But it's not expected from Cameron...I think that's what is surprising here. Maybe Jim just has tapped into his "touchy feely" side...or run out of ideas.Eric W. wrote:It's to be expected from Hollywood. Couldn't be more predictable or obvious.AndyDursin wrote:The entire aspect of making the marines the bad guys in this movie is also suspect given what our military is doing overseas. But, if that's too political, so be it.
AVATAR Thread: POCAHONTAS in Space!
-
AndyDursin
- Posts: 34442
- Joined: Tue Oct 05, 2004 8:45 pm
- Location: RI
-
AndyDursin
- Posts: 34442
- Joined: Tue Oct 05, 2004 8:45 pm
- Location: RI
Just saw the trailer on Fox before football started today:
1) Movie looks incredibly bad and predictable, especially since the "preview" I saw seemed to give away the movie.
2) The graphics look like a video game (as has been mentioned in previous posts)...tell me why I would want to spend my money at the theater for something I can essentially see at home on my X-Box.
3) It seemed as though ALIENS had an influence on this film (at least from what I saw in the trailer). I can't explain it...maybe it was the use of marines.
4) No way am I paying money to see this in a theater. I seriously doubt I could sit through it.
Good luck to Cameron. Looks like a waste of time to me.
1) Movie looks incredibly bad and predictable, especially since the "preview" I saw seemed to give away the movie.
2) The graphics look like a video game (as has been mentioned in previous posts)...tell me why I would want to spend my money at the theater for something I can essentially see at home on my X-Box.
3) It seemed as though ALIENS had an influence on this film (at least from what I saw in the trailer). I can't explain it...maybe it was the use of marines.
4) No way am I paying money to see this in a theater. I seriously doubt I could sit through it.
Good luck to Cameron. Looks like a waste of time to me.
-
John Johnson
- Posts: 6108
- Joined: Tue Apr 19, 2005 3:28 pm
Trilogy? 
Sam Worthington signs for 'Avatar' trilogy
Sam Worthington has revealed that he plans to star in two sequels to forthcoming sci-fi movie Avatar.
The Australian actor was relatively unknown when he was recruited in 2007 to play a paraplegic ex-soldier in the project, which director James Cameron has been planning since 1994.
Worthington claimed that because the shoot was so long and exhausting, he does not expect to finish the next two instalments until his twilight years.
He told Total Film: "You work 18-hour days. I was on it for 14 months. Jim's still editing. We'll still be filming it up to the day it's released - probably after the movie comes out, knowing Jim! That commitment is what makes him the man he is. It's life or death. It's war. That's how he approaches movies.
"We're signed for a trilogy. But I think I'll be 94 by the time it finishes, to be honest. I know Jim's got some ideas in his big head."
http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/movies/news ... ilogy.html
Sam Worthington signs for 'Avatar' trilogy
Sam Worthington has revealed that he plans to star in two sequels to forthcoming sci-fi movie Avatar.
The Australian actor was relatively unknown when he was recruited in 2007 to play a paraplegic ex-soldier in the project, which director James Cameron has been planning since 1994.
Worthington claimed that because the shoot was so long and exhausting, he does not expect to finish the next two instalments until his twilight years.
He told Total Film: "You work 18-hour days. I was on it for 14 months. Jim's still editing. We'll still be filming it up to the day it's released - probably after the movie comes out, knowing Jim! That commitment is what makes him the man he is. It's life or death. It's war. That's how he approaches movies.
"We're signed for a trilogy. But I think I'll be 94 by the time it finishes, to be honest. I know Jim's got some ideas in his big head."
http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/movies/news ... ilogy.html
London. Greatest City in the world.
Take it FWIW:
London Premiere was today. From The Guardian:
London Premiere was today. From The Guardian:
More here: http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/2009/dec ... ar-preview, though I deliberately omitted much of the article for spoiler reasons.And there have been a lot of rumours. Rumours that the budget was double the stated amount, more like $500m. Rumours that the 3D effects were making people nauseous. Rumours that the film, two hours and 40 minutes long, was a complete car crash.
The Guardian can reveal that the last two are untrue. The film does not make you feel sick and it is not a disaster. All journalists watching the movie in Fox's Soho headquarters had to sign a form agreeing not to publish a review or even express a professional opinion online or in print before Monday.
So by saying Avatar was really much, much better than expected, that it looked amazing and that the story was gripping – if cheesy in many places – the Guardian is in technical breach of the agreement. It is not a breach, however, to report that other journalists leaving the screening were also positive: the terrible film that some had been anticipating had not materialised. It was good.
There is, though, a certain amount of suspension of disbelief needed when watching Avatar.
-
AndyDursin
- Posts: 34442
- Joined: Tue Oct 05, 2004 8:45 pm
- Location: RI
Well I'm thrilled it's not a "disaster." That really instills me with confidence!
Truthfully I am sure it's entertaining and that Cameron has crafted a decent movie. It's unlikely he spent the last 10 years working on LEONARD PART VII. I just hope there are some surprises in the story because it looks so relentlessly predictable and cliched....
Truthfully I am sure it's entertaining and that Cameron has crafted a decent movie. It's unlikely he spent the last 10 years working on LEONARD PART VII. I just hope there are some surprises in the story because it looks so relentlessly predictable and cliched....
-
AndyDursin
- Posts: 34442
- Joined: Tue Oct 05, 2004 8:45 pm
- Location: RI
...and the real reviews are starting to trickle out. They are quite positive, though all mentioned the heavy-handed political elements in it. Also the Times UK gave it 4 (out of 5), again stressing that the world Cameron created was more satisfying than the story.
The Hollywood reporter's review is also up but the site must be getting slammed as I can't access it right now.
The Hollywood reporter's review is also up but the site must be getting slammed as I can't access it right now.
There is, though, a certain amount of suspension of disbelief needed when watching Avatar.
I'm glad things are coming together well and I certainly did not expect this movie to be garbage by a mile but for me, this line refers to the fact that much of the movie is going to again be actors emoting to thin air and in front of a lot of blue screens and green screens. I'm tired of that myself.
This is where JJ Abrams and the folks on Star Trek got my salute because they made a point of "keeping it/making it real" whenever possible and it shows. It makes all the difference in the world. It's my personal preference every time.
Andy Dursin wrote:They are quite positive, though all mentioned the heavy-handed political elements in it.
We just can't get away from this can we? We just have fun entertainment anymore it seems. I'm really way past tired of this as well.
I've noticed that being mentioned in every review I'm seeing as well.
Overall, I'm sure this is a good movie and we're probably getting a good Horner score out of it.
-
AndyDursin
- Posts: 34442
- Joined: Tue Oct 05, 2004 8:45 pm
- Location: RI
Todd McCarthy's review also praises the lush, incredibly detailed backdrops, and says it's a terrific film. Doesn't mention the score at all, but does say...
Thematically, the film also plays too simplistically into stereotypical evil-white-empire/virtuous-native cliches, especially since the invaders are presumably on an environmental rescue mission on behalf of the entire world, not just the U.S. Script is rooted very much in a contemporary eco-green mindset, which makes its positions and the sympathies it encourages entirely predictable and unchallenging.
It's "A Man Called Horse" all over again, with Jake, believing he can help the clan repel the invaders, taking up the role of a resistance leader against overwhelming odds.
http://www.variety.com/review/VE1117941 ... id=31&cs=1
Thematically, the film also plays too simplistically into stereotypical evil-white-empire/virtuous-native cliches, especially since the invaders are presumably on an environmental rescue mission on behalf of the entire world, not just the U.S. Script is rooted very much in a contemporary eco-green mindset, which makes its positions and the sympathies it encourages entirely predictable and unchallenging.
It's "A Man Called Horse" all over again, with Jake, believing he can help the clan repel the invaders, taking up the role of a resistance leader against overwhelming odds.
http://www.variety.com/review/VE1117941 ... id=31&cs=1
-
John Johnson
- Posts: 6108
- Joined: Tue Apr 19, 2005 3:28 pm
It’s been twelve years since Titanic, but the King of the World has returned with a flawed but fantastic tour de force that, taken on its merits as a film, especially in two dimensions, warrants four stars. However, if you can wrap a pair of 3D glasses round your peepers, this becomes a transcendent, full-on five-star experience that's the closest we'll ever come to setting foot on a strange new world. Just don’t leave it so long next time, eh, Jim?
http://www.empireonline.com/reviews/rev ... FID=133552
http://www.empireonline.com/reviews/rev ... FID=133552
London. Greatest City in the world.
-
AndyDursin
- Posts: 34442
- Joined: Tue Oct 05, 2004 8:45 pm
- Location: RI
...and another review mentioning how disappointing the story is. This one from the AP is far more let down on balance than the other reviews.
The inevitable battle has overt shades of current wars. Quaritch, drinking coffee during a bombing with a cavalier callousness like Robert Duvall in "Apocalypse Now," drops phrases like "pre-emptive strike," "fight terror with terror" and even "shock and awe," a term apparently destined to survive for centuries in the lexicon.
These historical and contemporary overtones bring the otherworldly "Avatar" down to Earth and down to cliche. The message of environmentalism and of (literal) tree-hugging resonates, but such a plainly just cause also saps "Avatar" of drama and complexity.
It's also a funny message coming from such a swaggering behemoth of technology like "Avatar." As for the effects, they are undeniable. 3-D has recently become en vogue, but only now has it been used with such a depth of field.
The movie is also a notable advance for performance capture, which is how the Na'vi were created. As was done with Gollum in "The Lord of the Rings" and King Kong in "King Kong," the Na'vi were made with cameras and sensors recording the movements of the actors and transposing them onto CGI creatures.
Seldom has this been done in a way that captured the most important thing — the eyes — but Cameron employed a new technology (a camera rigged like a helmet on the actors) to capture their faces up close. The green, flickering eyes of the Na'vi are a big step forward, but there's still an unmistakable emptiness to a movie so filled with digital creations.
Ultimately, the technology of "Avatar" isn't the problem — moviemaking, itself, is an exercise in technology. But one need look no further than Wes Anderson's "Fantastic Mr. Fox" to see how technique — whether it be antique stop-motion animation or state-of-the-art 3-D performance capture — can find soulfulness at 24 frames per second.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091211/ap_ ... iew_avatar
The inevitable battle has overt shades of current wars. Quaritch, drinking coffee during a bombing with a cavalier callousness like Robert Duvall in "Apocalypse Now," drops phrases like "pre-emptive strike," "fight terror with terror" and even "shock and awe," a term apparently destined to survive for centuries in the lexicon.
These historical and contemporary overtones bring the otherworldly "Avatar" down to Earth and down to cliche. The message of environmentalism and of (literal) tree-hugging resonates, but such a plainly just cause also saps "Avatar" of drama and complexity.
It's also a funny message coming from such a swaggering behemoth of technology like "Avatar." As for the effects, they are undeniable. 3-D has recently become en vogue, but only now has it been used with such a depth of field.
The movie is also a notable advance for performance capture, which is how the Na'vi were created. As was done with Gollum in "The Lord of the Rings" and King Kong in "King Kong," the Na'vi were made with cameras and sensors recording the movements of the actors and transposing them onto CGI creatures.
Seldom has this been done in a way that captured the most important thing — the eyes — but Cameron employed a new technology (a camera rigged like a helmet on the actors) to capture their faces up close. The green, flickering eyes of the Na'vi are a big step forward, but there's still an unmistakable emptiness to a movie so filled with digital creations.
Ultimately, the technology of "Avatar" isn't the problem — moviemaking, itself, is an exercise in technology. But one need look no further than Wes Anderson's "Fantastic Mr. Fox" to see how technique — whether it be antique stop-motion animation or state-of-the-art 3-D performance capture — can find soulfulness at 24 frames per second.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091211/ap_ ... iew_avatar
The inevitable battle has overt shades of current wars. Quaritch, drinking coffee during a bombing with a cavalier callousness like Robert Duvall in "Apocalypse Now," drops phrases like "pre-emptive strike," "fight terror with terror" and even "shock and awe," a term apparently destined to survive for centuries in the lexicon.
These historical and contemporary overtones bring the otherworldly "Avatar" down to Earth and down to cliche. The message of environmentalism and of (literal) tree-hugging resonates, but such a plainly just cause also saps "Avatar" of drama and complexity.
Not a surprise. Too bad that we just can't get away from the same political ideology and agendas being rammed down our throats no matter what. And then dating it with obviously "contemporary" political jargons and hot terms that EVERYONE knows where they come from and so forth.
^^ I thought Jim Cameron was smarter than this.
As expected, the bulk of the praise is about the film's production values and special effects and nifty 3D. But what's underneath all the pretty CGI and special effects?
Nothing we haven't seen and heard before. That's the idea I'm getting. I'm in no rush to see this at all.
It's also a funny message coming from such a swaggering behemoth of technology like "Avatar." As for the effects, they are undeniable. 3-D has recently become en vogue, but only now has it been used with such a depth of field.
The movie is also a notable advance for performance capture, which is how the Na'vi were created. As was done with Gollum in "The Lord of the Rings" and King Kong in "King Kong," the Na'vi were made with cameras and sensors recording the movements of the actors and transposing them onto CGI creatures.
Seldom has this been done in a way that captured the most important thing — the eyes — but Cameron employed a new technology (a camera rigged like a helmet on the actors) to capture their faces up close. The green, flickering eyes of the Na'vi are a big step forward, but there's still an unmistakable emptiness to a movie so filled with digital creations.
Ultimately, the technology of "Avatar" isn't the problem — moviemaking, itself, is an exercise in technology. But one need look no further than Wes Anderson's "Fantastic Mr. Fox" to see how technique — whether it be antique stop-motion animation or state-of-the-art 3-D performance capture — can find soulfulness at 24 frames per second.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091211/ap_ ... iew_avatar[/quote]
[quote="AndyDursin]The inevitable battle has overt shades of current wars. Quaritch, drinking coffee during a bombing with a cavalier callousness like Robert Duvall in "Apocalypse Now," drops phrases like "pre-emptive strike," "fight terror with terror" and even "shock and awe," a term apparently destined to survive for centuries in the lexicon.
These historical and contemporary overtones bring the otherworldly "Avatar" down to Earth and down to cliche. The message of environmentalism and of (literal) tree-hugging resonates, but such a plainly just cause also saps "Avatar" of drama and complexity.[/quote]
I'm surprised Sean Penn is not a member of this cast (sorry....couldn't resist).
These historical and contemporary overtones bring the otherworldly "Avatar" down to Earth and down to cliche. The message of environmentalism and of (literal) tree-hugging resonates, but such a plainly just cause also saps "Avatar" of drama and complexity.[/quote]
I'm surprised Sean Penn is not a member of this cast (sorry....couldn't resist).
-
AndyDursin
- Posts: 34442
- Joined: Tue Oct 05, 2004 8:45 pm
- Location: RI
Michael Phillips' review seems to be the consensus for most of the reviews I've seen.
The first 90 minutes of “Avatar” are pretty terrific — a full-immersion technological wonder with wonders to spare. The other 72 minutes, less and less terrific. Cameron’s story, which has been kicking around in his head for decades, becomes intentionally grueling in its heavily telegraphed narrative turn toward genocidal anguish, grim echoes of Vietnam-style firefights and the inevitable payback time and sequel-set-up.
http://featuresblogs.chicagotribune.com ... stars.html
Interesting to note that the raves seem to be coming from European critics...who probably don't mind the heavy-handed parallels to American military conflicts.
The first 90 minutes of “Avatar” are pretty terrific — a full-immersion technological wonder with wonders to spare. The other 72 minutes, less and less terrific. Cameron’s story, which has been kicking around in his head for decades, becomes intentionally grueling in its heavily telegraphed narrative turn toward genocidal anguish, grim echoes of Vietnam-style firefights and the inevitable payback time and sequel-set-up.
http://featuresblogs.chicagotribune.com ... stars.html
Interesting to note that the raves seem to be coming from European critics...who probably don't mind the heavy-handed parallels to American military conflicts.
Heh, him and some others.mkaroly wrote:
I'm surprised Sean Penn is not a member of this cast (sorry....couldn't resist).
I'm not even going to comment on that...too wide open...I'd definitely be breaking your forum rules.AndyDursin wrote:
Interesting to note that the raves seem to be coming from European critics...who probably don't mind the heavy-handed parallels to American military conflicts.
Suffice it to say, I'm really in no hurry to see this thing and maybe I'll get it on Blu at a good sale price some day.
My movie theaters are a complete joke anyways so it's not like I'd even get to maximize the eye candy experience.