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[Tsuyoshi]

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.

[Vexx]

Originally Posted by Yoko Takeo

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.

At our house we call it --- Fern Gully Night Elves vs the Space Marines as they Dance with Wolves. yeah, the plot is what it is..... very simple. But then that is a trait of many a great ripping yarn or tall tale.

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.

[Tsuyoshi]

Originally Posted by Vexx

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.

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.

[mg1942]

so... is Cameron's latest movie as glorious as his T2?

[Solace]

*shrugs* You can distill pretty much any plot down to something very simplistic. Like this!

[Kakashi]

Originally Posted by Vexx

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.

The film was scattered with a healthy number of *gasp out loud* moments, moreso than with LOTR. Granted, the story didn't have any people crying by the end (my dad had read the book and still cried at the end of all things), but it definitely nailed the wonderous feel of the setting.

Spoiler for Favourite bit:

When he takes on the King banshee thing from above, epic shit.

[Slice of Life]

Originally Posted by Vexx

even if you're a veteran of sci-fi and MMOs

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:

• Call Me Joe, Poul Anderson (the whole Avatar idea; the most obvious inspiration)
• Midworld, Alan Dean Foster (jungle with memory storing trees, also evil human corporations)
• Deathworld, Harry Harrison (telepathic ecology fighting human invaders)
• At Winter's End, Robert Silverberg (telepathic tentacles; weak evidence, I admit)

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.

[GuidoHunter_Toki]

Originally Posted by Nappy Hared Azn

Troop transport/gunship (future helicopter) = Hornet

Big green thing that the colonel rides on = bloated Pelican

Well you know what Halo ripped off of Aliens. Pelicans = transport planes, AR = Pulse Rifle, Aliens soldier armor = Halo marine armor, Sgt. Johnson = Sgt. Apone.

Every book/game/film borrows ideas from somewhere.

[Vexx]

Originally Posted by GuidoHunter_Toki

Well you know what Halo ripped off of Aliens. Pelicans = transport planes, AR = Pulse Rifle, Aliens soldier armor = Halo marine armor, Sgt. Johnson = Sgt. Apone.

Every book/game/film borrows ideas from somewhere.

And..... Starship Troopers... a lot of 50s, 40s, 30s tropes... on and on.

[Kyero Fox]

Originally Posted by Vexx

And..... Starship Troopers... a lot of 50s, 40s, 30s tropes... on and on.

don't get me started on Metroid

[Tiberium Wolf]

Bah. The CG is impressive but not the story. I think this movie it's overrated.

[Vexx]

Originally Posted by Tiberium Wolf

Bah. The CG is impressive but not the story. I think this movie it's overrated.

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.

[Tiberium Wolf]

Originally Posted by Vexx

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.

The feeling I get is when Far Cry came out. Thou this case is in movie section instead of game.

[Orchunter226]

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.

[Tsuyoshi]

Originally Posted by Orchunter226

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.

It's not that it's unbearable to watch because the plot is horribly stupid. I'm just saying it's been done before (Pocahontas, and as Phil De France pointed out, The Last Samurai), but it's not a bad thing. The plot itself is mildly interesting despite its predictability. I'm not going to spoil anything however. But the movie should be seen more for the sake of the special effects rather than the plot. Normally, I don't like that, but this time, the abundant use of CG was pulled off really nicely, and it's actually the first time I see this happen.

[-KarumA-]

Originally Posted by Tiberium Wolf

Bah. The CG is impressive but not the story. I think this movie it's overrated.

though not as overrated as 2012 D:

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

[synaesthetic]

I feel pretty similar to how I felt after watching Attack of the Clones.

Pretty pictures, no substance.

Sorry Mr. Cameron, District 9 is still the best sci-fi film in years.

[Marcus H.]

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.

[roriconfan]

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.

[Shinoto]

Marines in this movie...I know who they recruited.

Specific at time 5:45
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MWhrGGrs3Ow