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[joeyn]

I'm looking forward to seeing this movie, hopefully on Christmas Eve.

Joey

[randomer909]

MY OFFCIAL AVATAR REVIEW

Visually stunning, but...
Yesterday I saw the film, and going in, I was very excited as all the hype had got to me and a lot of people who had seen it had told me about it. Sadly I did not go and see it in I max or 3D as my local cinema has neither. But when I came out I was sadly dissapointed

An analogy I have heard for this film, is a typical model. Their so beautiful, but there's nothing underneath their beauty. First off, James Cameron has hightened the bar on special effects and visuals in films. The moon of Pandora was visually astounding. The colours, the range of wilderness, everything about the look of this film was incredible

However, the rest of the film was really a let down for me. I can't really put my finger on it, but it didn't live up to any of the hype with the actual content of the movie. Everybody had been saying it was perfect, amazing, but it just wasn't. There have been far better films this year like Star Trek and District 9

The hype just let it down

[Danee]

MY OFFCIAL AVATAR REVIEW

Visually stunning, but...
Yesterday I saw the film, and going in, I was very excited as all the hype had got to me and a lot of people who had seen it had told me about it. Sadly I did not go and see it in I max or 3D as my local cinema has neither. But when I came out I was sadly dissapointed

An analogy I have heard for this film, is a typical model. Their so beautiful, but there's nothing underneath their beauty. First off, James Cameron has hightened the bar on special effects and visuals in films. The moon of Pandora was visually astounding. The colours, the range of wilderness, everything about the look of this film was incredible

However, the rest of the film was really a let down for me. I can't really put my finger on it, but it didn't live up to any of the hype with the actual content of the movie. Everybody had been saying it was perfect, amazing, but it just wasn't. There have been far better films this year like Star Trek and District 9

The hype just let it down

Give a kid a job to handle a section and look what happens..geesh.  

Adamie, we love you and you are certainly entitled to your opinion and official moderator review .....thats for sure......even...if it is....wrong.  
 
Now that is a review people :345678

[Eric]

There is also the social commentary about how people are now finding their own true identities on-line yet do not have the option of living as they want to in real life. Living as his avatar provides him the purpose he has always sought in real life. The bit that really rang true was when he suddenly wakes up in his booth after pledging himself a mate for life as a Na'vi and asking himself what he is doing.

This aspect I will grant was well done. Especially since the offline identity which Jake rejected wasn't so much his own but that of his deceased brother.

Environmentally minded viewers on the other hand would see the film as making a point about the march of globalisation in the name of consumption rather than quality of life and  how modern day life is unsustainable now that we can no longer expand as a species. Of particular note was how everything on Pandora was interconnected. This is particularly relevant to the whole issue of pollution with globalisation.

Which is a simplistic, shallow theme that was portrayed without any subtlety, IMHO.

This also plays to the "noble savage" stereotype. We see the savages (the Na'vi) living in harmony with nature, being good stewards of the environment and living happily within it as a result. In reality however, the native Americans or any other hunter-gatherer or non-European peoples were no better stewards of the environment than we are today. They polluted, they depleted resources, they drove species to extinction, changed their environment to suit their needs and were often just as wasteful. We also never see things like the "noble savage" picking lice out of their hair, or suffering from diseases that would be cured with simple antibiotics.

The one dimensional characterization of both the natives with their good way of life in harmony with nature and the colonialists bent on destroying it doesn't lend itself to any particularly profound thoughts or deep analysis.

The Daily Bigot (otherwise known as The Daily Mail) gave the film only 3 out of 5 stars because the reviewer saw the film as making a point about the invasion of Iraq. After all, the scene with the tree was very reminiscent of the twin towers coming down. The film had many different themes and shouldn't be judged on just one of them.

This was hard to miss as the line about a "shock and awe campaign" served as loud, giant, blinking red alarm to announce "We're going to make a heavy handed metaphor about Iraq now!"

...

The film, indeed, did explore several themes, as one should expect from a 2 1/2 hour movie. The problem is that they're all surface deep with no complexity that would lend itself to more serious thought or study. Which, to be fair, is typical of most sci-fi action blockbusters. Mostly I'm just irked by the racial overtones in this one. Still, I can imagine a world where Cameron had invested as much tender loving care into the writing as he had the visuals, and I'm kind of sad that I don't live in that world.

[dmutah]

I saw this today and was impressed. Unfortunately the 3d screen in this area is small, i still realy enjoyed it.

[Craig]

The story is very predictable and so obviously a forum for cameron to voice his political opinions, which is disappointing, but definitely a great movie to go see.  The visuals are jaw dropping.

[Alex]

Went to see it today and quiet enjoyed it, through it didn't really blow me away.

Cameron's world is stunningly crafted, without doubt the best CGI in a film to date. I watched it in 3D, and as with other 3D films I've watched, I feel it took away from the experience and diluted the quality as the technology is still a little bit basic, and well, crap.

I loved the story, which was really compelling tale. So many layers and iconography, for someone who analyses and deconstructs films on a weekly basis, it was like a second Christmas :)   Sam Worthington was really exceptional, as was his female co-star, Zoë Saldaña. Sigourney Weaver and Stephen Lang also gave very good performances, and I would say the entire cast was very good, aside from Laz Alonso as Tsu'Tey who just flopped as a result of him being 100% cliche and Giovanni Ribisi as Parker Selfridge who had no characterisation whatsoever as far as I could tell ^^

In review: good, detailed and multi-layered plot, brilliant casting/acting, stunning visuals but if you want to really appreciate them, do yourself a favour and go watch it in Digital, not 3D.


Wow, that was LONG... ^^

[randomer909]

Went to see it today and quiet enjoyed it, through it didn't really blow me away.

Cameron's world is stunningly crafted, without doubt the best CGI in a film to date. I watched it in 3D, and as with other 3D films I've watched, I feel it took away from the experience and diluted the quality as the technology is still a little bit basic, and well, crap.

I loved the story, which was really compelling tale. So many layers and iconography, for someone who analyses and deconstructs films on a weekly basis, it was like a second Christmas :)   Sam Worthington was really exceptional, as was his female co-star, Zoë Saldaña. Sigourney Weaver and Stephen Lang also gave very good performances, and I would say the entire cast was very good, aside from Laz Alonso as Tsu'Tey who just flopped as a result of him being 100% cliche and Giovanni Ribisi as Parker Selfridge who had no characterisation whatsoever as far as I could tell ^^

In review: good, detailed and multi-layered plot, brilliant casting/acting, stunning visuals but if you want to really appreciate them, do yourself a favour and go watch it in Digital, not 3D.


Wow, that was LONG... ^^

Yeah, I think the hype blew it up way! too much

[Danee]

Went to see it today and quiet enjoyed it, through it didn't really blow me away.

Cameron's world is stunningly crafted, without doubt the best CGI in a film to date. I watched it in 3D, and as with other 3D films I've watched, I feel it took away from the experience and diluted the quality as the technology is still a little bit basic, and well, crap.

I loved the story, which was really compelling tale. So many layers and iconography, for someone who analyses and deconstructs films on a weekly basis, it was like a second Christmas :)   Sam Worthington was really exceptional, as was his female co-star, Zoë Saldaña. Sigourney Weaver and Stephen Lang also gave very good performances, and I would say the entire cast was very good, aside from Laz Alonso as Tsu'Tey who just flopped as a result of him being 100% cliche and Giovanni Ribisi as Parker Selfridge who had no characterisation whatsoever as far as I could tell ^^

In review: good, detailed and multi-layered plot, brilliant casting/acting, stunning visuals but if you want to really appreciate them, do yourself a favour and go watch it in Digital, not 3D.


Wow, that was LONG... ^^

Yeah, I think the hype blew it up way! too much

*sigh*........ I love you both dearly but....

[Alex]

*sigh*........ I love you both dearly but....

I liked the film, I just don't like 3D ^^


And was that supposed to be punishment? xD

[randomer909]

And was that supposed to be punishment? xD

Exactly what I was thinking!!

[genxnaturist]

Hello,

If I am not mistaken I was one first people on this forum to watch this movie.   I saw it in 3d, sadly not imax 3d and I liked it.  It wasnt cheezy experience.  I though 3d complimented movie.

in the end this movie is what you make it.  Yes there was an environmental message, but it wasnt as strong as some people say it was.  Likewise people say it was commentary about USA.  I ironicaly saw more commentary on China.  Case in point removing 4 million people to make way for 3 gourges dam.
Anycase, great thing about this movie is you can take movie in different ways. 
As far as plot, yes it had no suprizes, but then agian, look at most movies and reality is it goes on basic idea.  You got good and bad guy, a hero, and people who need help.  But as far as story it was enjoyable

Most importantly this actualy reminded me a lot when I was peace corps in pacific.  Jungles there reminded me of jungles on islands I was on.  Natives kinda reminded me of natives I lived with.

Anycase in end its a story, a good story which you can take anyway you want.

Michael

[Stuart]

I've been back, and a second viewing makes it even better. You certainly notice more detail and the 3D becomes more immersive.

The plot's an age old one, like Dances With Wolves, but its an original take on it, the whole idea of the avatar body takes the idea to a new level. I still think the characters are strong, the two leads are certainly well developed, and many of the other characters such as Stephen Lang and Sigourney Weaver's are given ample time and room to develop. Lang's character may seem a bit pantomine, but that's no bad thing, and who would doubt our militaries contain people just like that?

People say some of the themes are simplistic. I say the themes are blunt. Who can doubt its wrong to clear indigenous people from their land for profit? Who can disagree with the environmental message given the pollution there is in this world? Personally, I've never seen such a wonderful metaphor for our interconnectedness with nature as the relationship the tribe has with nature and their literal connection to it. This, as well as the use of a paraplegic for the main character, were two genuine strokes of genius.

I loved it. I want to go back to see it again and again.

[Stuart]

*sigh*........ I love you both dearly but....

And I'd just like to join you by saying:

[Pisco]

I watched Avatar last night in 3D (not IMAX) and I really liked it. I was the first "modern" 3D movie I have seen and I made me think about different things. The visuals where breath taking and the plot was not bad but certainly not outstanding.

How do you think people will watch movies in cinemas in 50 to 100 years?
Did you notice that with a movie being 3D like Avatar you are forced to look exactly at were the movie makers want you to look? In other words, you cannot focus something that is not focused by the camera. Trying to look at something I just can not focus, like the corners of the screen or the background of a scene, gives me a really weird feeling. Being able to control where you "have to" look, gives the movie makers much more power over the spectators.

I liked how the Na'vi are connected to nature and how they understand the interconnection between all living things. I admire cultures that had or have this bond with nature and that are aware of it. I'm convinced that if we, and by that I mean our modern cultures, had that understanding of nature and our role within that complex network (called nature), we would live more happily and have less problems. Not only because having that understanding would make most of our religions superfluous.
Somehow this also reminded of the naturist ideals taken further.

The movie also made me think of the future of human kind. We will not be able to live in harmony with our environment? Will we need to set out to exploit other planets and species because of that. If we have to, it will surely look like on Pandora, the history of of human kind has showed it several times ... and history is still repeating over and over again.

I really like Karla's comment about the movie. I don't see the movie making a point about the invasion of Iraq, but who cares, or reads, cheap tabloid newspapers like "Daily Mail" anyway? Karla??? Or am I wrong concerning "Daily Mail"? Of course there are some parallels between the human kind in Avatar and that what happened in Iraq, but I guess that's not very different from many other incidents in history. But then again everyone interprets things based on his own background and experience, from that point of view it's not surprising that some people first think of Iraq. Maybe they feel bad about it and are easily reminded of that when they watch the movie.