2009-12-20, 13:36 | Link #41 |
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Just got back from watching it. I have to say, the graphics and sfx were absolutely gorgeous. Everything seemed amazingly real even though you know it actually isn't. The expressions on the Omotekaya were excellently made as well. But apart from that, the movie's plot was nothing anyone hasn't already seen. In fact, 90% of it reminds me of Pocahontas. The fact that it's set in a sci-fi environment and its special effects are the only things that don't make the movie boring. It's worth a watch, iibh, but it's nothing special. The people who did the sfx deserve more credit than Cameron. True story.
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2009-12-20, 15:03 | Link #42 | |
Obey the Darkly Cute ...
Author
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: On the whole, I'd rather be in Kyoto ...
Age: 67
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But it is glorious eye-candy even if you're a veteran of sci-fi and MMOs. And for people who *aren't* familiar with sci-fi or MMOs -- it seems to be even more amazing than LOTR was to people who hadn't read the books and were unprepared.
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Last edited by Vexx; 2009-12-20 at 17:48. Reason: clarifying... I don't hate the film, I enjoyed it a lot. |
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2009-12-20, 16:06 | Link #43 |
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Yep, that's the only good thing about it, so much that it actually makes up for the lack of original plot. Few elements of it were original, I'll admit. I won't spoil it but in the end, it comes to the same conclusion as other stories we've heard of, so it's not really worth mentioning anyways. Like I said, the gfx and sfx are the only things that don't make the movie boring. Also, I'd like to say that this movie has to be seen on the big screens. Watching it on TV or a computer just doesn't do the sfx any justice.
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2009-12-20, 20:10 | Link #46 | |
カカシ
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Spoiler for Favourite bit:
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2009-12-20, 21:25 | Link #47 |
eyewitness
Join Date: Jan 2007
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As a veteran of sci-fi, kindof, I'd say Cameron read at least the following books/stories (or maybe he bought somebody who read them)
Spoiler:
The movie is definitely worth it for the visuals alone, although the cheesiness of the story (if you want to call it that, heh) is sometimes almost unbearable. Don't even think of watching it in monitor-o-rama. that would be a waste of time.
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2009-12-21, 00:05 | Link #48 | |
Wiggle Your Big Toe
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: Milwaukee
Age: 33
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Quote:
Every book/game/film borrows ideas from somewhere.
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2009-12-23, 13:53 | Link #52 |
Obey the Darkly Cute ...
Author
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: On the whole, I'd rather be in Kyoto ...
Age: 67
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Heh.. its only over-rated if you thought you were going to get a subtle complex story. It is an exploration of what is possible in the visual medium now... yeah, its telling a simple fairy tale but with a level of immersion in an exotic environment hard to match.
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2009-12-23, 14:43 | Link #54 |
Is rather bored...
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Florida USA
Age: 36
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The story was simple, but it wasn't bad. It was as complex as it needed to be to tell the story Cameron wanted to tell. As for the special effects, they were AMAZING.
Keep in mind, none of Cameron's stories were exactly plot heavy. Almost every movie he makes is character driven. Titanic has a pretty simple love story (rich girl with poor guy, done 1000 times), but it's characterization drove it to be what it was. Same with Terminator, or Aliens. Avatar was no different, it was a simple story with good characters. I don't understand some people's thoughts on the story (not particularly on this forum). If a story is decent, yet simplistic, you complain of a lack of plot. If it is a complex undertaking in storytelling, then you complain of it being bogged down in complexities. |
2009-12-23, 14:57 | Link #55 | |
Disabled By Request
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2009-12-23, 15:37 | Link #56 | |
(。☉౪ ⊙。)
Author
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: In Maya world, where all is 3D and everything crashes
Age: 36
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Just came back from it, I thought it was great fun, I went to the 3D movie of it so funny glasses and all that but it looked amazing not that the plot was all that good (Pocahontas in space) but the ecology and creature designs looked awesome, not to mention the special effects |
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2009-12-23, 22:56 | Link #58 |
Princess or Plunderer?
Join Date: May 2009
Location: the Philippines
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http://www.surrealaward.com/avatar/200911v.shtml
Cameron actually said that the fragments of the story of Avatar started in the '70s and the story we watched was 15 years in the making.
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2009-12-24, 04:58 | Link #59 |
Banned
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It is one of those works that will stay in history as the first of a line of upcoming similar works.
The first "shocking effects" movie was a silent black and white short film showing a train moving towards the viewers. Many jumped out of their seats in fear. As a film it is nothing special today but it is the first to do that shock effect. You may probably also know of The Jazz Singer, the first movie featuring voice-motion sync. As a film it is just a man playing Jazz but it is also the first to have voice instead of overlapping sound (they used to play piano or something before that to make it look more interesting) That's what Avatar is. Maybe not the first but definately the one to advertize the 3D teck stuff to such a degree. And if you ask me, Cameron did it on purpose this simple in story, so he can create a second film later on that will easily surpass the first. Because this one will be famous even without the original story while its successors won't. I also heard a user on another forum saying how Avatar of today is what Star Wars was in the past. A story full of cliches that defines a generation. The teenager who will watch it will be as thrilled as the teenager who watched Star Wars back then. Older people or veteran viewers or critisizing geeks, w/e, will of course find a lot more flaws on both but they have gone beyond the excitement of the newbie in the field. So, it is not really the same. |
2009-12-24, 05:20 | Link #60 |
Rollin' Like A Boss
Join Date: Apr 2006
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Marines in this movie...I know who they recruited.
Specific at time 5:45 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MWhrGGrs3Ow
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