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Forum namePass The Popcorn Archives
Topic subjectSo which of you morons is still trying to claim Avatar wasn't dope?
Topic URLhttp://board.okayplayer.com/okp.php?az=show_topic&forum=23&topic_id=101874
101874, So which of you morons is still trying to claim Avatar wasn't dope?
Posted by Frank Longo, Mon Dec-27-10 12:16 PM
Cuz I'm watching it for the first time since theaters, and it's fun and exciting and visually ridiculous. The script works, the acting is good, and the characters, while conventional, all fit perfectly into the story.


So remind me again, in a way that isn't nitpicky or overwhelmingly nerdy, why this movie "sucked"? Was it just because it was popular and so many people liked it?
101875, The script works as what though?
Posted by ricky_BUTLER, Mon Dec-27-10 12:28 PM
As a platform for James Cameron to go demonstrate his special effects genius? Sure, it works.

That's not a slight in anyway of the technical achievements of the film, which are wonderful, but Avatar is essentially a theme park ride. That's the level the characters, dialogue, and story reach. It's something you sit back and stare at for a couple hours. The less you think about the narrative elements, the less you recall the dialogue, and the less the characters are closely examined, the better.

It's an excuse for excitement.
101876, But the theme park ride feel wouldn't work without narrative success.
Posted by Frank Longo, Mon Dec-27-10 12:38 PM
>As a platform for James Cameron to go demonstrate his special
>effects genius? Sure, it works.
>
>That's not a slight in anyway of the technical achievements of
>the film, which are wonderful, but Avatar is essentially a
>theme park ride. That's the level the characters, dialogue,
>and story reach.

Tons of films are filled to the brim with special effects. The reason why the effects are extra special in Avatar is because they actually become engaging. The characters don't have to be deep and the dialogue doesn't have to be Mamet or the Coens for the narrative to work on the whole to become strong escapist fare.

The difference between Avatar and something like Transformers 2, Tron Legacy, or other effects-driven works are that Avatar manages to make you forget you're staring at something computers did.

It's something you sit back and stare at for
>a couple hours. The less you think about the narrative
>elements, the less you recall the dialogue, and the less the
>characters are closely examined, the better.
>
>It's an excuse for excitement.

And what's wrong with that? I can't count on my hands the number of films in the last decade that managed to achieve actual excitement in a big-budget, effects-driven film. It's so much harder than people give it credit for, and Cameron's genius with effects aren't just technical achievements, but the way in which he uses them within the story.
101877, what?
Posted by Rjcc, Mon Dec-27-10 12:55 PM
http://card.mygamercard.net/lastgame/rjcc.png

www.engadgethd.com - the other stuff i'm looking at
101878, stick to Nick Cage and musicals
Posted by cheap skeiht killa, Mon Dec-27-10 12:31 PM
:-) :-) :-) :-) :-) :-)
101879, sure is nice to look at, but I still laugh over the dragon rape
Posted by celery77, Mon Dec-27-10 12:32 PM
saw it once at the $3 theater with pizza + beer and thought it was great.

saw it again in 3D, and actually liked it much, much less. it was fun when we were the noisiest people in the theater cracking "handi-capable" + dragon rape jokes, but it was lame in the typical movie theater setting.

so I mean I won't bag on it, but it's best when you just look at it then make fun. taking it seriously is bad for your health.
101880, I don't understand the "dragon rape" references.
Posted by Frank Longo, Mon Dec-27-10 12:39 PM
You mean the scene in which he tackles the dragon and flies for the first time? I thought that was exciting-- I wasn't giggling at all. *shrug*

Maybe the enjoyability of the atmosphere of the first time you saw the film then influenced the pleasure you were looking to attain the second time you saw it.
101881, yeah, the tentacles -- it was mad phallic + the dragon didn't want it
Posted by celery77, Mon Dec-27-10 12:46 PM
and dude made that bitch subservient afterwards.

and the point is that it isn't just cheesy in parts, it's downright laughable. "unobtanium"? cmon, only defense of that is at least it's funny. whoever the villain dude was? he was a cartoon. oh and good lord the "I *see* you" BS. my g/f + I still tease each with that line for its pure ridiculousness (get it? they like *see* each other, but also they like *see* each other cuz they're in love! oh and it's how the natives say I love you! so deep!). and the fact that the dude was an untrained soldier getting strapped into this thing cuz his brother died, that's a lot for me to just forget about in the first 15 minutes of setup, but then add in that HE CAN'T WALK??!! give me a break.

so yeah, when you MAKE FUN OF IT, it's entertaining in a MST3K kind of way, but in no world is it an acceptable or entertaining plot line for 150m.
101882, Meh. Dances with Aliens.
Posted by bignick, Mon Dec-27-10 12:35 PM
Visually stunning, but incredibly mediocre in every other way.

>So remind me again, in a way that isn't nitpicky or
>overwhelmingly nerdy, why this movie "sucked"? Was it just
>because it was popular and so many people liked it?

No. It was because the writing was pretty wooden and hacky. The Navi were just blue versions of the cliched Hollywood Native American,and unobtanium is the dumbest thing that's ever been put into a movie.
101883, native people are closer to nature, bignick. it's a fact.
Posted by celery77, Mon Dec-27-10 12:38 PM
101884, I still don't understand this criticism.
Posted by Frank Longo, Mon Dec-27-10 12:48 PM
>unobtanium is the dumbest thing that's
>ever been put into a movie.

It's the name mentioned once, maybe twice, in the entire film. Is it a dumb name? Sure. Is it any dumber than "Francium", "Americium", "Californium", and all the elements named after places? Probably, yeah.

But when I'm watching the final hour of the film and getting my mind boggled by the action, I'm not sitting there thinking, "Unobtanium? What a stupid name!" Yet it's usually the first thing people reference to me when talking about why Avatar sucked, and since it's a word referenced twice in the whole movie, I always find that curious.

Wooden script I can at least understand, cuz there are definitely some bad "action dialogue" lines, like "That's what I'm talkin' about!" and things such as this. But I still don't think any of those lines undercut the overall enjoyability of the film. Just because a story is cliched doesn't mean it can't be told well.
101885, it's because it's THAT bad, Frank.
Posted by celery77, Mon Dec-27-10 01:01 PM
kinda like how Howard Dean's entire presidential campaign was undone by about 1.5 seconds of footage, the "unobtanium" thing is so patently ridiculous and insulting to the intelligence of the average movie goer, that anybody with any sense latches on to it no matter how rarely it was mentioned.

really, it's one part that OBVIOUSLY the natives are sitting on a valuable natural resource, the other part AND you named it "unobtanium"? gimme a break.
101886, it's the worst movie ever and you're an idiot and a liar if you say different
Posted by Rjcc, Mon Dec-27-10 12:51 PM
the hero is an unlikeable person who brings ruin to every single person or group he touches and is rewarded for it in the end, the story doesn't make sense and none of the background characters have any depth.

these things are indisputable facts.

http://card.mygamercard.net/lastgame/rjcc.png

www.engadgethd.com - the other stuff i'm looking at
101887, I thought Furry Vengeance was worse, personally.
Posted by Frank Longo, Mon Dec-27-10 12:56 PM
101888, you can't dispute any of what I said, because it's true.
Posted by Rjcc, Mon Dec-27-10 01:03 PM
you can only choose to ignore everything that happens in the movie, which is the exact opposite of avatar being good.

you have to pretend like it's something else. this is called plea copping.


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www.engadgethd.com - the other stuff i'm looking at
101889, This is a bit of a stretch, Transformers 1 and 2 were terrible
Posted by calij81, Mon Dec-27-10 02:27 PM
and the main character was completely unlikable, especially in the 2nd movie.

101890, I haven't seen transformers 2
Posted by Rjcc, Mon Dec-27-10 03:27 PM
sam was not a bad person in the first one though.

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www.engadgethd.com - the other stuff i'm looking at
101891, oddly, Transformers 1 is exactly the movie frank is actually describing
Posted by Rjcc, Mon Dec-27-10 03:35 PM
http://card.mygamercard.net/lastgame/rjcc.png

www.engadgethd.com - the other stuff i'm looking at
101892, as much as I hate both Transformer movies
Posted by RobOne4, Tue Dec-28-10 06:01 PM
and I do think they are both AWFUL. I found it easier to believe that it was possible for giant robots that transformed into cars and planes could coexist with humans than those stupid blue creatures.
101893, All movie I was thinking damn white dude is fucked up, lol
Posted by kayru99, Mon Dec-27-10 11:25 PM
>the hero is an unlikeable person who brings ruin to every
>single person or group he touches and is rewarded for it in
>the end, the story doesn't make sense and none of the
>background characters have any depth.
>
>these things are indisputable facts.


Horrible movie. At LEAST as bad as the phantom menace
101894, he fucks over EVERYBODY and ends up the big winner at the end
Posted by Rjcc, Tue Dec-28-10 03:05 AM
what the fuck kinda morality tale is that?

http://card.mygamercard.net/lastgame/rjcc.png

www.engadgethd.com - the other stuff i'm looking at
101895, it's a white savior movie.
Posted by will_5198, Mon Dec-27-10 12:59 PM
I liked it OK in the theaters, but have no real interest seeing it again.
101896, saw it again, it is the savior-iest flick ever
Posted by natlawdp, Tue Jan-04-11 12:33 PM
i can suspend reality, but don't ask me to go insane to enjoy your flick.

-dude brought down the twin towers, took the megaphone from Bush at Ground Zero to apologize for it, then jacked Air Force One and cats were like 'yeah, follow him'?! plus he was futtbucking the Navi version of Taylor Swift?!

FOH

101897, RE: So which of you morons is still trying to claim Avatar wasn't dope?
Posted by JiggysMyDayJob, Mon Dec-27-10 12:59 PM
>Cuz I'm watching it for the first time since theaters, and
>it's fun and exciting and visually ridiculous. The script
>works, the acting is good, and the characters, while
>conventional, all fit perfectly into the story.
>
>
>So remind me again, in a way that isn't nitpicky or
>overwhelmingly nerdy, why this movie "sucked"? Was it just
>because it was popular and so many people liked it?
>
Honestly, It was the 3-D at first. I saw it twice in theaters and once at the Arclight cinema dome, which had glasses provided by Cameron. It was a bit distracting almost overwhelming. The second time in a regular Imax 3-D theater, it wasn't as overwhelming but it still kinda ruined the movie for me. (maybe I just have terrible vision)

The second gripe is: the film is a bit too long. I mean it would have been better as an action flick than this long story, It was like Alien meets Titanic.It really just felt so generic and I agree with you it worked for what it was. However, it would have been better as a straight up action film. I guess I was expecting Cameron herald his return as an action god. Don't get me wrong though because I am a huge lover of the Abyss which I compare Avatar to. But the difference is with The Abyss is that it didn't have these action sequences sprinkled through out but at the End it got exciting, for me that worked.

I don't know maybe I'm wrong for the fact that I was expecting and action flick and not The Last Alien Samurai.


*I'd like to note that I did not reference Ferngully: The Last Rain Forest or Dances with Wolves. (those are cop out reasons)
101898, I thought you were better than this Frank
Posted by RobOne4, Mon Dec-27-10 01:19 PM
that movie is a huge piece of shit and you know it. It looks like a fucking cartoon. I never believed for one minute that the creatures in that world could coexist with humans. Shit was stupid. The voice acting was mediocre at best. Oh yeah the story was fucking garbage.
101899, I mean, I obviously don't know it.
Posted by Frank Longo, Mon Dec-27-10 01:22 PM
>that movie is a huge piece of shit and you know it.

Otherwise I wouldn't have posted this.

It looks
>like a fucking cartoon.

Not to me. It looked great to me. One of the best effects in a movie I've ever seen.

I never believed for one minute that
>the creatures in that world could coexist with humans. Shit
>was stupid.

Well, you're kind of supposed to see the conflict coming from miles away. It builds tension. It's why they detail the conflict between the war-hungry marines and the peace-hungry scientists before you even see a Navi.

>The voice acting was mediocre at best.

Saldana mediocre? She almost got an Oscar nod for a role in which she was never on screen. Weaver mediocre? CCH Pounder? I disagree strongly with this.

Oh yeah the
>story was fucking garbage.

Again, I disagree.
101900, I think I would love a long chat about this
Posted by RobOne4, Mon Dec-27-10 01:32 PM
I definitely would love to hear the other guys take on this shitty piece of shit.
101901, cch pounder sucked and there was nothing good about saldanas
Posted by Rjcc, Mon Dec-27-10 01:37 PM
performance other than being pretty.

http://card.mygamercard.net/lastgame/rjcc.png

www.engadgethd.com - the other stuff i'm looking at
101902, I liked seeing it in 3D, but I don't know if I'll ever sit through it again
Posted by Marauder21, Mon Dec-27-10 01:40 PM
I really enjoyed it in theaters, was just a ton of fun. I tried rewatching it on HBO a few months back and it just couldn't hold my attention. I don't know, it just doesn't seem to have much replay value for me. IMO the story is kinda weak (though not as awful as some people are arguing) and even if it is well told, I can't really bother to care anymore.
101903, It's cheesier than a box of Kraft Mac & Cheese
Posted by B9, Mon Dec-27-10 01:45 PM
James Cameron can not write. I think that's where it basically breaks down. (that and Rodriguez is a shitty actress and they over-animated all the blue fuckers faces so they were overacting in every single scene)
101904, he's a good director tho, you can't argue with that
Posted by Rjcc, Mon Dec-27-10 01:55 PM
he got good performances out of the actors.

the problem is everything that happened or was said in the movie was complete shit.


http://card.mygamercard.net/lastgame/rjcc.png

www.engadgethd.com - the other stuff i'm looking at
101905, Sure he can direct and he's hired a great team of effects guys
Posted by B9, Mon Dec-27-10 03:03 PM
I mean, its a totally new way of thinking about direction, more like a video game or a cartoon, but yeah, he's good at that. I want to see him direct and produce something he is not allowed to even have a rewrite on, it could be great.

It's likely the flaw of approaching it as a "film" vs a "movie". I guess it's a good movie, but the moment you start paying attention to what's being said what the story is really supposed to be you may as well be taking a shit.
101906, Any movie/show that kills off Michelle Rodriguez is terrible.
Posted by Nopayne, Mon Dec-27-10 02:10 PM
101907, ^^^good rule of thumb
Posted by Rjcc, Mon Dec-27-10 02:19 PM
http://card.mygamercard.net/lastgame/rjcc.png

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101908, ^^^good rule of thumb
Posted by Rjcc, Mon Dec-27-10 02:19 PM
http://card.mygamercard.net/lastgame/rjcc.png

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101909, ^^^worth saying twice
Posted by Rjcc, Mon Dec-27-10 02:19 PM
http://card.mygamercard.net/lastgame/rjcc.png

www.engadgethd.com - the other stuff i'm looking at
101910, i would've loved it when i was an adolescent.
Posted by SoWhat, Mon Dec-27-10 02:28 PM
actually, no, even then i would've thought it too dumb for my taste.
101911, This needs to be on a podcast wit RJCC as guest
Posted by spenzalii, Mon Dec-27-10 03:00 PM
Comedy gold, I tell you

101912, i dug it in the theater, but it's down right unwatchable on hbo
Posted by Mynoriti, Mon Dec-27-10 03:01 PM
it even looks like shit. i couldn't get through an hour.

it's so bad, i'm kind of mad at myself for liking it before, but it was before every shitty movie was in 3D. it was a cool experience at the time. i wish i didn't try to watch it again
101913, i fell asleep on it at the theater (in 3D).
Posted by SoWhat, Mon Dec-27-10 04:19 PM
i've seen parts of it on HBO that i didn't know were in the movie at all. lol

101914, *does the wop*
Posted by ZooTown74, Mon Dec-27-10 04:30 PM
*exits post*

_________________________________________________________________________
The New Shit

1/11/11 @ 11 on BET

twitter.com/LetsStay2Gether

also on Facebook
101915, your avatar is how i react when i see this movie playing on a screen.
Posted by FortifiedLive, Mon Dec-27-10 04:47 PM
101916, Wheres Basaglia ?
Posted by JiggysMyDayJob, Mon Dec-27-10 05:18 PM
Cause we got RJCC handing out the L's and all we need is Basaglia to do the clean up work.

Sorry Frank, You're wrong on this one. Shit sucked and was/in overhyped
101917, it's like with obama birthers
Posted by Rjcc, Mon Dec-27-10 07:04 PM
you have these deluded people who will just wait for everyone to stop paying attention before they start their whisper campaign about how avatar really wasn't complete shit and hope you forgot all the facts.


you have to quash it each and every time to remind them you're still here.

http://card.mygamercard.net/lastgame/rjcc.png

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101918, Yup! I even gave a nice reason why I thought it wasn't that great
Posted by JiggysMyDayJob, Mon Dec-27-10 08:10 PM
But to no avail. I couldn't even just sit, watch it for what it was an enjoy it. Inception was more enjoyable as a veg out flick.

Camreon's got skill but he missed me with this one.
101919, they lost me with the "You're not in Kansas anymore" line.
Posted by pretentious username, Mon Dec-27-10 05:25 PM
101920, ...
Posted by BigWorm, Mon Dec-27-10 05:38 PM
Out of respect, I abstain.

This post saddens me, Frank Longo.
101921, We can't all be perfect, I suppose.
Posted by Frank Longo, Mon Dec-27-10 05:48 PM
:-\
101922, come on, Longo. Unobtanium.
Posted by Nukkapedia, Mon Dec-27-10 08:35 PM
101923, Don't hate it and I think the action sequence editing is world-class
Posted by Sponge, Mon Dec-27-10 08:36 PM
but I don't see it as dope. Dopeness image-wise, I go with Blade Runner, Sunshine, and stuff on the other end like, say, Shotgun Stories and Vertical Ray of the Sun. Why does George Lucas and Cameron equate writing for a wide audience with dumb ass cliched dialogue? Pixar and Ghibli write for children, teens, and adults and their dialogue isn't wack as shit. Some parts of Avatar are unavoidably (i.e., viscerally) stimulating and entertaining, though.
101924, Its just a smidget bit predictable with a dash of cliche
Posted by Ionno, Mon Dec-27-10 09:50 PM
like SoWhat said, i may have liked it as an adolescent
101925, Honestly -- I willed it to be good, and it sort of was.
Posted by Orbit_Established, Tue Dec-28-10 04:12 AM

I literally willed it.



Of course that means I overlooked the bad
scenes and won't openly admit that I don't
ever really want to see it again, but it
worked, because when I hear 'Avatar' I have
mostly positive thoughts



----------------------------

Young Broadway Star Urgently Needs a Bone Marrow Donor. Is it you? http://MatchShannon.com/







O_E: "Acts like an asshole and posts with imperial disdain"




"I ORBITs the solar system, listenin..."

(C)Keith Murray, "
101926, ^^ how I felt before I decided to re-watch it in 3D ^^
Posted by celery77, Tue Dec-28-10 11:12 AM
shoulda just stuck with that victory at the $3 pizza + beer theater, but that was so fun I decided I needed the full 3D, but then didn't enjoy it as much and felt ripped off.

hold on to them positive thoughts as long as you can, O_E.
101927, Oh, I'll never, ever, see it again. Ever. Ever.
Posted by Orbit_Established, Wed Dec-29-10 01:23 AM

>hold on to them positive thoughts as long as you can, O_E.


So I'm good.


Oh, and come to think of it: I saw it with girl
I sorta had a thing for (at the time, at least),
which helped.



----------------------------

Young Broadway Star Urgently Needs a Bone Marrow Donor. Is it you? http://MatchShannon.com/







O_E: "Acts like an asshole and posts with imperial disdain"




"I ORBITs the solar system, listenin..."

(C)Keith Murray, "
101928, That movie is on Titanic status for me
Posted by magilla vanilla, Tue Dec-28-10 07:30 AM
never seen it, have no desire to, and will avoid it whenever given the chance.

Oh look! Jim Cameron directed that one, too!
101929, apparently, there's some titties in that movie
Posted by Rjcc, Tue Dec-28-10 07:38 AM
so it's on my watch list

http://card.mygamercard.net/lastgame/rjcc.png

www.engadgethd.com - the other stuff i'm looking at
101930, ^^^Focused
Posted by bwood, Tue Dec-28-10 12:33 PM
Kate Winslet always looks good naked tho.
101931, here you go
Posted by RobOne4, Tue Dec-28-10 05:57 PM
now save yourself from 3 hours of shit
http://www.metacafe.com/watch/312595/kate_winslet_titanic/
101932, niiice
Posted by Rjcc, Tue Dec-28-10 09:26 PM
http://card.mygamercard.net/lastgame/rjcc.png

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101933, RE: here you go
Posted by TruOne, Sun Jan-02-11 01:08 AM
>now save yourself from 3 hours of shit
>http://www.metacafe.com/watch/312595/kate_winslet_titanic/

my man!
101934, I thought it was great at the time
Posted by pretentious username, Tue Dec-28-10 08:36 AM
but I don't want to see it again. When I've caught it on TV/at a friend's place I can't get over how bad the writing is.
101935, i might've enjoyed it more if it was cut down by 30-45 mins....
Posted by gumz, Tue Dec-28-10 10:30 AM
way too long for a boring, predictable story. i remember being into it because of the visuals then after a while wondering how they were going to wrap it up and being ready for it to be over.
101936, you lost this one, dude
Posted by cereffusion, Tue Dec-28-10 11:32 AM
stop trying to be other posters, too.
101937, what a shame it didn't win Best Picture
Posted by vee-lover, Tue Dec-28-10 01:01 PM
101938, watching it again at home, confirmed to me that it was wack
Posted by Harmonia, Tue Dec-28-10 02:20 PM
The theater experience was cool but now watching it at home - weak! Zoe Saldana was the best thing about the movie.
101939, Zoe irritated me in that movie
Posted by RobOne4, Tue Dec-28-10 03:48 PM
mostly the way she cried, and she cried a lot. The sound she made was a cross between getting shot and being spanked by your parents. Awful.
101940, i agree, she was still my favorite character which says a lot about how
Posted by Harmonia, Tue Dec-28-10 04:31 PM
weak the characters in the film were.
I liked her because after awhile I forgot I was looking at a giant blue CGI creature.
101941, and this is *WHY* zoe is an outstanding actress
Posted by SankofaII, Wed Dec-29-10 12:20 AM
because I completely forgot about the weak characterization and focused on her. saldana, along with Sigourney Weaver, CCH Pounder and Wes Studi as Zoe's parents were the best things about the movie.

sidenote: um, zoe was totally deserving of some damn awards and nominations...
101942, I dont get the hate either. It wasnt amazing but it sure as hell aint
Posted by DolphinTeef, Tue Dec-28-10 04:35 PM
on "The Room" level of wackness.

Just seemed like a "safe" movie with crazy effects. Far from horrible.
101943, you're wrong.
Posted by Rjcc, Tue Dec-28-10 04:45 PM
http://card.mygamercard.net/lastgame/rjcc.png

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101944, It looked great
Posted by simpsycho, Tue Dec-28-10 05:03 PM
I mean, really great. But it was hella average in just about every other aspect.
101945, i have beef with people saying it looked great
Posted by RobOne4, Tue Dec-28-10 05:54 PM
but I am sorry those giant fucking blue things did not look great. They looked dead in the face, and they did not look real enough to coexist in the real world, like they did. If every time the humans the humans crossed over into the where the navi lived they crossed these giant gates letting them know they were now entering toontown. Then okay, I believe it.
101946, I just meant that it looked really cool
Posted by simpsycho, Thu Dec-30-10 10:29 PM
With the 3D and all that shit.
101947, DOGPILE!!!!
Posted by forgivenphoenix, Tue Dec-28-10 07:29 PM
Avatar is a good way to spend nearly three hours.

After that, the flaws in the writing begin to show thru, the plot doesn't hold up, and even the awe at the special effects fade because we're just too accustomed to seeing visual spectacle in movies.

It's like Titanic in that it's good, but lacks any real replay value.

And I know you said not to play movie critic, but that's the main critique with his last two movies over the other movies of his career.

I know you loathe the ending of Terminator 2, but I could watch any of his first 4 movies over and over again. Even with the special effects that don't quite hold up to modern eyes, the plot, dialogue, and mystique around them are top notch. It's like after Terminator 2 Cameron decided he wanted to own the world and that just being a great filmmaker wasn't good enough. The whole thing just feels like a watered down version of his other work.
101948, it's not even good the first time.
Posted by Rjcc, Tue Dec-28-10 09:24 PM
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101949, too long and cliched, but not a bad movie
Posted by Grand_Royal, Tue Dec-28-10 09:48 PM
I also liked the concept of the "avatars". And I also think Unobtanium was done in jest, something the corporate guy came up with.


"you can go ahead and sneeze, cuz my presence blessed you"
101950, too long and cliched and a bad movie.
Posted by Rjcc, Tue Dec-28-10 10:20 PM
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101951, You nerds suck.
Posted by BennyTenStack, Wed Dec-29-10 12:09 AM
It was awesome.
101952, you suck, it wasn't.
Posted by Rjcc, Wed Dec-29-10 01:13 AM
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101953, Yeah right, you suck!
Posted by BennyTenStack, Wed Dec-29-10 07:39 PM
101954, Wait, the person saying "Avatar is awesome" is calling us nerds?
Posted by bignick, Thu Dec-30-10 02:59 PM
101955, Don't even act like it's a nerd movie.
Posted by BennyTenStack, Thu Dec-30-10 09:19 PM
The majority of the world saw and liked the movie.
101956, I don't think its you calling the movie awesome
Posted by JiggysMyDayJob, Thu Dec-30-10 09:59 PM
the reason for the nerd comparison, but the fact you think the movie is awesome and you're calling us nerds makes you a nerd.

I only say that cause most of agree is was asstastic.
101957, RE: I don't think its you calling the movie awesome
Posted by BennyTenStack, Thu Dec-30-10 11:46 PM
>the reason for the nerd comparison, but the fact you think
>the movie is awesome and you're calling us nerds makes you a
>nerd.
>
>I only say that cause most of agree is was asstastic.


The only people I know that don't like are film nerds/snobs.
101958, The only people I know who like it pretty much like anything.
Posted by bignick, Sun Jan-02-11 04:36 AM
101959, Same here ... ^^^
Posted by Mole, Mon Jan-03-11 07:11 PM
... I haven't seen it and refuse to unless it's forced upon me when I'm in a hungover stupor on a couch one day or something, but yeah, the people I know who thought it was awesome are the same people who never criticize anything they see.
101960, I criticize loads of things and hate loads of things.
Posted by Frank Longo, Tue Jan-04-11 08:38 AM
I just happen to like this flick in particular. Since I think it's good.

*shrug*
101961, but you don't like avatar. you like an imaginary movie that never existed
Posted by Rjcc, Tue Jan-04-11 10:03 AM


http://card.mygamercard.net/lastgame/rjcc.png

www.engadgethd.com - the other stuff i'm looking at
101962, Okay, lol.
Posted by Frank Longo, Tue Jan-04-11 01:51 PM
101963, Didn't love it in theater, but didn't hate. it. Would NEVER watch again
Posted by calminvasion, Wed Dec-29-10 11:02 AM
101964, Thought I'd love it after the IMAX preview but it was only so-so.
Posted by jigga, Thu Dec-30-10 01:53 PM
Now that it's on HBO it's a total no-no.

101965, it didn't hold up well under a second viewing
Posted by theprofessional, Thu Dec-30-10 03:27 PM
i know i was in here lobbying for best picture last year, so i'm man enough to come in and collect my L. i saw it a second time in 3D, and while the movie still soars early and often, it also has some pretty clear and glaring flaws-- dialogue and certain characters, to be exact. it's still the most important movie of 2009 (and killa cam still deserved best director), probably not the best though. i'll pass that trophy on down to my first runner-up, inglourious basterds, though now i'm afraid to watch that one again. oh, hurt locker still doodoo doe.

EDIT: i shouldn't say it didn't hold up well. it did. it's a fantastic movie, there's no question about it. but the replay value is low. the utter euphoria of the first viewing is lost on the second, and certainly wouldn't translate on a TV.
101966, ^^^ I can dig this type of criticism.
Posted by Frank Longo, Sun Jan-02-11 09:14 PM
>i know i was in here lobbying for best picture last year, so
>i'm man enough to come in and collect my L. i saw it a second
>time in 3D, and while the movie still soars early and often,
>it also has some pretty clear and glaring flaws-- dialogue and
>certain characters, to be exact. it's still the most
>important movie of 2009 (and killa cam still deserved best
>director), probably not the best though. i'll pass that
>trophy on down to my first runner-up, inglourious basterds,
>though now i'm afraid to watch that one again. oh, hurt
>locker still doodoo doe.
>
>EDIT: i shouldn't say it didn't hold up well. it did. it's a
>fantastic movie, there's no question about it. but the replay
>value is low. the utter euphoria of the first viewing is lost
>on the second, and certainly wouldn't translate on a TV.

Folks in here talking about Phantom Menace status literally confound me. There is nothing in Phantom Menace even CLOSE to the final 45 minutes of Avatar.

I do understand losing that joy of the first experience with the visuals and the world of Pandora.
101967, anybody comparing avatar to phantom menace is an idiot
Posted by theprofessional, Mon Jan-03-11 01:06 AM
while avatar has its flaws, none of them are in the story itself. the dialogue was flawed, a few periphery characters were oversimplified or overdone, but the main characters and the main story works. you can argue it's a story we've seen before, fine, but it worked before and it works in avatar. and the visuals aren't just pretty pictures, the environment and nearly everything in it was integrated quite nicely into the story.

the phantom menace on the other hand failed on every level, from story to dialogue to characters to an environment that mostly served no purpose other than to sell toys. avatar deserved its best picture nom and would have deserved it in the traditional five-film format while the phantom menace is an indefensible film that no one outside of skywalker ranch even attempts to defend. comparing the two is laughable.
101968, you're a fucking liar. you say the story and the characters hold up
Posted by Rjcc, Mon Jan-03-11 02:16 AM
there are no examples you can give of this, because they don't exist.

there is no depth to any of the characters.

in a fucking three hour movie.



http://card.mygamercard.net/lastgame/rjcc.png

www.engadgethd.com - the other stuff i'm looking at
101969, oh, so you're still doing this?
Posted by theprofessional, Mon Jan-03-11 09:55 AM
what are you so mad about? you won. you got a whole platinum post here of people admitting that avatar's replay value is weak. longo's right though, it's still a dope flick and killa cam still changed the game. you're probably wearing some 3D glasses right now. but if you're gonna keep crying until i pull out my avatar dvd and piss on it, let me save you some tears: i don't own one. you won.
101970, the things you said weren't true. it sucked the first time.
Posted by Rjcc, Mon Jan-03-11 09:09 PM
Avatar: Not Even Once

http://card.mygamercard.net/lastgame/rjcc.png

www.engadgethd.com - the other stuff i'm looking at
101971, you dig anything that's not criticism and cops endless pleas
Posted by Rjcc, Mon Jan-03-11 02:17 AM
as long as they'll apologize for it being a stinking pile of shit no one wants to watch or think about, you're down with it.


http://card.mygamercard.net/lastgame/rjcc.png

www.engadgethd.com - the other stuff i'm looking at
101972, ^^exactly^^
Posted by tully_blanchard, Wed Jan-05-11 04:20 PM

for house goodness:

http://djrsenalsopenhouse.podOmatic.com

ahhh, why the hell not:
www.myspace.com/thedjrsenal
www.twitter.com/djrsenal
101973, RE: So which of you morons is still trying to claim Avatar wasn't dope?
Posted by Slugger_Onions, Sat Jan-01-11 08:05 AM
Nigga it was just a rip-off of Ferngully The Last Rainforest dawg. Plus that shit was weird as hell my nigga. Why them blue cats using they ponytails to fuck giant flying birds and shit nigga? What part of the game is that?? Shit's fucked up.
101974, LOL
Posted by astralblak, Thu Jan-06-11 05:43 PM
and about time someone in PTP understood it was ferngully for adults
101975, it's a horrible movie with a terrible script and unconvincing effects
Posted by ternary_star, Sat Jan-01-11 12:57 PM
the Na'vi look ridiculous...the scene where he first breaks out of the hospital room and runs across the basketball court...my god, that shit looks horrendous. it's a common comparison, but it really does look like a video game.

the dialogue is George Lucas-level awful. the opening scenes with the awkward expository stuff is especially shitty. Sam Worthington and Zoe Saldana do an admirable job with what they're given, but everyone else is fucking horrible.

i randomly watched Aliens the other day and i was shocked at how much stuff in Avatar was borrowed directly from that movie - the mechs, the badass latina soldier, the ass-kicking general, the greedy corporate executive...it struck me as super lazy/unimaginative. Avatar really just seems like a tech demo...an excuse to try out new toys - the 3D stuff, the virtual camera rig, the new character animation, etc.

if you honestly like this movie, you objectively have terrible taste.
101976, ^^^ what they said
Posted by araQual, Sun Jan-02-11 03:20 AM
V.
101977, i think some of yall need to smoke more weed
Posted by PimpMacula, Sun Jan-02-11 05:30 AM
cuz the first time i saw it in theaters in 3D i was high as shit (why would you even see it any other way?) and i actually had LOW expectations as i was sure it would be corny as fuck.

i tell you, i was hooked from the first 5 minutes of the outer space visuals. that shit looked real as shit, son! then as soon as he went into the avatar i was buggin out like "THAT SHIT LOOK TOO GOOD TO BE CGI!"

yeah, i mean, the story is corny and the acting is laughable @ times (worhington and weaver were meh.. rodriguez was surprisingly decent tho). but the visuals more than make up for EVERYTHING. and fuck what you heard, Lang KILLED his part. ribisi did his thing too. they both played stellar antagonists for a fun-loving, by-the-numbers, family flick. *shrugs*

oh and yeah, the pterodactyl scene definitely conjured a rape encounter. he dominated that shit like "you're mine, bitch" ... which felt mad out of place betwixt all the tree-hugger propaganda.
101978, weed can make any movie good, this is not an argument.
Posted by Rjcc, Sun Jan-02-11 05:53 AM
http://card.mygamercard.net/lastgame/rjcc.png

www.engadgethd.com - the other stuff i'm looking at
101979, I have the opposite effect.
Posted by Stadium Status, Sun Jan-02-11 09:48 PM
I think a lot of movies are dumber after I smoke. I smoked and watched Requiem for example and realized how dumb and overdramatic it was
101980, The fact that you had to mention getting high to watch it
Posted by JiggysMyDayJob, Mon Jan-03-11 12:12 AM
says volumes about the flick.

btw I'm not taking shots at you, But that opening statement kinda sums it up for me. Longo just won't take this L and let this post fade away.
101981, Liking a movie that other people didn't will never be an L.
Posted by Frank Longo, Mon Jan-03-11 06:24 AM
This isn't like sports, where bust status can be supported by statistics. It's all opinion.

As far as I'm concerned, if you didn't like the movie, it's your loss. I enjoyed it the first time, enjoyed it the second time, and will continue to enjoy it. I don't care that all of y'all hated it, lol.

If you'd said, "Avatar won't make any money," that's an L. If you'd said, "Avatar will never get a Best Picture nomination," that's an L. Those are quantifiable measurements with hard facts attached. But if you'd said, "Avatar was good/bad/etc," that can't ever really be an L.
101982, It's not all 'opionion'
Posted by cereffusion, Mon Jan-03-11 09:57 AM
if someone says they liked 'Grown Ups' they are probably not smart.
101983, there's facts about the movie that you lie about
Posted by Rjcc, Mon Jan-03-11 09:11 PM
that's a problem.

it's an agenda, not reality. that's not what this should be.

http://card.mygamercard.net/lastgame/rjcc.png

www.engadgethd.com - the other stuff i'm looking at
101984, ^^ sees it ^^
Posted by celery77, Tue Jan-04-11 03:46 PM
>oh and yeah, the pterodactyl scene definitely conjured a rape
>encounter. he dominated that shit like "you're mine, bitch"
>... which felt mad out of place betwixt all the tree-hugger
>propaganda.

that dragon didn't want it.

dude is a handicapable dragon rapist who can lead the natives better than the natives can lead themselves.

the movie is fun when you can laugh at it and soak it in, but that's also why second viewings suffer -- there's not too much there past the initial thrill.
101985, and lol @ all the people hating on the special effects...
Posted by PimpMacula, Sun Jan-02-11 05:37 AM
PLEASE list movies that are visually superior.
101986, Did you see Princess Mononoke?
Posted by Stadium Status, Sun Jan-02-11 09:55 PM
I watched that for the first time the other week and it blew me away. I mention it because it has a similar concept to Avatar, but the characters are all dynamic and even the antagonists are charismatic and their motives are sympathetic to an extent. To me, the biggest problem of Avatar were that all of the characters were one-dimensional - literally one of the worst protagonists and villains of all time. It was hard to feel any emotion towards any of them.
101987, i LOVE Princess Mononoke
Posted by Harmonia, Sun Jan-02-11 10:37 PM
101988, I hated both of these movies
Posted by Sleepy, Tue Jan-04-11 10:43 AM
I just didn't get it. I attempted to watch Avatar. It held my attention for about 45 minutes, then I totally lost interest.

PM didn't even last 20 minutes. I have absoultely no desire to see that film ever again.
101989, Miyazaki >>>>>> Disney, Everyday.
Posted by jetblack, Tue Jan-04-11 10:55 PM
<-----This Kid loves Ponyo > More than any Disney Princess.

Proof she's mine.

:)
101990, But they're still sleepin...
Posted by Stadium Status, Thu Jan-06-11 02:37 PM
I've watched Ponyo, Spirited Away and Princess. Howl's Moving Castle and My Neighbor Totoro up next
101991, Miyazaki don't make bad films.
Posted by jetblack, Thu Jan-06-11 07:57 PM
All classics.
101992, RE: Still an overrated bullshit film
Posted by maternalbliss, Wed Jan-05-11 01:57 PM
The story is so unoriginal and for that reason alone I can't see anything special about it. O.K. now lets discuss Jake and the princess. I got nothing against interracial relationships but the whole premise of Avatarzan is based on the racial politics of colonization. How is that progrssive? The environmental message, lol, here we go again. Mother earth can take care of herself. The film was really boring to me. I fell asleep on it. Am i gonna watch it again yeah one day but my opinion really won't change.
101993, shits a tad better on HBO
Posted by Roadblock, Thu Jan-06-11 07:01 PM
sucked & gave me a headache at the theater