James Cameron's AVATAR

[lizbabe09]

Did Avatar beat Titanic yet for highest grossing film of all time?

 

[xixixixi]

Did Avatar beat Titanic yet for highest grossing film of all time?

Yes! Since yesterday

 

[lizbabe09]

Wow, I never thought I'd see the day. He must feel great having the top two highest grossing movies ever!

 

[Mr-Dale]

I'm late to the party, but I just saw it last Wednesday and reading the last two pages where several people cannot believe Avatar is nominated for an Oscar....how is that possible

Never in my life have I seen a movie and experienced something in such an earthquaking manner. I was so overwhelmed with its beauty and power. At cartain times in the movie I would feel goosebumps running down my body, I'd be completely shaking in my chair and I actually started breathing like I just ran a marathon while a tear was slowly starting to roll from my eye. This has to be the most amazing experience I have ever had in a movietheatre. Sure the story wasn't super strong and the acting wasn't revolutionary as well. But if a film has the power to drag you into a world by gentle force and feel everything as if it were happening right next to you, then it's groundbreaking, truly amazing and an extremely strong picture. There are more qualities than just great acting or an original storyline that can give a movie that extra oomph. And this movie had that extra oomph X12. This one goes into the history books, I tell ya....if it doesn't win the Oscar for Best Picture, I'll fly down to the Academy and smack all of the judges in their faces.

I think you already noticed, but never has a movie left such a great impression on me like this one did. And trust me, as a former Television & Movies Sciences student, I have seen a LOT of films in my life. I felt moved, inspired, enchanted and lusting for more. Ugh, what a great movie....

 

[Empress Merel]

Thank you Mr-Dale. Exactly the way I felt when I left the theatre. A real must-see and anyone who hasn't seen it, is missing out.

 

[Ophelia_Immortal]

You put it in much better works then I did, it is how I felt as well

 

[Spiral1532]

Yes! Since yesterday

I think that that's appalling. Titanic was one of those majestic, unforgettable type of movies. It's one of those epic movies that, when you're old, you will reminisce on the time that you went to see Titanic on the big screen in 1997/1998. Whereas Avatar is more of a flash-in-the-pan and a sign of the times (can you say, "CGI overload"?).

 

[MyNameIs]

I'm late to the party, but I just saw it last Wednesday and reading the last two pages where several people cannot believe Avatar is nominated for an Oscar....how is that possible

Sure the story wasn't super strong and the acting wasn't revolutionary as well.

You just answered your question there.

Except, I would say the writing was laughable, the story was bland, cliche and unoriginal, the whole 'save the earth' politics was too heavy handed, and the acting (save for Zoe) was pretty dull.

The movie is visual effects. If you take that away, you have nothing.

 

[Birkin]

i can't believe it's only nominated to 9 oscars. Avatar is the best movie ever in every single aspect in wich a film can be measured. if the academy knows what cinema is all about it will get the 9 oscars easily.

 

[Mr-Dale]

You just answered your question there.

Except, I would say the writing was laughable, the story was bland, cliche and unoriginal, the whole 'save the earth' politics was too heavy handed, and the acting (save for Zoe) was pretty dull.

The movie is visual effects. If you take that away, you have nothing.

That's exactly my point! This movie was so incredibly strong on a visual level that it blurred out everything else. And it's not like the writing, stories and acting were THAT bad, come on.

It's about time people will except that visual effects have become a fully integrated aspect of today's cinema and that in some cases it can make or break a film. When the soundmovie was invented it took time for people to cross over and accept it, but how many silent films do you see getting Oscars now? It's about time the Academy would acknowledge the strength of visual power in present day cinema by awarding Avatar the big one.

 

[MyNameIs]

But the category is BEST PICTURE, which is meant to be given to a film where everything comes together, not a film where visuals blurred out everything else. I have no problem admitting that it's a highly enjoyable film. Visuals were stunning. But it deserves to win Best Visual Effects, not Best Picture. A nomination is sufficient enough reward. Best Picture should go to films like The Hurt Locker or Inglourious Basterds or Up in the Air. Films that actually manage to have AMAZING WRITING, incredible stories, breathtaking performances, etc.

And the Academy HAS acknowledged the strengh of visual power. Giving Avatar the big prize is a slap in the face to all the actors and writers because it would be like saying, we don't care about your contributions, we only care about having cool special effects.

Besides if you're looking for cool visual effects, may I recommend District 9? A film that was made not for half a billion dollars, but for only 30 millions. And a movie that doesn't sacrifice acting and writing for cool special effects.

 

[Harumi]

Besides if you're looking for cool visual effects, may I recommend District 9? A film that was made not for half a billion dollars, but for only 30 millions. And a movie that doesn't sacrifice acting and writing for cool special effects.

Discrit 9 is often brought up by Avatar detractors as the superior Alien-themed movie and as hard as I try I can't see why.

The premise is good and clever and the first 40 mins of the movie are very interesting but after that point it looks like the writers simply gave up and it turns into a highly predictable shoot-em-up gore fest with typical action-movie dialogue (the movie can basically be watched on mute after the first 40 mins, which isn't true of Avatar imo).
I don't get the praise for the acting either, which was a caricature and amateurish (what did Wickus do more then act crazed? Don't get me started on the pathetic portrayal of Nigerian gang-members and the White baddies). The best performance was delivered by the animated Alien father (similarly to Avatar where Zoe delivered the best performance as a Na'vi).
I also find hilarious that Avatar gets slatted for alleged racial insensitivity while District 9 gets away with a 1000 times more blatant racist stereotyping and race-bating (both against Black and Whites) under the cover of being a metaphor for apartheid (of which I don't even think it is a good one: you've got to love the fact that a more intelligent, far more technologically evolved race of Alien still managed to be enslaved with little resistance by comparatively ******** humans, even though they are still able to use their superior weaponry).

It's just ironical that both movies suffer from the same flaws (not too stellar acting from live actors, one-dimensional baddies, predictability, good premise and story but weaker script) yet District 9 is held as some sort of model.
They both are very entertaining movies (although imo Avatar was by far the more entertaining of the two), but neither would get a nomination for Best Picture if the Oscars were a serious award (which it is not).

Actually, having seen all the nominated movies aside from Precious, only Inglorious Basterds and maybe Up are really deserving of their nomination (I previously explained why I found The Hurt Locker overrated). But given the competition and the Academy's inherent populism and track record, Avatar's nomination (and probable win) is totally justified.

This has to be the most amazing experience I have ever had in a movietheatre.

Which was exactly what it was aiming to be. Nothing more, nothing less.

 

[Fontenrose]

Discrit 9 is often brought up by Avatar detractors as the superior Alien-themed movie and as hard as I try I can't see why.

The premise is good and clever and the first 40 mins of the movie are very interesting but after that point it looks like the writers simply gave up and it turns into a highly predictable shoot-em-up gore fest with typical action-movie dialogue

Good science fiction depends on original concepts. District 9 is very original in its basic premise -- what happens if a million aliens are dropped onto our doorstep with no explanation? It explicitly examines racism, under the guise of speciesism. The humans are not admirable, the aliens are alien.

Avatar is basically Pocahontas, with a few cute SF notions tacked on, like human-alien clone bodies that can be worn like a magical suit, controlled by a magical box. Of interest more for the special effects.

 

[MyNameIs]

Discrit 9 is often brought up by Avatar detractors as the superior Alien-themed movie and as hard as I try I can't see why.

The premise is good and clever and the first 40 mins of the movie are very interesting but after that point it looks like the writers simply gave up and it turns into a highly predictable shoot-em-up gore fest with typical action-movie dialogue (the movie can basically be watched on mute after the first 40 mins, which isn't true of Avatar imo).

Which was exactly what it was aiming to be. Nothing more, nothing less.

Oh boy...

How can you say D9 was just as 'unoriginal' as Avatar? Point me to one movie that's substantially like D9? Whereas Avatar is EXACTLY like Pocahontas only in a different time frame. I do agree that you needed audio to enjoy Avatar. Some of the brilliance that the characters spewed was hilarious. "There's something interesting going on there, biologically". But even if we agree with your premise that both District 9 and Avatar suffer from the same drawbacks, when you consider than one costs half a billion and the other costs only like 7% of that, shouldn't that alone make D9 the most inspiring movie?

And I don't think all Avatar aimed to be because James Cameron acts like it's the best movie ever. I would gladly accept it as just being a great experience, except the fans seem to think that it somehow qualifies the movie to be the best ever and deserving of Best Picture.

I will say this again, 10 years from now, when this sort of visual effects stop being so new and awe-inspiring, people will realize the true value of Avatar - pretty wrapper but not much there.

 

[Harumi]

How can you say D9 was just as 'unoriginal' as Avatar?

I did not really said that. I argued it was just as flawed. You may disagree.
D9's premise was very original and interesting, as I already said. It's treatment wasn't, imo.

Point me to one movie that's substantially like D9?

If we are talking about what happens after the first 40 minutes, I can think of hundreds of examples.

Avatar is EXACTLY like Pocahontas only in a different time frame.

The Pocahontas meme is tired and lazy. The Avatar scriptment was written before the Disney's movie came out and Pocahontas isn't an original story anyway.

And I don't think all Avatar aimed to be because James Cameron acts like it's the best movie ever.

He never said that. What he said he that it looked like nothing you've ever seen and that it would revolutionize the way movies are made.
Both statement are true.

I would gladly accept it as just being a great experience, except the fans seem to think that it somehow qualifies the movie to be the best ever and deserving of Best Picture.

This just reinforce my impression that most people trashing the movie don't really have an issue with it but are just having a knee-jerk reaction to its most rabid fans and to its immense success.

I will say this again, 10 years from now, people will realize the true value of Avatar.

Which is to have been the first movie of its kind: a movie that influenced movie-making in a deep and lasting way.
Just like there was a before and an after The Matrix, there will be a before and an after Avatar.

 

[Mr-Dale]

Well, I don't think there is any way of convincing either parties of who is right about what. So I guess we can all agree to disagree. For me, this movie is the best I have seen in years, cause I very much value the power and effect it had on me. For MyNameIs, this is obviously not the case.

We'll just have to wait and see how the Oscars will turn out....

 

[Mirik]

American Cinematographer January 2010

ebook30.com

 

[Harumi]

I did go see the extended version of Avatar earlier today. For those who are curious about what those extra 9 minutes are about, here's the break down:

***SPOILERS***


- when Jake first fly into Pandora's jungle aboard Trudy's chopper, we see a sturmbeest flock

- after landing, Jake, Grace and Norm first stop by the school, now abandoned and derelict, where Grace used to teach English to the Navi'. It gives a little back story as to why the Navi' have stopped co-operating with humans in the first place

- the fire-pit scene (on the first night Jake is brought to Hometree) is extended, with Neytiri giving her full name to Jake and offering him food

- there an extended night scene during the Neytiri/Jake bonding montage. We see them play with more Fan-lizards

- there is a hunting scene, with Jake killing his first Sturmbeest on top of his Ikran (It was so gorgeous!)

- there is a brief showing of the Navi' retaliation against the humans in the aftermath of the destruction of the Tree of Voices. We see the burning machines and the killed soldiers

- the love scene is extended a bit. We see them linking nervous systems (lmao! I feel like such a weirdo right now!)

- Tsu'Tey death scene. AWESOME! The best addition. I don't understand why it wasn't there to begin with as it explains why Jake is suddenly the new leader. The acting is really good and it's a very emotional scene.

There might me a few more things but they were a few seconds of new stuff and I didn't notice them enough to remember it.

All in all, if you felt so-so about the movie, I do not advise paying to see it again as the new footage do not change anything in term of pace and story, but if like me you're a huge fan then it's totally worth it, for the hunting and death scene alone.

 

[Alvedansen]

thanks so much for the info, i'm still not sure if i want to see it again just for those 9 extra minutes, plus i'm broke
but it's so stunning on the big screen, i'd really love to see it again in 3D

 

[heelscatchfire]

A bit of movie news for Avatar 2, 3 & 4 tentative release dates

It's official: Zoë Saldana and Sam Worthington will reprise their roles as Neytiri and Jake Sully in the next three Avatar movies, E! News has confirmed.
Director James Cameron is making the sequels back-to-back-to-back, much like filmmaker Peter Jackson's The Hobbit fantasy series. The second Avatar movie will hit theaters in December 2016, with the third to follow in December 2017 and the fourth in December 2018.

"Jake Sully is a rare combination of passion, strength, street smarts and soul, which requires a lot from an actor. Sam brought to the role a combination of sensitivity, vulnerability and strength," Cameron said. "Zoë captured every aspect of the character I envisioned, bringing to Neytiri a mix of delicacy, fierceness and incredible physicality. I am beyond pleased they'll be returning with us to Pandora."

Saldana, 35, next appears in Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy and was recently cast in NBC's Rosemary's Baby miniseries. She will likely reprise her role as communications director Nyota Uhura in the next Star Trek movie, slated for release in 2016. Worthington, 37, can next be seen in the action movie Sabotage alongside Terrence Howard, Joe Manganiello and Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Stephen Lang, who played Marine Colonel Quaritch in the 2009 blockbuster, was the first actor to sign on for new Avatar installments. Given that his character died in the first film, it's unclear how he will return.

Cameron will direct and produce the Avatar films alongside his producing partner Jon Landau. He hired a team of screenwriters—War of the Worlds' Josh Friedman, Rise of the Planet of the Apes' Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver and Savages' Shane Salerno—to pen the scripts for each movie.

Avatar is the highest-grossing film at the box office of all time. Disney's Animal Kingdom recently began construction on a Pandora-themed attraction, which is tentatively scheduled to open in 2017.

- eonline.com

I had no idea that there was going to be a theme park attraction based on Pandora.