better than component, they asked me.

So they asked me about Avatar and I tell them that I haven't seen it. Now they are calling me weird because I haven't seen it. They said that the story is good, so I tell them that the story has already been done before, and that the only reason they think the movie is good is because of the computer graphics, where I estimate 10 minutes of what happens on screen was actually filmed, and the rest was rendered using a computer.

So now I am shunned because A. I haven't seen Avatar and B. I am not facinated by pretty things that can be made on the computer for a sci-fi movie.

What is going on? can I just not win?

Avatar is a good movie because, well, it's a James Cameron Action movie and he does action movies VERY well.

This is a fun film and stop being so stuck up and snooty with your "oooh the story isn't original" who cares, it's a GOOD story. The narrative is not driven forward by the plot but by the CHARACTERS and the FEEL of the film. And I'm calling BULLSHIT to all those who think this is a "message" film, no, this is an action adventure film and a great one that only the most cold hearted republican couldn't enjoy.

I am MUCH more right leaning, hippie hating sort and I loved this film precisely because considering the subject matter it DOESN'T preach... at least not too much.

This is one of those films that is easy to hate - but mainly by those who haven't actually seen it but just don't like the concept. See Moviebob's review for the "Escape to the Movie" section of The Escapist, he pretty much nails why this is a great movie you should see.

I mean you have to see this film just for what I at least consider an all time greatest villain, Colonel Quaritch. Man, he is up there with Darth Vader and the T-800 Terminator as classic "Badass badguys" that they're so cool you wish they were on your side.

I know a lot of people wish Cameron would just make another Terminator sequel, after all killer cybernetic robots is not film premise you can poo-poo as easily as Avatar. But I have to say Avatar has all the flair and sense of excitement, conflict and danger as his classic Terminator and Aliens films.

I mean the final fight between Colonel Quaritch and ... oh so many spoilers... anyway, he's a badass and our hero has to step it up a whole other notch to win.

This is a problem with many directors, they are hated because they won't make JUST the film people want them to make. Mark Kermode has been a little ***** about every Tarantino film since 'Jackie Brown' because Kermode wants another 'Jackie Brown' and can't learn to appreciate films like Ingourious basterds for what they are. I know people that DETEST 'True Lies' because it wasn't a dour and serious look at Islamic Terrorism but instead went a satirical route, but in many ways the film was better off for that.

 

[The DSM]

In a society this shit, you dont want to win, just get ready for the Zombie Apocalypse and this forum is going to ride it out together and start a new society.

One that doesnt suck.

 

[Treblaine]

Well A Fistful of Dollars ripped off the plot from Yojimbo. Does that make A Fistful of Dollars a bad movie and not worth watching? I don't think so.

How many times has the buddy cop thing been done and redone? Often with incredibly similar plots. News flash: it's not about the plot it's about the CHARACTERS, how they interact and bounce off each other can be more interesting that the drug smugglers or arms dealers they are actually tracking down. Rush Hour is an example that comes to mind, the movie comes to a shuddering halt when they realise they have to advance the plot (to spite how contradictory that sounds).

Star Wars is incredibly unoriginal to the point where "A heroes journey" uses it as an example of a film that almost perfectly fits the template.

I think people are using the "Dances with Smurfs" argument of un-originality as a lame excuse for them not having to see what is a great James Cameron film (you know, the guy that directed Aliens and Terminator 2!) because there is a chance the film MIGHT challenge certain beliefs they hold.

I think somehow a lot of people have got it into their heads this is some lefty-liberal-hippie-tree-hugging-fern-gully-white-guilt-everything-red-blooded-males-hate kind of film, and going into that I certainly had a slight worry it would be that but no, it's just about as FAR AWAY from that as the basic premise would allow.

To be honest I got that same kind of feeling with Avatar as I get with Star Wars; sure the Empire is evil and you're rooting for the Rebels but damn it Darth Vader is cool, those Storm-trooper uniforms are cool, those imperial walkers are cool. Nothing worse than a lame villain.

Now the humans here are really cool, especially the mechs, I'm surprised it has taken so long for a film to do mechs this well.

Avatar is such a great film and it just pisses me off that people are getting so stuck up about it.