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Innovative world-building sci-fi, dull cliched story Sports_Gambler Send a noteboard - 17/12/2009 01:13:47 PM
Just got back from it today,

Something genuinely new in a sci-fi movie ; this a real attempt at world-building on a scale never done before, and yes, the world presented is amazingly real and gorgeous.

Amazingly detailed world-building and visuals, wide variety of plants, creatures and fully realized ecological system, with various geological structures of an alien world - stunning are the dragons and their mountain. Most impressive is the detailed creation of the alien culture of the Na'vi , complete with their own biology, myths, customs and politics. James Cameron even went out and got a professor of linguistics (Paul Frommer) to create a fully realized alien language to rival Klingon.

I think this is the first truly immersive virtual reality experience (the 3D version and the first-person POVs really do make you feel like you're really on an alien world).

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Unfortunately the plot is totally cliched and derivative (under-dog natives fight against exploitative poweful invaders), outsider enters new culture and comes to respect their ways, then joins them in rebellion. Characters are cardboard cut-outs, not that likable or memorable, script and acting are passable only. Story is OK (enough to hold interest and be enjoyable) but no original ideas.

And the film is over-long - parts of it really drag. The scenes in the forest with the Na'vi are magicial and amazing, but the scenes at the 'grunts' human base are really boring and cheesy by contrast, and there is just too much mindless action with these grunts.

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To sum up, defintely worth seeing for the amazing fully-realized world-building, something never done in a sci-fi flick before, but still way over-hyped and no good story, ideas or characters to sustain it. One of these flicks that will be lauded to the skies at first for the 'wow' special effects, but forgotten fairly quickly.





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"Avatar" discussion thread ironclad - 17/12/2009 08:10:04 AM 2313 Views
Innovative world-building sci-fi, dull cliched story Sports_Gambler - 17/12/2009 01:13:47 PM 992 Views
Agreed for the most part... Craig - 17/12/2009 11:05:27 PM 981 Views
Doesn't that last paragraph describe Star Wars? *NM* Chas - 18/12/2009 03:33:58 AM 532 Views
*snorts* *NM* ironclad - 18/12/2009 09:03:05 AM 412 Views
Re: Doesn't that last paragraph describe Star Wars? Sports_Gambler - 18/12/2009 09:49:23 AM 913 Views
Star Wars had many things. Good characters was not one of them. *NM* Chas - 18/12/2009 09:06:18 PM 423 Views
Re: Star Wars had many things. Good characters was not one of them. Sports_Gambler - 19/12/2009 02:57:43 AM 883 Views
Avatar is basically Return of the Jedi, at least the part on Endor. But less militarily plausible Cannoli - 19/12/2009 02:22:35 AM 1108 Views
Re:Avatar is basically Return of the Jedi, at least the part on Endor. But less militarily plausible Sports_Gambler - 19/12/2009 03:04:37 AM 1158 Views
Watch the movie again. Dannymac - 19/12/2009 03:08:05 AM 1102 Views
It's a watered-down Dune. *NM* Raserei - 21/12/2009 08:41:39 AM 627 Views
What struck me the most about this movie... MightyYT - 22/12/2009 01:25:00 AM 952 Views
Predictable with a tired & preachy plot. (spoilers) Also, the ending was completely ludicrous. Cannoli - 19/12/2009 03:02:21 AM 1371 Views
You need help *NM* John - 19/12/2009 07:33:52 AM 657 Views
A rebuttal! For the points I disagree with, anyway. Aemon - 20/12/2009 05:07:59 AM 952 Views
Re: A rebuttal! For the points I disagree with, anyway. Cannoli - 21/12/2009 08:48:55 PM 1038 Views
It would help if you'd leave my quotes by the arguments, but whatever. Aemon - 22/12/2009 10:36:42 AM 934 Views
Heh... Gher - 29/12/2009 11:01:41 PM 905 Views
wow, you really do need help Aisha - 21/12/2009 07:23:12 AM 1133 Views
If the bad guy has all the stones and still loses, how heroic were the heroes? Cannoli - 21/12/2009 08:53:00 PM 966 Views
Wow...you're serious? Really?? MonCul - 22/12/2009 04:56:20 PM 894 Views
lol Aisha - 22/12/2009 04:59:47 PM 852 Views
That's uncalled for IMO AgentOrange - 25/12/2009 09:04:01 PM 1055 Views
I am pretty sure she refered to the fact that he sheered for the bad guys and wished the Na'vi ill. ironclad - 25/12/2009 09:19:32 PM 908 Views
He didn't cheer for them AgentOrange - 26/12/2009 01:05:40 AM 890 Views
...an attitude I always found a bit worrisome, too *NM* ironclad - 26/12/2009 11:48:40 AM 528 Views
I tend to agree wheelwright - 21/12/2009 03:23:54 PM 863 Views
I thought the same things, but... AgentOrange - 25/12/2009 08:29:09 PM 885 Views
I agree with your social commentary about the movie as ideological mirror for Cameron. *NM* The Shrike - 28/12/2009 05:09:56 AM 555 Views
A fun time. Predictable, but not in a bad way. Minor Spoilers. Dannymac - 19/12/2009 03:05:19 AM 866 Views
you said Fern Gully ^_^ LadyLorraine - 19/12/2009 09:01:58 PM 896 Views
Spectacular Sidious - 19/12/2009 02:54:53 PM 950 Views
A wonder of a movie experience *minor spoilers* ironclad - 19/12/2009 08:47:06 PM 989 Views
Very good and fun, but not world-shattering. smaug - 19/12/2009 11:19:26 PM 1186 Views
Saw it a few hours ago, and enjoyed it more than I thought I would. Aemon - 20/12/2009 05:14:11 AM 782 Views
An absolutely breathtaking film whose beauty is surpassed only by its predictability. Ghavrel - 20/12/2009 10:57:53 AM 842 Views
Has anyone seen this in 3D and not enjoyed it?? MonCul - 20/12/2009 06:11:52 PM 987 Views
Cannoli, presumably. *NM* Craig - 20/12/2009 10:41:48 PM 632 Views
Sure make fun of the visually impaired, asshole. Cannoli - 21/12/2009 08:57:33 PM 947 Views
Yeah, that's totally what I was doing. Craig - 21/12/2009 11:59:26 PM 993 Views
Do you buy them from antique shops? *NM* Raserei - 22/12/2009 01:10:12 AM 550 Views
Does this include the new 3D? MightyYT - 22/12/2009 01:17:07 AM 1081 Views
same here badassashaman - 22/12/2009 02:59:32 PM 784 Views
I'm tempted to make a joke about the depth of your posts. *NM* Ghavrel - 22/12/2009 04:31:04 AM 435 Views
is that what we are calling tunnel vision these days? *NM* damookster - 24/12/2009 07:04:08 PM 541 Views
Dammit! So much better than mine. *NM* Ghavrel - 26/12/2009 05:19:19 AM 491 Views
Saw it with my family. PhotoJim - 20/12/2009 09:10:56 PM 837 Views
Sci-fi Pocahontas Gher - 21/12/2009 01:12:02 AM 976 Views
My friend and I spent the whole movie Darth_Katie - 07/01/2010 12:50:56 AM 802 Views
Oh so you're the kind of movie-goer in the seat behind me... ironclad - 07/01/2010 11:20:56 AM 781 Views
No way! Darth_Katie - 07/01/2010 03:48:48 PM 710 Views
that you mock at all is incredibly disrespectful LadyLorraine - 07/01/2010 05:31:55 PM 886 Views
You're overreacting. Darth_Katie - 07/01/2010 06:20:06 PM 845 Views
You said you do it quietly ironclad - 07/01/2010 08:18:07 PM 861 Views
Fair enough, fair enough. *NM* Darth_Katie - 07/01/2010 08:57:23 PM 553 Views
Except maybe the purist who really needs to be kept in a total sensory deprivation chamber. *NM* Ghavrel - 08/01/2010 10:51:58 PM 452 Views
Nothing's more satisfying that seeing and hearing the crowd around you react like you do ironclad - 09/01/2010 01:36:36 PM 774 Views
*NM* Darth_Katie - 09/01/2010 03:59:28 PM 500 Views
You should never watch a movie with me. Ghavrel - 10/01/2010 01:23:30 AM 876 Views
There's a gentlebot to see you, says his name is Tom Servo. Craig - 08/01/2010 03:59:34 AM 877 Views
3D IMAX is worth the extra money... Raserei - 21/12/2009 08:40:57 AM 932 Views
The only thing I am upset about Lord o' Salv - 21/12/2009 09:38:17 AM 1099 Views
Oh yeah, that puppy's been selling out like crazy. Craig - 22/12/2009 12:01:18 AM 776 Views
Visually stunning. Chas - 24/12/2009 02:12:42 PM 791 Views
As usual, Hollywood shoves an ideology down peoples' throats. *NM* Tom - 26/12/2009 04:30:20 AM 411 Views
Once they've paid their ten bucks to get in. *NM* Craig - 27/12/2009 04:31:59 AM 495 Views
A good ideology assault doesn't come cheap! *NM* MonCul - 28/12/2009 10:03:08 AM 498 Views
$14 evening show with 3D glasses. *NM* Raserei - 29/12/2009 07:15:03 AM 600 Views
one point i haven't seen discussed yet.... moondog - 26/12/2009 05:43:05 AM 1059 Views
It stinks!! *NM* Jay Sherman - 26/12/2009 05:51:30 AM 632 Views
So, a silly thing I found distracting... Raserei - 29/12/2009 07:26:02 AM 941 Views
that caught my eye too LadyLorraine - 29/12/2009 07:36:46 AM 838 Views
A silly thing I found distracting was that the aliens were humanoid. *NM* Ghavrel - 29/12/2009 09:48:46 AM 574 Views
Umm you would rather watch non-humanoid aliens? Yeah thats fun *NM* Dark Knight - 29/12/2009 03:29:26 PM 470 Views
*sigh* Ghavrel - 30/12/2009 11:09:16 AM 804 Views
Yes. Yes. Raserei - 01/01/2010 08:19:58 AM 864 Views
I have missed you so much on this site. *NM* Ghavrel - 02/01/2010 04:13:56 AM 437 Views
well. it's not necessarily erroneous either. LadyLorraine - 30/12/2009 06:28:57 AM 790 Views
See my response to Dark Knight above. *NM* Ghavrel - 30/12/2009 11:11:27 AM 489 Views
ah okay. carry on then *NM* LadyLorraine - 30/12/2009 04:44:12 PM 559 Views
Yes. Chas - 03/01/2010 05:08:17 PM 901 Views
I believe she was speaking about their tails. LadyLorraine - 07/01/2010 07:37:46 AM 782 Views
If I remember it was the "USB Plug" in their hair. *NM* Bergioyn - 08/01/2010 08:29:38 AM 597 Views
Yep ironclad - 08/01/2010 09:33:08 AM 881 Views
*facepalm* yah, that's what i was talking about LadyLorraine - 08/01/2010 05:31:33 PM 827 Views
I figured ironclad - 08/01/2010 05:50:22 PM 851 Views
Yes, the plot is simple, predictable and ideological LadyLorraine - 29/12/2009 07:41:36 AM 819 Views
It was the best movie I've seen in ages. I'm seriously thinking of going to see it again. *NM* Bergioyn - 29/12/2009 12:20:11 PM 641 Views
We definitely will. ironclad - 29/12/2009 03:30:07 PM 848 Views
Wife and I saw it yesterday. We're going to the IMAX a town over to catch it again. StormCrow - 29/12/2009 09:22:01 PM 861 Views
Going again tomorrow. *NM* Bergioyn - 02/01/2010 05:14:53 PM 637 Views
Project 880: The Avatar that might have been AliasRY - 31/12/2009 10:30:21 AM 1123 Views
That is very interesting. badassashaman - 31/12/2009 01:25:19 PM 792 Views
yeah ironclad - 02/01/2010 01:56:15 PM 907 Views
i think that would be interesting to see LadyLorraine - 31/12/2009 04:29:19 PM 919 Views
Avatar is/was gonna make a pile of money anyways. AliasRY - 31/12/2009 08:30:34 PM 1078 Views
Re: I hated the 3-D effect. It was horrible. Danae al'Thor - 10/01/2010 09:39:25 AM 842 Views
Stephen Colbert on Avatar Darth_Katie - 15/01/2010 03:18:29 AM 690 Views
I liked it even better the 2nd time. *Spoilers* MonCul - 16/01/2010 12:23:50 AM 805 Views
Yeah, I really liked the music. *NM* Darth_Katie - 16/01/2010 06:04:55 AM 606 Views
It just took the double at the Golden Globes. Werthead - 18/01/2010 04:04:08 AM 918 Views
Ok, wow, I didn't expect that to happen. *NM* ironclad - 18/01/2010 08:59:51 AM 416 Views
I can't say I'm surprised it did. Not that I agree with it. *NM* Craig - 18/01/2010 07:37:08 PM 370 Views
Okay I bit the bullet and went to see it Wibble - 18/01/2010 11:56:28 PM 817 Views
I always forget that I saw movies in 3D. Darth_Katie - 19/01/2010 01:11:05 AM 900 Views
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