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[Veidt]

If Roger Ebert liked it that means I can't think it looks retarded? Why?

I don't know the full briefing to this. But from what I gathered. People implied Ebert would not see any good in Avatar. And that his impressions basically warrant its validity somehow.
To everyone's surprise, Ebert liked and even compared to the first time he experienced Star Wars. Now the same individuals are accused of rendering his views obsolete after Ebert didn't go the expected route.

 

[eznark]

I don't know the full briefing to this. But from what I gathered. People implied Ebert would not see any good in Avatar. And that his impressions basically warrant its validity somehow.
To everyone's surprise, Ebert liked and even compared to the first time he experienced Star Wars. Now the same individuals are accused of rendering his views obsolete after Ebert didn't go the expected route.

Ah, ok. It sounded universal, but it was in reference to people who actually take stock in Ebert as a critic. My bad.

I'd actually probably go see the movie just because I'm sure the settings will be awesome but my wife thinks it looks like a hilariously terrible pile of shit. I'll get it from Netflix.

 

[JB1981]

why should people not take stock in ebert as a critic? dude is legit.

 

[Ollie Pooch]

Ah, ok. It sounded universal, but it was in reference to people who actually take stock in Ebert as a critic. My bad.

I'd actually probably go see the movie just because I'm sure the settings will be awesome but my wife thinks it looks like a hilariously terrible pile of shit. I'll get it from Netflix.

it's hilarious (read: frustrating) seeing people write off a two-and-a-half hour movie based on a short preview. the day i don't go see/do something i want to do just cos my partner thinks its a 'hilariously terrible pile of shit' is the day i kill myself.

if someone can't find something to enjoy in this extraordinary movie then i'm convinced they're a joyless, bitter robot and intent on hating. their loss...

 

[Blader]

I thought that when I saw the second trailer the first time. I was like "people that rebel against the system...now that´s fucking brave James Cameron!"

No it isn't.

 

[eznark]

why should people not take stock in ebert as a critic? dude is legit.

He and I often have different tastes.

And I didn't say I wanted to see it, just said I would see it, meaning if I was ever sitting around bored and my wife wanted to go.

I think it's a failure of the films marketing, not my wife's fault, for thinking the movie is schlocky tripe whose best quality is its CG...which she despises almost as a rule.

Only thing she knows about the movie is what she sees in the TV trailers (and the 60 minutes segment we watched).

 

[Zeliard]

The dialog makes it clear. That, and they have tv screens for faces.

EDIT: And here is Spielberg flat out saying the same.

You know, I'd didn't care for it much at first, but I've developed a strange appreciation for this movie over time.

I watched A.I. again a couple months ago.

The movie is underrated. I don't even feel like the last act cheapens it anymore. It fits with the story and is visually spectacular.

I think people need to go and re-watch it. Maybe they'll have a new perspective on it after all these years.

I think Titanic, because it is so popular, has gone into this realm of iconic film where it's really easy to sort of mock the film instead of take a step back and judge it on its own merits.

You know, how people view it in chunks? "I'm King of the World!" The spitting scene. The Leonardo DiCaprio frozen scene. The drawing Kate Winslet's tits scene.

It's a series of little gags now, instead of the unexpectedly high quality movie about the Titanic's demise with the cutting edge technology that was used to present that horror.

That said, Cameron does have to do something about how cheesy his movies tend to be if you take a step back. I think the word is... a lot of his films aren't "timeless" so much as spectacles for its specific era. I have a real problem with the scripts he makes and the way he often directs his actors. I like Cameron but this is what prevents him from being a truly great director, imo. But unlike some people, I only think Aliens still holds up well today... Terminator on the other hand... eck

I agree with all of this except that I think that Cameron is actually a pretty good director of actors. He pretty much only makes action movies, which even Titanic contains a huge amount of, and yet he's able to elicit these performances from his actors that few other directors would be able to in that genre. Weaver became the first person ever nominated for an Academy Award for a sci-fi movie with Aliens.

Casting director obviously plays a part, but Cameron as the director is still able to take actors and put them in perfect roles, like Schwarzenegger. There's never been a more suitable role for his acting ability than as The Terminator.

 

[DieNgamers]

I feel like the only person on GAF not going to see this in 3D. Stupid cinema with 3D tech being 100 miles away!

Still can't wait though.

You are not alone! The next one for me would be Berlin and that's >200 miles away.

Regarding A.I. I always feel it's some kind of forgotten masterpiece that may get more attention in the future. I hope so.

 

[Dan]

No it isn't.

I think/hope he was being sarcastic.

 

[Zeliard]

I've seen a number of reviews that seem to suggest the movie's story is formulaic, but it kind of needs to be because even a little complexity would be overkill for this movie or that it doesn't matter.

This is odd, but I'm wondering if it's true or if the reviewers are kind of shell-shocked right now. Is it paint by numbers simple or does Cameron switch things up enough to keep me interested between action and environment scenes?

I guess it doesn't matter as I'm seeing Friday regardless, but I don't want to think too much on the story if I don't have too (kind of like Jurassic Park).

Here's Simon Pegg being all logical:

It's a familiar story but it needs broad mythological strokes to counterpoint the intense visuals. Narrative complexity would self defeat.

Here's another reviewer on the simplicity of the dialogue:

I fretted earlier that the dialogue may have been too on the nose. Well, it is on the nose. It may be a blessing. There’s a lot of information coming at you and (heaven help me for saying this) perhaps nuance would only interfere with the ultimate message. Avatar may have some lackluster dialogue, but it does not have a "bad script." The story beats are solid and the lengthy running time soars by.

Apparently, what James Cameron went ahead and did was make a James Cameron movie.

 

[polyh3dron]

why should people not take stock in ebert as a critic? dude is legit.

When he nails it he nails it, but he can sometimes miss the mark and when he does it's not pretty.

 

[op_ivy]

You are not alone! The next one for me would be Berlin and that's >200 miles away.

Regarding A.I. I always feel it's some kind of forgotten masterpiece that may get more attention in the future. I hope so.

i never understood the hate for AI. loved it from my first viewing in the theatre and after multiple viewings on my couch. most people i've watched it with really enjoyed it as well. /shrugs

 

[ToxicAdam]

Ah, ok. It sounded universal, but it was in reference to people who actually take stock in Ebert as a critic. My bad.

I'd actually probably go see the movie just because I'm sure the settings will be awesome but my wife thinks it looks like a hilariously terrible pile of shit. I'll get it from Netflix.

My wife is the same way. She has no interest in the technology or the special effects. She said if we go, she is going to bring her Ipod touch.

 

[rhino4evr]

i never understood the hate for AI. loved it from my first viewing in the theatre and after multiple viewings on my couch. most people i've watched it with really enjoyed it as well. /shrugs

i think it was just a little too slow for most audiences. I enjoyed it, but a lot of people were expecting the typical Spielberg action/drama like minority report or war of the worlds

 

[jett]

A.I. is my favorite Spielbergo movie. One day it will get the love it deserves.

Spoiler

Speed Racer too, damnit!

 

[eznark]

My wife is the same way. She has no interest in the technology or the special effects. She said if we go, she is going to bring her Ipod touch.

I guess that means we should blow our brains out. Shame.

 

[Foliorum Viridum]

Where do you live? I thought pretty much every major cinema in the UK had 3D now. There are at least 6 in a 10 mile vicinity of me.

South-West Wales. Swansea is the nearest.

 

[Max@GC]

No it isn't.

Regarding an U.S. project THAT big and with so much money involved I think it is pretty risky to put that kind of criticism in it. I mean most Americans are pretty sensitive when it comes to topics that are against patriotism, aren´t they?

btw.: from the Austrian site kurier.at

"Die überlegenen USA Anspielungen auf die Bush-Ära negiert James Cameron mit einem feinen, ironischen Lächeln: "Für mich ist das eine beispielhafte Geschichte von vermeintlich überlegenen Kulturen, die andere unterdrücken. Ein immer wiederkehrendes Muster in der Geschichte der Menschheit. Diese Missachtung fremder Zivilisationen und vor allem auch der Natur. Dass sich unsere Wahrnehmung und Haltung diesbezüglich ändert, ist eines der Hauptthemen von 'Avatar'."

translation: "James Cameron negates the superior USA references to the Bush era with a slight ironic smile: "for me this is an exemplary story of allegedly superior cultures, who suppress other cultures. A constantly recurring pattern in the history of mankind. This disregard of foreign civilizations and especially of nature. That our perception changes, referring to this, is one of the main topics of 'Avatar'."

source: http://www.kurier.at/kultur/1962449.php

 

[commish]

My wife is the same way. She has no interest in the technology or the special effects. She said if we go, she is going to bring her Ipod touch.

I had no interest in watching a vampire love story, but I at least watched stupid ass New Moon when the better half wanted to watch.

 

[darkwings]

A.I. is my favorite Spielbergo movie. One day it will get the love it deserves.

Spoiler

Speed Racer too, damnit!

AI is a great movie, I dont get the hate.

 

[Gary Whitta]

My favorite Spielberg movie is Raiders of the Lost Ark.

 

[Expendable.]

Jaws or Jurassic Park.

 

[InaudibleWhispa]

South-West Wales. Swansea is the nearest.

Oh well, that sucks. Haven't Cardiff just had the first IMAX in Wales installed? Not worth the travel?

 

[Zeliard]

My favorite Spielberg movie is Raiders of the Lost Ark.

Ditto.

Raiders is movie perfection.

 

[Foliorum Viridum]

Oh well, that sucks. Haven't Cardiff just had the first IMAX in Wales installed? Not worth the travel?

Nah. I'm sure it's better in 3D, but the Avatar hype hasn't captured me and I'm just interested in seeing it, nothing more.

I'll definitely check a film out in 3D next time I'm in Cardiff, though!

 

[SpeedingUptoStop]

You can't really top Raiders. It's one of the few films I'd rank objectively perfect.

 

[Dabanton]

A.I. is my favorite Spielbergo movie. One day it will get the love it deserves.

Spoiler

Speed Racer too, damnit!

100% agree on both of those.

 

[-Kees-]

Empire of the Sun. It's A.I. before A.I.

 

[CassidyIzABeast]

best review yet

The verdict: If I wanted to hear endless nonsense spewed from something good-looking, I'd watch "The Tyra Banks Show." Yeah, some of the visuals in the otherwise cliché "Avatar" are cool, whether it's a tour through floating mountains or an attack from a rhino that seems to have been crossbred with a hammer. Otherwise a horrible script and crazy-long running time will make you think you're watching "2012." Don't expect to get close to any of the characters or hear a consistent explanation of how the avatar system works. No moral questions either. Instead: Unintentionally funny speechifying about the "Tree of Souls" and the most Smurftastic nudity since "Watchmen."

http://denver.metromix.com/movies/movie_review/avatar-review/1662350/content

 

[Gary Whitta]

You can't really top Raiders. It's one of the few films I'd rank objectively perfect.

Yup same here, along with Jaws and Back to the Future (I know the last one's not directed by Spielberg but it's a movie I always mention when talking about "perfect" contemporary films.)

 

[Gary Whitta]

best review yet



http://denver.metromix.com/movies/movie_review/avatar-review/1662350/content

Juvenile references to Watchmen nudity immediately makes me tune out of any person's film criticism. There was plenty about that film to pick over and criticize, but choosing instead to chortle over a few shots of Manhattan's penis is the hallmark of an adolescent mentality. I suspect the same will hold true here.

 

[CassidyIzABeast]

Here's the warm up for the Armond White review:lol

…is a DUD! That’s right. A major disappointment of epic proportions. Now keep in mind that no doubt this is going to be a true minority opinion since I’m sure every review (with the exception of me, Armond White I’ll bet and few other film critic friends of mine) will be slitting their throats and jumping off a cliff to in order to rave about how unique, extraordinary and revolutionary this film is. Most of that will be because James Cameron made the film who for some reason people believe can cure cancer with the touch of his hand and make the dead live again

http://www.shadowandact.com/?p=13969

it gets better

 

[Defcon]

Here's the warm up for the Armond White review:lol




http://www.shadowandact.com/?p=13969

it gets better

Come to think of it, with the exception of one black sargent early in the film, I don’t recall any other black actors or actresses in the film. Reminds me of what Richard Pryor said many years ago about that 1975 sci-fi film Logan’s Run, which is set in the 23rd century, that it was the scariest film he ever saw because there were no black people in it. As he said: “they’re not planning for us to around then”. That came me the willies too when I saw it.

*GROAN*

 

[Zeliard]

And of course let’s get to those Na’vi. Once again we have a sci-fi film with aliens who are basically an African tribe with black features who speak in a pseudo African language, wearing their hair in dreads or African twist braids and tribal clothing and performing quasi African rituals. And to reinforce that notion most of the roles are played by black actors like Saldana, CCH Pounder, Laz Alonzo. Well maybe the good thing is that they’re not those Nigerian cannibals like in District 9 but they’re still noble savages. Come to think of it, with the exception of one black sargent early in the film, I don’t recall any other black actors or actresses in the film. Reminds me of what Richard Pryor said many years ago about that 1975 sci-fi film Logan’s Run, which is set in the 23rd century, that it was the scariest film he ever saw because there were no black people in it. As he said: “they’re not planning for us to around then”. That came me the willies too when I saw it. And I guess we’re not going to be around in Avatar either except as the Na’vi. What is this infatuation with us as noble savages in sci-fi films? Is it a way to imagine us as culturally, intellectually and technogically inferior as other races move on? You tell me. I’ve said enough.

:lol :lol

 

[Dabanton]

:lol That was good.

 

[Veidt]

A.I. is my favorite Spielbergo movie. One day it will get the love it deserves.

Spoiler

Speed Racer too, damnit!

Spot on.

Also. Armond White out did himself this time :lol

 

[Expendable.]

...and here we go :lol

 

[Smiles and Cries]

:lol this movie is going to be hammered by critics from every social group with an ax to grind

I predict it ends at 74% fresh

 

[John Dunbar]

Also. Armond White out did himself this time :lol

That's not Armond White. He's just predicting that White will also hate it.

 

[Count Dookkake]

Yeah, thinking the beings at the end of AI are aliens is retarded. First, the movie gives you plenty of information to understand the things are robots. Second, the film makes no sense if they are aliens.

I imagine most of the people who think they are aliens also think the film has a happy ending.

 

[Veidt]

That's not Armond White. He's just predicting that White will also hate it.

Well, I'd say he's spot on then. :lol

 

[polyh3dron]

Juvenile references to Watchmen nudity immediately makes me tune out of any person's film criticism. There was plenty about that film to pick over and criticize, but choosing instead to chortle over a few shots of Manhattan's penis is the hallmark of an adolescent mentality. I suspect the same will hold true here.

this this this this THIS THIS

 

[Count Dookkake]

this this this this THIS THIS

+1

 

[Veidt]

+1 moar

 

[GhaleonEB]

92% now.

 

[whytemyke]

I don't get all the schadenfreude associated with this movie. Weird. I haven't seen this much of it since Enter the Matrix :lol

 

[oracrest]

ordered my tix for midnight on the 17th.

Can't wait!

 

[nib95]

best review yet

http://denver.metromix.com/movies/movie_review/avatar-review/1662350/content

That is your idea of a good review? Just reading that paragraph you posted made me cringe a little. Was he reviewing Avatar or was he reviewing 4 other films? A reviewer that has to use other movies (recent one's at that) to describe the film (or aspects of it) he's reviewing seriously needs to up his game.

 

[Dabanton]

That is your idea of a good review? Just reading that made me cringe a little. Was he reviewing Avatar or was he reviewing 4 other films? A reviewer that has to use other movies (recent one's at that) to describe the film he's reviewing seriously needs to up his game.

Cassidy was being sarcastic. :lol

 

[CassidyIzABeast]

That is your idea of a good review? Just reading that made me cringe a little. Was he reviewing Avatar or was he reviewing 4 other films? A reviewer that has to use other movies (recent one's at that) to describe the film he's reviewing seriously needs to up his game.

sarcasm my friend, the review is crap and it sucks it will be counted in the RT score