Avatar: The Best Movie!!!

[rickysimth]

I wanted to know what you guys have to say about the movie Avatar. One of the costliest movie ever made. It is one of the best sci-fi movie that I ever saw. Seeing the 3D version of this was an absolute treat to watch. I just enjoyed watching the movie.
I was wondering what the other members of this community think about the movie?
It would be great to have your opinion about this movie.

[Tobiasscrabble]

Yeah

It cost half a billion dollars to finish it and the graphics where very detailed I have to get a hi-def tv before I get the DVD

[Space Cadet]

I object to Cameron's love of cliche story lines (there was even a training montage, for crying out loud!), but I loved the graphics. I also saw it in 3D. Definitely worth the extra $3.

I can't wait to see what other directors do with this technology!

[alla]

I saw it in 3D - it was amazing. I think that the 3D really helped the motion capture graphics. I spent most of the movie staring at the screen with my mouth open. The world they created was amazing. I particularly liked the spinny bugs - the ones with the fire-light-spiral when they were surprised.

I don't have a problem with the use of classic storylines - they've been proven to work over and over again. Infact that's probably a good way to get people to go along and explore the other newer stuff that's part of the movie - i.e. the special effects and graphics.

I'm hoping that this is going to open up the prospect for a lot of other SFF movies

[Priellan]

Yes, the plot was rather cliched, but it was still refreshing. Every story doesn't have to be entirely original; Cameron's intent was to create something beautiful and entertaining with a clear message, I think, and he did that, even if it wasn't the most original plot ever. I have friends who still loved it even though Dances with Wolves is one of their favorite movies and they claim that the plot was entirely ripped off of DwW.

The environmental message wasn't as hard a slap in the face as I thought it would be. Especially since there was a good reason not to kill the plants because of their memories and uplink and everything... That was easily the most organic use of 3D I've seen - even moreso than Up. It was used well, and the graphics were so organic and beautiful... That kind of thing was why I wanted to be an animator before I figured out I was a better writer.

[estar9821]

I saw Avatar the other day, and it is now one of my favorite movies. I didn't see it in 3D though, so I'll have to go back and do that. I can hardly imagine how amazing it would be in 3D, however, because it was breathtaking in 2D!

The plot was an oldie but goodie, and I haven't seen many sci-fi movies so it was new to me.

[liesofdesire]

Um, I guess I'm going to be the odd one out here and say that I really didn't like the movie. Apart from the cliche storylines, it was fairly uncomfortably racist.

I'd rather not go into the details of it, but the basic issue I had with it was that the native people of Pandora could only beat the people from Earth with the assistance - leadership - of a human.

This article has said it better than I:
http://io9.com/5422666/when-will-whi...ke-avatar.html

[Priellan]

A lot of people had issues with that. I did for a while before I thought that Jake really ended up being a Na'Vi more than a human by the end, but that's really not a just rationalization. Basically, I ignore it and just say that I only went to the movie to enjoy it and not read into it, but that is a good objection when looking at the movie's themes and deeper meanings.

[willowtree]

I saw it yesterday, I think, and it was sooo awesome, even though it was three hours of 3D glasses, and I got a headache... :S

Oh well, it was worth it.

[Ink.Knight]

I saw it in 2D with my best friend and 3D with my Dad. I thought it was amazing in 2D but in 3D it was like seeing it for the first time all over again. The graphics took the "I see you" idea to a whole different level. This movie officially clinced James Cameron's place among my favorite producers. Those being George Lucas and Joss Whedon. Also, those cutting edge graphics hae earned their place beside Star Wars as a new top-line for the Science Fiction genre.

[estar9821]

Ooh, I'm seeing it again tomorrow with friends! In 3D this time! Can't wait.

[SilveredBlue]

Ooh, I love Avatar! It was so gorgeous. I got a kick out of the list of scientests in the credits....'Ethnomusicologist' was fun to say.

The racist thing....I didn't get that sense. Jake was only able to lead the charge after he learned everything the Na'vi taught him: the reason he was the leader was because he had inside knowledge. He seemed to be more Na'vi-ish than human.

The truly racist people, the Lt. and the CEO (I can't remember their names) were represented as the BAD guys who were wrong.

Finally, the Na'vi were represented as superior to humans because of their respect for nature and life. If there was any overall bias- it was against humans. Didn't Jake choose to be a Na'vi rather than a human?

[Nights Mistress]

Silvered Blue, there's a long standing literary trope where a white man starts living with the indigenous inhabitants, he is awed by their simple, mystical ways in contrast to his own technological experience and he becomes their leader. It's pretty undeniable that the story of Avatar is meant to be a parable of colonialism, and that the humans are the white colonialists with the Na'vi being the indigenous inhabitants.

The Na'vi are pretty much a retelling of the noble savage apologetic stereotype where instead of them being subhuman, they are spiritual and in tune with their environment. But yet ... they still need a white man to tell them how to use their own planet to its advantage. Why? No, seriously, why? They've lived with their planet for their entire civilisation, it clearly does not want humans there, but instead, they need a white man's inside knowledge in order to do something effective. They have an entire biosphere! But apparently they're too stupid to learn how to use it and need a white man to take them by the hand and tell them what they need to do - for their own good of course. It's that form of unconscious feeling of superiority that makes people go "uh!" at Avatar, because the hero does it, and it's never deconstructed. This is racist too!

Also, Jake Sully isn't Na'vi; his avatar is. Jake could step outside of his avatar at any time and stop playacting at being Na'vi - the rest of the Na'vi really don't have that luxury.

[Priellan]

I read something where Jake taught them strategy because he knew how the humans would fight and where their weak points were from being a Marine spy. Probably doesn't change too much about what you're saying, but it shows less that he's a Mighty Whity and more using his knowledge to others' advantage.

[SilveredBlue]

Hmm, very good points, Nights Mistress.

But although Jake could step out of the Na'vi body, I think that about half-way through he didn't want to anymore. Now that could be because he was a paraplegic (and because he had a Na'vi love interest), though.

Which raises another question: why was the avatar body just a shell? Was it unable to function? Or did it have a soul but was deliberately put into a deep coma or a 'vegetable' state?

I do have the answer to WHY the mountians float and the instruments go crazy though (which hasn't been raised but I wondered about). My uncle is an animator (he worked on Toy Story and Everyone's Hero), and things get around in the industry that got cut out of the movie: Unobtainium, that incredibly valuable element, is also incredibly magnetic. Thus the floating mountains and instrument craziness and valubility. Thought I might throw that out there....


So I guess I'll have to enjoy the lovely visuals (and DRAGONS! *slobbers*) and ignore the themes. Hey, it's like a Marvel comic: it's blatantly politically incorrect but yet, somehow, fun!


Oh, and yes, I know that worn-out troupe. Seems like for all its visuals, the plotline was quite cliched.

*mutters* can't...find....accent mark....button..