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Started 2 years ago by agtw31
Latest reply from Jimbo Jones

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jmak
Gahanna
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JonMyers wrote >>
It's a movie that cost $200 - $300 million to make. Unfortunately a story with too much depth would have missed the
mass market, been difficult to localize for international audiences and would have resulted in financial suicide.

Hmmm, maybe. However, it's getting a very negative word of mouth. Most everybody I know who has seen it says it's visually amazing but the story is so lame it's not worth the price. I was planning to see it but now probably won't. I'm guessing I'm not the only one. I agree I don't think it needs to be too deep, just have a good story. After all, UP managed to be a great film for both adults and kids and I don't think it was "too" deep, just a great story with great characters.

Posted 2 years ago #
honavery
Arizona
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I liked it, FWIW. The basic story has been done before (many times, and better), but the special effects are amazing as well as the action scenes. Cameron is very talented, IMO.

It was very well received critically, and everyone I know who saw it enjoyed it for the most part.

Posted 2 years ago #
Walker
The KLD / Downtown
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Are the special effects & CGI in Avatar really that much of an astronomical leap above every other movie that came before it? Maybe my eyes are just getting lazy in my old age, but I think we hit that photo-realism wall sometime earlier this decade and the special effects "wow" factor for me has really plateaued.

I've only seen the trailer, and I really have no intention of seeing Avatar so maybe I'm missing something else, but from what I have seen, I'm not really getting my eyeballs blown out of my skull or anything. I think Finding Nemo, Spiderman 2, and all three of the LOTR movies are just as visually impressive.

Posted 2 years ago #
lazyfish

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I enjoyed Avatar, the visuals were cool,the 3-d good but not great, and yeah the story is pre-packaged and off the shelf, but then again considering the genre, or really most Hollywood genres what did you expect... I'll be going back to see it again once the theaters get less crowded and I can get a good seat to appreciate the 3-d effects better

Posted 2 years ago #
cc

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@Walker

I think a lot of the buzz is more to do with the 3d effect aspect of the film. Personally I agree that the 2d trailer looks like about a half dozen other things I have seen. To me the art direction of the color palette comes off as looking a bit video game/cartoonish.

Posted 2 years ago #
Tenzo
Chicago Lakeshore
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It's like siting with your friends watching fireworks
It's fun an entertaining to watch, but don't go digging for a plot or any depth.

I'd see it again

Posted 2 years ago #
scottlitch
Southwest Hilltop, Columbus
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This movie is fantastic. Go see it. The 3D special effects are definitely a huge leap forward. The story is not ground breaking and has a traditional American happy ending, but it's extremely entertaining and has a good message.

Posted 2 years ago #
drew

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The 'story' in Avatar is pretty flat and unimaginative, but it isn't really the story. The true interest and 'must see' factor come from the seamless incorporation of the technology that makes the movie possible... there is so much innovation on display that the wonderment of it all carries the movie by itself.

This is probably the first film in which CG technology imposed no barriers upon the creative freedom of the filmmaker. It shows.

Posted 2 years ago #
Andrew Hall
Dennison Place (The Circles)
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drew wrote
This is probably the first film in which CG technology imposed no barriers upon the creative freedom of the filmmaker. It shows.

And the question it begs is whether that is a good thing.

A.

Posted 2 years ago #
drew

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Andrew Hall wrote >>

drew wrote
This is probably the first film in which CG technology imposed no barriers upon the creative freedom of the filmmaker. It shows.

And the question it begs is whether that is a good thing.
A.

Depends on the filmmaker, I suppose. In this case, I'd say it is a good thing for anyone who appreciates the craft of filmmaking (as distinct from the craft of CG). It's a spectacular couple of hours, and it's hard to explain just how and why the unimaginative and ham-fisted storytelling infringe so little upon the pleasures of the film.

Posted 2 years ago #
Schoolboy
Columbus
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sets the new standard for cgi
also not sure if i can even watch another "graphical" type movie with out it being in 3D

the only thing i can say negative about the movie was the length, like that last batman my butt started to hurt, it's just too hard to sit in one place for over 2 hrs

over all i give it a 9 out of 10

more importantly... did anyone else catch the alice in wonderland previews!!!!!!!!!!!!!!?????????????

Posted 2 years ago #
DavidF
Elysium Fields
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I really enjoyed this movie. True, it's not a bleak, black and white dissection of the human conditions in Polish with subtitles, but I got over that holier than thou, all things mainstream suck attitude a while back.

Believe it or not, you can like good independent film and still have an enjoyable time at this film.

And yes, the CGI and use of 3D is that groundbreaking.

@JonMyers: So when are we going to see this in IMAX?

Posted 2 years ago #
Tenzo
Chicago Lakeshore
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DavidF wrote >>
@JonMyers: So when are we going to see this in IMAX?

I'm in!

Posted 2 years ago #
jmak
Gahanna
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DavidF wrote >>
True, it's not a bleak, black and white dissection of the human conditions in Polish with subtitles, but I got over that holier than thou, all things mainstream suck attitude a while back.

I don't think asking for a decent story and dialogue means you are being "holier than thou" or a movie snob. Of course, condemning a movie you haven't seen DOES mean that, so I'll shut up now. :)

Posted 2 years ago #
agtw31
columbus
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Schoolboy wrote
the only thing i can say negative about the movie was the length, like that last batman my butt started to hurt, it's just too hard to sit in one place for over 2 hrs

my g/f and i started getting the nicotine itch with about a half hour left but we toughed it out.lol.

Posted 2 years ago #
sugarplumclarey

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If I want to be visually dazzled, I'll go to an art museum. If I need plot and depth, I'll read a good book. If I want both, I'll stay as far away from James Cameron as humanly possible.

I give Avatar a 5 out of 10 (which is still a failing grade in my book). Where's the rule that says special effects and decent dialogue have to be mutually exclusive? Granted, I'm very cynical and find it hard to enjoy films that are engineered just to win awards so I walked into the theater with a bad tude. And I saw the movie in 2D so perhaps the animation was lost on me. But all I could think while watching was, "And here's the scene where James Cameron tries to strike an emotional chord with female viewers. And here's the scene where James Cameron tries to draw a parallel to European imperialism. And here's the scene where..." etc.

In a word, meh.

Posted 2 years ago #
JonMyers
HCMC ✈
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Looking back on Star Wars I can imagine the cultural movers and shakers of the day looking at that film with a similar level of disdain. Many of course did, and yes I'm well aware of every nuance and background of the development of the Star Wars stories. My point is Avatar is really too easy of a target.

I don't take massively massive pop cultural too seriously, nor do I take my self so seriously to the point where I can't enjoy an experience like Avatar. It was an awesome experience. So yes gang, I would gladly Imax it with you all. Let me know when.

Posted 2 years ago #
honavery
Arizona
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I think people are being overly cynical about this movie. It probably isn't in my top 5 for the year, but I still enjoyed it, especially the ground breaking special effects.

@Walker, It takes what LOTR did and takes it another step(same effects company). I don't think it's as ground breaking as Star Wars or Jurassic Park was, but it's pretty close, and there are some definite wow moments, especially (for me) the facial animations on the Navi. The trailers don't do it justice. The night scenes are also absolutely gorgeous. I think if you were 12 or 13 (same age I was when JP came out) this would probably be your favorite movie ever.

I did feel the political allegory was very heavy handed and distracting.

Posted 2 years ago #
Walker
The KLD / Downtown
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honavery wrote >>
@Walker, It takes what LOTR did and takes it another step(same effects company). I don't think it's as ground breaking as Star Wars or Jurassic Park was, but it's pretty close, and there are some definite wow moments, especially (for me) the facial animations on the Navi. The trailers don't do it justice.

Thanks for the explanation. I'm trying not to be too cynical about this movie, as I do enjoy a good popcorn flick here and there, but with all the hype around the "groundbreaking cgi" you'd think they'd include something pretty visually noticeable to the casual observer who only happens to catch a glimpse of the movie trailer.

Despite my best nerdy intentions, I've become similarly jaded about video game graphics in my old age. I also think we hit a graphical plateau a few years back with video games, and unless you're counting pixels and polygons or pausing to zoom in and admire the reflections of the crowd in the sweat on the brow of your favorite player in SportsGameRosterUpdate2010, then I don't really think you're going to be casually wowed any more than by what you saw in last year's edition.

Then again, I finally got Wii Sports Resort for Christmas and have been playing the hell out of some ping pong, so maybe I just don't care about graphics/cgi anymore. ;)

Posted 2 years ago #
Tenzo
Chicago Lakeshore
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Lets put it this way
It's no worse than Titanic

(gaws that movie sucked. After it received all the awards I quit following the movie awards. When Al Gore won a Nobel prize, I quit following those. Thank goodness Santa Claus is real)

Posted 2 years ago #