It re-introduced Queen's Bohemian Rhapsody to the masses. That alone makes it a worthy movie.
Why do people hate James Cameron's Avaturd?
-
-
We're comparing Avatar to Wayne's World. That's not off-topic.
Now then, back to comparing a piece of paper to God.
-
We're comparing Avatar to Wayne's World. That's not off-topic.
Nope, it sure isn't. See the thread title?
-
James Cameron made Wayne's World?
I forgive him for Avatar.
Not really.Edit: And yes, I realize the joke.
-
Well, while we're at it, we can lose respect for Ebert again by posting his Avatar review.
BY ROGER EBERT / December 11, 2009
Watching "Avatar," I felt sort of the same as when I saw "Star Wars" in 1977. That was another movie I walked into with uncertain expectations. James Cameron's film has been the subject of relentlessly dubious advance buzz, just as his "Titanic" was. Once again, he has silenced the doubters by simply delivering an extraordinary film. There is still at least one man in Hollywood who knows how to spend $250 million, or was it $300 million, wisely. "Avatar" is not simply a sensational entertainment, although it is that. It's a technical breakthrough. It has a flat-out Green and anti-war message. It is predestined to launch a cult. It contains such visual detailing that it would reward repeating viewings. It invents a new language, Na'vi, as "Lord of the Rings" did, although mercifully I doubt this one can be spoken by humans, even teenage humans. It creates new movie stars. It is an Event, one of those films you feel you must see to keep up with the conversation.
The story, set in the year 2154, involves a mission by U. S. Armed Forces to an earth-sized moon in orbit around a massive star. This new world, Pandora, is a rich source of a mineral Earth desperately needs. Pandora represents not even a remote threat to Earth, but we nevertheless send in ex-military mercenaries to attack and conquer them. Gung-ho warriors employ machine guns and pilot armored hover ships on bombing runs. You are free to find this an allegory about contemporary politics. Cameron obviously does.
Pandora harbors a planetary forest inhabited peacefully by the Na'vi, a blue-skinned, golden-eyed race of slender giants, each one perhaps 12 feet tall. The atmosphere is not breathable by humans, and the landscape makes us pygmies. To venture out of our landing craft, we use avatars–Na'vi lookalikes grown organically and mind-controlled by humans who remain wired up in a trance-like state on the ship. While acting as avatars, they see, fear, taste and feel like Na'vi, and have all the same physical adeptness.
This last quality is liberating for the hero, Jake Sully (Sam Worthington), who is a paraplegic. He's been recruited because he's a genetic match for a dead identical twin, who an expensive avatar was created for. In avatar state he can walk again, and as his payment for this duty he will be given a very expensive operation to restore movement to his legs. In theory he's in no danger, because if his avatar is destroyed, his human form remains untouched. In theory.
On Pandora, Jake begins as a good soldier and then goes native after his life is saved by the lithe and brave Neytiri (Zoe Saldana). He finds it is indeed true, as the aggressive Col. Miles Quaritch (Stephen Lang) briefed them, that nearly every species of life here wants him for lunch. (Avatars are not be made of Na'vi flesh, but try explaining that to a charging 30-ton rhino with a snout like a hammerhead shark).
The Na'vi survive on this planet by knowing it well, living in harmony with nature, and being wise about the creatures they share with. In this and countless other ways they resemble Native Americans. Like them, they tame another species to carry them around--not horses, but graceful flying dragon-like creatures. The scene involving Jake capturing and taming one of these great beasts is one of the film's greats sequences.
Like "Star Wars" and "LOTR," "Avatar" employs a new generation of special effects. Cameron said it would, and many doubted him. It does. Pandora is very largely CGI. The Na'vi are embodied through motion capture techniques, convincingly. They look like specific, persuasive individuals, yet sidestep the eerie Uncanny Valley effect. And Cameron and his artists succeed at the difficult challenge of making Neytiri a blue-skinned giantess with golden eyes and a long, supple tail, and yet--I'll be damned. Sexy.
At 163 minutes, the film doesn't feel too long. It contains so much. The human stories. The Na'vi stories, for the Na'vi are also developed as individuals. The complexity of the planet, which harbors a global secret. The ultimate warfare, with Jake joining the resistance against his former comrades. Small graceful details like a floating creature that looks like a cross between a blowing dandelion seed and a drifting jellyfish, and embodies goodness. Or astonishing floating cloud-islands.
I've complained that many recent films abandon story telling in their third acts and go for wall-to-wall action. Cameron essentially does that here, but has invested well in establishing his characters so that it matters what they do in battle and how they do it. There are issues at stake greater than simply which side wins.
Cameron promised he'd unveil the next generation of 3-D in "Avatar." I'm a notorious skeptic about this process, a needless distraction from the perfect realism of movies in 2-D. Cameron's iteration is the best I've seen -- and more importantly, one of the most carefully-employed. The film never uses 3-D simply because it has it, and doesn't promiscuously violate the fourth wall. He also seems quite aware of 3-D's weakness for dimming the picture, and even with a film set largely in interiors and a rain forest, there's sufficient light. I saw the film in 3-D on a good screen at the AMC River East and was impressed. I might be awesome in True IMAX. Good luck in getting a ticket before February.
It takes a hell of a lot of nerve for a man to stand up at the Oscarcast and proclaim himself King of the World. James Cameron just got re-elected.
Four star review BTW
-
Why is Roger Ebert's opinion actually respected, again? Can't for the life of me see why…
Oh well, who cares about Dances With Smurfs, let's keep that Wayne's World discussion going. Now THAT'S a movie!
My deviantART|Project A.F.T.E.R.|My YouTube|Money and Power|AP Art Topic
Originally Posted by Buccaneer
Celine Dion post in the MK thread. I wish I could neg you.
-
Still haven't seen this. But I've been told I actually have due to seeing other "certain" films.
P.S. WOOOOOOOOOOOOOAH!
-
Why is Roger Ebert's opinion actually respected, again? Can't for the life of me see why…
You know, it's only tangentially related, but I was reading an extremely anal post on AnimeSuki about this guy who hated the Random Curiosity blog because it "wasn't entertaining". RC was one of the first modern anime blogs, and the creator Omniscient basically put forth straight opinions with visuals in a comfortable format in a timely manner. This guy was actually raging that someone so "boring" could be so popular, and he hated him for being bland. I mean seething, pimple-popping cherry red steam whistle rage.
To Ebert's credit, he sometimes adds wit, jokes or sarcasm to the films he reviews, usually the ones he doesn't like. But the main draw to him is, he's a second opinion. When he says something, he's saying that with respect to years of experience, it's his street cred. The minor draw is he's seen enough stuff to be a fairly reliable indicator of taste.
Obviously, he's hanging around because he's not a Malintex_Terek who begins to hate almost everything except omae's fabled 10% of anime - he'd have no job if he hated on every big mainstream show - so there's going to be some deliberate bias.
But between the extremes, a movie exec telling someone to watch it or a hater hatin' until the cows come home, there needs to be a Confucius to consult. Even if you're Buddhist. OR SOMETHING.
-
This is totally unfair but true.
Have you seen what Roger Ebert looks like now? He's scary as fuck.
-
Ebert lost all credibility when he claimed that no one was funny in Tommy boy.
Seriously that's like admitting that you've surgicaly removed your funny bone.
-
Wait… so I'm confused.
Are we saying Avatar is as equally awesome as Wayne's World?
Cuz I like both movies :V
I'm crazy like that.
-
Ebert is respected because he's seen and studied like, every movie ever made and he's been doing it for decades. His opinion is given weight because he can back it up with insight and knowledge about the medium and craft. (His commentary on Citizen Kane is amazingly in depth. ) Also, his reviews tend to have a fair bit of wit in them, especially when he reviews a BAD BAD BAD movie.
And also, because "Siskel and Ebert" is synonymous with "film criticism."
And he always goes crazy for movies that build complete worlds, regardless of story. That gets him every time. Be it Miyazaki, Sky Captain, Star Wars, or Avatar, he's always about worlds made from scratch. Being a convincingly made world will automatically get three stars from him, if it has anything to offer beyond that, he gives it a four.
He also very often has a lot of trouble with comedies aimed at the 13-20 set. No surprise, the dude is like, 70. But if you know his tendancy towards either of those trends, then its easy to grasp a pretty consistent opinion from the guy compared to your own.
That said. He's incredibly scary looking now.
-
Uh Oh Better Not Let Yoska See You Changing The Title To His Thread
-
Someone point me to a scary looking Robert Ebert picture, he just looks like a typical old man to me.
-
We're comparing Avatar to Wayne's World. That's not off-topic.
Now then, back to comparing a piece of paper to God.
It's uniform whiteness seems to resemble the internal nuances of the theories of Ejn Sof , the heavenly contraction :ninja:
And to be fair about Ebert …...he's scary , but he beat cancer .
@ Airflow : that was before his operation , his site doesn't feature any newer ones I believe .
-
Thats actually a… slightly older picture. Google doesn't pop up anything from the last year or so.
-
Heeeey I like Wayne's World :sad:
Without deviation from the norm, progress is not possible. - Frank Zappa
-
I see Ebert like I see any other reviewer. Unless what they say is COMPLETELY stupid, I generally don't care if they like the movie or not.
And yes, he isn't looking his best. He has cancer. :sad:
Heeeey I like Wayne's World :sad:
We're not making fun of Wayne's World. Wayne's World is fucking awesome.
-
Another childhood memory about to be ruined.
-
[hide] EXTREAME CLOSE-UP!!!!
woaaaaaaaaahhh!!!!
[hide]
[/hide][/hide] -
There's a Schwing joke about to be made here somewhere…:ninja:
-
He's not that scary looking, he just has no jaw now.
My deviantART|Project A.F.T.E.R.|My YouTube|Money and Power|AP Art Topic
Originally Posted by Buccaneer
Celine Dion post in the MK thread. I wish I could neg you.
-
Yoaw, that caught me off guard. That really sucks, but he survived it so that's awesome.
-
He's not that scary looking, he just has no jaw now.
Our definitons of scary are CLEARLY different.
I almost called my mommy after seeing this pic to tell her I love her.
I shit you not.
-
Finally saw District 9. Much better movie than Avatar. Even had the same plot of a guy joining an alien culture and fighting marines.
I felt more sympathy and worry for the creepy bug alien and his son than I did for any of the pretty blue cat people.
-
i HATE the nostalgia critic SO MUCH for putting an unexpected pic or Poor Mr.Ebert looking like that.
-
And here I thought this topic was some Wayne's World remake.
I'm relieved yet annoyed that I was mis-lead to click on this topic.
-
yk2vR8w2sjc
"Facepalm"
This almost makes me wish for a dalek invasion.
-
And here I thought this topic was some Wayne's World remake.
I'm relieved yet annoyed that I was mis-lead to click on this topic.
I know right?
:sad: Waynes world in extremely unecessary HD
3d4d would have been great. -
…i honestly cannot tell whether or not that was a parody
-
@robbybedfart:
Finally saw District 9. Much better movie than Avatar. Even had the same plot of a guy joining an alien culture and fighting marines.
I felt more sympathy and worry for the creepy bug alien and his son than I did for any of the pretty blue cat people.
Welcome to the side of awesome
. -
@robbybedfart:
Finally saw District 9. Much better movie than Avatar. Even had the same plot of a guy joining an alien culture and fighting marines.
I felt more sympathy and worry for the creepy bug alien and his son than I did for any of the pretty blue cat people.
You JUST saw it robby?
My wife HATES sci-fi movies (cept Avatar hur dur derp) but she admits D9 is a way better movie and has watched it TWICE (she rarely repeats movies… specially sci-fi).
I've been praising D9 since I found out the source of the story and first trailer.
-
Waynes World was on this morning. It rocked.
-
You JUST saw it robby?
I hardly ever go to the movies. paying 8-10 bucks for a one time experience, for one person, (plus overpriced food if you're at all hungry or thirsty) generally seems silly, when you can wait 4 months for the dvd and get it forever, for about the same price.
(Or you can wait 6 months for it to hit the used bin at Blockbuster and get it for 5$.)
I make an exception for productions that have really gotten me in the past, such as Pixar, or Chris Sanders directing, or sequals to things I really enjoyed the first one on.
Not going to see Shrek 4, cause Shrek 3 sucked ass.
-
yk2vR8w2sjc
"Facepalm"
This almost makes me wish for a dalek invasion.
This is depressing but they do what they want with their lives. However, can we say that anime cosplayers are better ?
Cameron has written way better stories (Terminator 1 and 2). They had more depth and ambiguity.
I personally found this funny…
354DTR1kQBI -
@robbybedfart:
I hardly ever go to the movies. paying 8-10 bucks for a one time experience, for one person, (plus overpriced food if you're at all hungry or thirsty) generally seems silly, when you can wait 4 months for the dvd and get it forever, for about the same price.
Try 10 euros.. and I may have misunderstood that, but I generally go for the group experience, or if I don't know where to take a girl for a date, it's a cheap and easy solution considering anything else would be at least 20 euros.
-
I can't wait until Blomkamp makes his next movie.
-
District 9 had me ashamed of being a human after 30 minutes, and rooting for the hideous prawn aliens all the way through.
Avatar needed the full force of it's visual action dazzle to keep my mind from dwelling on how utterly apathic I was towards the smurfs. And the dazzle wears off on the home wieving I might add.Also, Cameron is the biggest cock tease in the industry. You buy a heftily priced 3 hour epic on blu ray, and whaddayaknow?
Not a single minute of special features.
Not even a goddamn trailer.
Instead we can sign up for the "Avatar program" on the internet and watch the trailers there, and get some wallpapers! Yay!Fuck you James cameron. One line from the meta review is all I can think of:"i've got a directers cut DVD to sell, bitches!!!"
Indeed. -
as big of a hit avatar was, they're probably going to re-release special features in some super mega pack later this year
  -
as big of a hit avatar was, they're probably going to re-release special features in some super mega pack FOR YEARS AND YEARS TO COME
Fix'd!
Ok, I dunno why I would want to buy a pretentious movie about pretentious smurfs.
-
Their planet got is gonna get smurfin' wasted in the sequel.
-
as big of a hit avatar was, they're probably going to re-release special features in some super mega pack later this year
They are. This was a bare-bones release. Special Edition, in both 2D and 3D, coming in a few months.
Still not much interest in seeing this, District 9 I do, tho.
-
I watched Discrict 9 then Avatar (barebones Blu Ray).
Holy fuck these movies are pretty.
D9 is actually prettier thou… don't ask me how that's even possible.
The digital transfer is fucking flawless.
-
I read this at Yahoo.
Just when you think he couldn't get any more self-righteous.
**> Yahoo! Movies: So, a lot of people have seen Avatar.
James Cameron: I think there are some mud men in New Guinea that haven't seen it.
YM: Ah, so that must be why it's coming out in theaters again.
JC: Actually, when I was down in Brazil I was meeting these guys, these indigenous people that live way out in the rain forest and we had to take a boat, like for a couple days to go meet with them. And they hadn't heard of Avatar, they hadn't heard of me. It was really refreshing. It was nice, you know. They couldn't care less about movies. What they cared about was that they were actually, their ancestral homelands were being destroyed by a hydroelectric dam, and they got their bows and arrows together and they were going to go to war to stop it.
YM: It's like real life. "Avatar" for real.
JC: Like really for real. Not those guys, but some other ones even farther south in the upper Shingu [River] actually took a hundred construction workers on another dam project hostage – with bows and arrows. And it's not that they are using bows and arrows to make some kind of point in the media. That's what they hunt with.I suppose the next step is for him to create matter.**
-
cant wait to get in line to not see it
  -
Wow, James. Just when I thought you weren't born with a dick in your ass, you prove me so wrong! You have twelve stuck up there!
"These people are just like the people in my movie!"
Like those people or anyone else gives a shit. Go back to crying that your ex-wife got the Oscar. (Disclaimer, I wasn't the biggest fan of the Hurt Locker.)
-
Dear James Cameron:
Fuck you.
Sincerely,
Nobodyman -
You see folks, he made the movie because he cared. It had nothing to do with the 2.5 billion dollar revenue.
-
That James Cameron quote makes me laugh. You might as well just sum it up as "bow and arrows EVERYWHERE!", too.
He doesn't need to beat us in the head with the "them bows 'n arrowz pwn machines!1!" idea. If he really wanted to overdo it, he could've at least made Sarah Connor take down the terminator with one.
2.5 billion dollar revenue.
Wasn't it more like 3 bil.? Eh, who cares. It made a lot,
which still boggles my mind.First off, let me just say I personally liked the movie, but I've seen a lot of movies that were better.
Sure, it had a great atmosphere to it and I liked the nature-feel that it oozed, but that alone won't make it a grand movie.
After I saw the movie, I literally thought, "Wait, that's the movie my friends keep saying is the greatest movie of all time?"
They really mean it, too. And one of them even wants to grow up to be a professional critic, but he really doesn't know what he's talking about. For example, I tell him that the movie had bad acting, and he justifies it with "they were suppose to act that way."
Well if that's true, I wasn't sold, and it is STILL bad acting. -
Wait wait wait, you mean that indegenous people getting their homeland destroyed by a more technologically advanced civilization wasn't just something fictional, created by cemerons imagination?! That "real avatar" scenarios exist in our world?!!!
Wow, the movie seems so much deeper now.Also, I find that "mud people" line to be kinda offensive, on top of being instensely arrogant
