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[JetBlackPanda]

Um quick question about Avatar 3d. What do I do if I want to watch the movie in 3d but wear glasses normally. How does that work with the 3d glasses you need to wear? Does that mess anything up?

You just wear the 3d glasses over your normal glasses, I prefer RealD, they fit well over my frames I usually wear and after 3 hours they did not hurt at all.

hope that helps!

 

[rollingstart]

You wear the 3D glasses over regular glasses. I wear pretty big glasses and I didn't have a problem.


also, another question about the blu-ray release, assuming any info was released. Will it at least come with cheap-o crappy 3D glasses? I know some other 3D movies have them packed in.

 

[GhaleonEB]

Out of curiosity, was it you that was the huge Titanic fan? I remember the thread, but I don't remember who it was.

Yup. I love that movie, but it's very flawed. The romance is not set up nearly as well as with Avatar, IMO, and there's entire scenes that are downright painful to watch (not in a good way). But it's got one mother of a payoff.

I'm very much a sucker for Cameron's style of love story. Avatar is my idea of a chick flick.

Skimming through the box office mojo forums, it looks like Avatar is having a really insane start to the week. It's had the biggest opening day ever in China, and is going up in Australia, NZ, Japan and other countries compared to last week. Predictions for the weekend take keep climbing.

 

[rollingstart]

I also think the story isn't getting enough credit in terms of the creation of the world as its written, not just visualised. People keep saying its 'Dances with Wolves in space' without giving any credit to just how well he's done the 'in space' part. He's created a wonderful milieu and interesting future.

That was my take coming out of it, but I wouldn't credit that towards the story. Cameron could make a Planet Earth style film about Pandora and I'd watch it.

 

[border]

Well, it's not like the ending to Titanic was a mystery.

Everyone knows that the boat sinks, but the resolution to the Jack/Rose romance is a mystery. It's been a while since I've seen it, but I don't think the frame story ever explicitly spells out that Jack died.....and it certainly doesn't spell it out in the painfully obvious way that Avatar does ("Oh we have some magic way to transfer your mind into a Na'vi.....this definitely won't be happening to Jake later, seriously").

 

[Vyer]

Ghaleon: Good to know my memory isn't failing me in my older age.

I was just thinking that you seemed to have similar enthusiasm for Titanic and i felt the same way toward it as I do with Avatar. Guess that connection made me recall that thread.

Everyone knows that the boat sinks, but the resolution to the Jack/Rose romance is a mystery. .

I don't know, I always felt it was obvious from the beginning. We know Rose is telling the story right off the bat, and well it's not much of a stretch considering the scale of the event to go from there....

Hell, I think the only real mystery is what was going to happen to Billy Zane.

To me, Avatar and Titanic are the same type of movie; a standard plot/storyline and romance wrapped in a great setting/environment. And I've got no problem with that. It's a formula that Cameron must be pretty damn happy with at this point. lol

 

[Foob]

Um quick question about Avatar 3d. What do I do if I want to watch the movie in 3d but wear glasses normally. How does that work with the 3d glasses you need to wear? Does that mess anything up?

Every time I had seen a movie in IMAX before this, it was a pain in the ass in to have to deal with the 3D glasses over my regular glasses. Maybe the Seattle IMAX just recently got these, I dunno, but they have special glasses that are larger than normal that will fit perfectly over glasses.

 

[Dragona Akehi]

You know, you could really slot in just about any major love story, all the way back to Helen and Paris and it'd work (with a few different things slashed out). "Originality" when it comes to legends, myths or stories, really doesn't happen.

Heck, with a couple extra lines you could turn it into the story of the generic "Hero of a Thousand Faces" exceedingly easy.

It's all about the way the story is told.

 

[GhaleonEB]

To me, Avatar and Titanic are the same type of movie; a standard plot/storyline and romance wrapped in a great setting/environment. And I've got no problem with that. It's a formula that Cameron must be pretty damn happy with at this point. lol

And they both have major plot points telegraphed well in advance, but he somehow manages to make them impactful anyways. It's not so much what happens, but how it happens.

And yeah, we're a couple of old farts at this point.

I'm sitting here finding bits of the soundtrack on youtube because the soundtrack disc hasn't arrived yet. I've had this stuck in my head all damn day.

 

[shadowsdarknes]

can you guys please name one action/adventure type movie that had a complex plot and storyline? if not, then stop docking Avatar because it was not a fight club or memento type movie.

 

[sharbhund]

After reading this:

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/the...ves-hate-the-most-popular-movie-in-years.html

I've seen a lot of stories about conservatives taking umbrage at the liberal messages of Avatar, but I haven't heard anything from Fox News or the Wall Street Journal about this. Anyone know if they've talked about this, or has News Corp muzzled their commentators from criticizing the movie?

 

[Forkball]

You know, you could really slot in just about any major love story, all the way back to Helen and Paris and it'd work (with a few different things slashed out). "Originality" when it comes to legends, myths or stories, really doesn't happen.

Heck, with a couple extra lines you could turn it into the story of the generic "Hero of a Thousand Faces"

But the point is that he only slashed out a few elements, mostly names, and it's more or less identical.

 

[jiggle]

Liked the movie a lot.
Some of the imageries remind me of Final Fantasies.
Saw the Pocahontas thing and went in thinking about it, but it was soon forgotten.

My first 3D movie, and it was all really cool. But the whole time I was trying to refocus my eyes XD

 

[GhaleonEB]

After reading this:

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/the...ves-hate-the-most-popular-movie-in-years.html

I've seen a lot of stories about conservatives taking umbrage at the liberal messages of Avatar, but I haven't heard anything from Fox News or the Wall Street Journal about this. Anyone know if they've talked about this, or has News Corp muzzled their commentators from criticizing the movie?

I'm guessing, but since there's only one thing that can make Fox overcome their political ideology - money - they won't rag on it too hard. Avatar is financed and distributed by Fox, after all.

 

[Dragona Akehi]

But the point is that he only slashed out a few elements, mostly names, and it's more or less identical.

Like every other story ever told... When I said "slash out different things", I didn't mean more. I could probably do less even with Helen and Paris.

My point is that human storytelling is cyclical and hasn't changed much in recorded (and also oral) history. I'm not saying this to defend Avatar specifically, but I don't think it's a very fair criticism either, because of this fact.

 

[jett]

I'm guessing, but since there's only one thing that can make Fox overcome their political ideology - money - they won't rag on it too hard. Avatar is financed and distributed by Fox, after all.

:lol Any Fox employee that dared hate on this movie would get terminated immediately.

 

[Scarecrow]

I've got to stop venturing into this thread. My attitude towards Avatar has changed from kinda liking it but being a little dissapointed (first viewing), to thinking it was pretty good (second viewing), to becomming increasingly annoyed by it.

I hate this. I feel like I'm becomming one of those snobby movie critics that adore Oscar bait and fawn over arthouse projects. I generally enjoy most anything I see, from some of the neatest stuff this year (Basterds, Zombieland, etc) to what lots of others consider complete drek (Wolverine, Transformers 2).

But, it's baffeling to me how some consider this to be a good or well told story. I mean, got-damn, it was almost literally Fern Gulley with space marines. And there's just too much exposition, some of the laziest storytelling besides pre-movie scrolling text.

 

[Raistlin]

After reading this:

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/the...ves-hate-the-most-popular-movie-in-years.html

I've seen a lot of stories about conservatives taking umbrage at the liberal messages of Avatar, but I haven't heard anything from Fox News or the Wall Street Journal about this. Anyone know if they've talked about this, or has News Corp muzzled their commentators from criticizing the movie?

I'm kind of surprised, as it was pretty subtle. Abyss on the other hand, was a bit more obvious (though still lighter handed than most directors)

 

[Truant]

Somone needs to na'vi this picture, like right now:

And no, it's not shopped.

 

[jett]

Kill, fire, etc.

 

[universalmind]

I've got to stop venturing into this thread. My attitude towards Avatar has changed from kinda liking it but being a little dissapointed (first viewing), to thinking it was pretty good (second viewing), to becomming increasingly annoyed by it.

I hate this. I feel like I'm becomming one of those snobby movie critics that adore Oscar bait and fawn over arthouse projects. I generally enjoy most anything I see, from some of the neatest stuff this year (Basterds, Zombieland, etc) to what lots of others consider complete drek (Wolverine, Transformers 2).

But, it's baffeling to me how some consider this to be a good or well told story. I mean, got-damn, it was almost literally Fern Gulley with space marines. And there's just too much exposition, some of the laziest storytelling besides pre-movie scrolling text.

Why isn't it well told?

 

[Pandaman]

I recently had a debate over whether avatar was Pocahontas in space or fern gully with guns, that said i did not less then 4 hours ago consider halving my food budget so that i could see it again. -.-;

 

[Son of Godzilla]

I think it's a simple script in the broad strokes, but has a surprising level of nuance. Cameron writes simple prose, but it's appropriate to the story and to the characters. Simple is not necessarily better or worse than complex, because it depends on the story you are telling and how you are telling it.

I did notice that Cameron manages to use the familiarity of the story for some flat out excellent pacing.

 

[Choabac]

I didn't really like the story, it seemed far too predictable and cliched.

I ended up hating the Na'vi so much that I wanted the humans to win. :lol

 

[Ollie Pooch]

haha, one of my friends HATED the na'vi too - particularly neytiri. her basic impression was "jamaican me crazy! *hysterical scream* *hssssssss*". can't win everyone over i guess :lol

i always forget one of my favourite moments - when the droplets of water are coming into focus in the opening cryo scene, this military style rhythm starts up in the background. fuck, it sounds so awesome. *contemplates booking again*

 

[NZNova]

Just finished my second viewing. Damn, this movie. Crazy good.

 

[mrklaw]

In Terminator 2 the T1000 disappears after the asylum escape and there's nearly an hour's worth of brooding downtime. Plenty of people would argue that T2 is not that well paced, though I think it's a testament to Cameron's skill that he can go down a subplot for so long and still hold an audience.

not only that, but the constant whining of John Connor grates, and the 'you can't kill people' feels like a blatantly cheap mechanic to get a lower rating.

Its a solid actioner but its no Aliens/Die Hard/Terminator


As for gross, they should correct for the cost of the 3D glasses. Yes, technically they make that money but you can't compare it like for like with other recent big movies on pure gross.

 

[mrklaw]

Just in case anyone missed it, in regards to sequels, here's one of the last interviews Cameron gave before the year ended where he mentioned stuff about them: http://moviesblog.mtv.com/2009/12/2...r-trilogy-director-tells-mtv-news/#more-26656

Hmm, in two minds about this. His 'start up torque' suggests investment of money rather than time - too many movies are effectively amortised across trilogies these days due to financial considerations rather than pure storytelling.

Part of me wonders what would happen to the main characters next - the whole point of avatar was introducing you to Pandora and the 'tension' between the undercover guy realising he's on the wrong side etc etc.

Although on the other hand, if they bring the humans back en masse it could be interesting (although they'd probably just nuke the fuckers from orbit and there would be no story)

 

[Timbuktu]

About the possibility of a sequel, that Filmspotting review, as negative as it was, did raise a good point about the value of the Avatar bodies themselves. I mean, the human ability to grow Avatar bodies and the Na'vi way of transferring soul permanently to the Avatars does amount to some sort of immortality, doesn't it? And I guess that might possibly worth as much to RDA as the unobtanium and justify humans coming back, not bomb Pandora, and keep Avatars as the central concept.

I don't think anyone outside of the Avatar group knew of the soul transfer, but you can construe that Selfridge knew something was up as he was leaving, he goes off and actually read Grace's book and then come back with a lot more Avatars who are not on the same side as the Na'vi this time. And of course it will just be titled 'Avatars'.

 

[Gui_PT]

I wish I could find my photoshop disc, because GIMP is shitty.
It's not very good but anyone want it!

also that original gif was huge in size!:lol

You see, you could've made an avatar of this for me since i suck at these things and no one else will do it for me ( you hurt my feelings gaf)

http://i46.tinypic.com/2iivel3.gif

 

[dabig2]

I didn't really like the story, it seemed far too predictable and cliched.

I ended up hating the Na'vi so much that I wanted the humans to win. :lol

Came into the movie wanting to hate the Na'vi because I'm sick and tired of that fucking "noble savage" meme in these white guilt types of movies; but at the end Cameron ended up doing the impossible and actually made me sort've like these blue creatures. Weird for me to feel empathy in this kind of movie.

 

[antiloop]

The story may be similar to Pocahontas but it doesn't change a thing. One of the best movies this year and maybe even the best one this decade for me.

Overall.

 

[fireside]

You see, you could've made an avatar of this for me since i suck at these things and no one else will do it for me ( you hurt my feelings gaf)

http://i46.tinypic.com/2iivel3.gif

At 90 pixels in width you really can't tell what's being blown up but oh well

 

[Gui_PT]

At 90 pixels in width you really can't tell what's being blown up but oh well

Sweet, thanks! It's still awesome

 

[Vast Inspiration]

The people that criticize and mock the movie for being too predictable and cliche are the type of people that complain because they knew the Titanic was going to sink at the end.

There will obviously be a showdown between the human and the Na'vi.
Jake is obviously alive because he's narrating the story.
Jake will obviously change allegiances as he finds out more about the Na'vi.
Jake and Neytiri are obviously going to hook up.

Don't act like some sort of smug idiot because "you figured it out" and it was all predictable. NO FUCKING SHIT SHERLOCK! He's not making a mystery. The type of story that James Cameron is presenting does not try to be too complex or riddled with mysteries. It is straightforward.

The true testament of the story is HOW those plot points (which we know are obviously going to happen) develop, and the impact it has on the audience.

I've watched the movie 3 times now with different people, and each time everyone seems to love the way the movie progresses; the romance, the battle, the redemption. These are all obvious plot points, but its HOW they're done that makes the movie fantastic.

 

[Bit-Bit]

The people that criticize and mock the movie for being too predictable and cliche are the type of people that complain because they knew the Titanic was going to sink at the end.

There will obviously be a showdown between the human and the Na'vi.
Jake is obviously alive because he's narrating the story.
Jake will obviously change allegiances as he finds out more about the Na'vi.
Jake and Neytiri are obviously going to hook up.

Don't act like some sort of smug idiot because "you figured it out" and it was all predictable. NO FUCKING SHIT SHERLOCK! He's not making a mystery. The type of story that James Cameron is presenting does not try to be too complex or riddled with mysteries. It is straightforward.

The true testament of the story is HOW those plot points (which we know are obviously going to happen) develop, and the impact it has on the audience.

I've watched the movie 3 times now with different people, and each time everyone seems to love the way the movie progresses; the romance, the battle, the redemption. These are all obvious plot points, but its HOW they're done that makes the movie fantastic.

Very well said.

 

[tabsina]

The people that criticize and mock the movie for being too predictable and cliche are the type of people that complain because they knew the Titanic was going to sink at the end.

There will obviously be a showdown between the human and the Na'vi.
Jake is obviously alive because he's narrating the story.
Jake will obviously change allegiances as he finds out more about the Na'vi.
Jake and Neytiri are obviously going to hook up.

Don't act like some sort of smug idiot because "you figured it out" and it was all predictable. NO FUCKING SHIT SHERLOCK! He's not making a mystery. The type of story that James Cameron is presenting does not try to be too complex or riddled with mysteries. It is straightforward.

The true testament of the story is HOW those plot points (which we know are obviously going to happen) develop, and the impact it has on the audience.

I've watched the movie 3 times now with different people, and each time everyone seems to love the way the movie progresses; the romance, the battle, the redemption. These are all obvious plot points, but its HOW they're done that makes the movie fantastic.

couldn't have said it better

 

[koam]

The people that criticize and mock the movie for being too predictable and cliche are the type of people that complain because they knew the Titanic was going to sink at the end.

There will obviously be a showdown between the human and the Na'vi.
Jake is obviously alive because he's narrating the story.
Jake will obviously change allegiances as he finds out more about the Na'vi.
Jake and Neytiri are obviously going to hook up.

Don't act like some sort of smug idiot because "you figured it out" and it was all predictable. NO FUCKING SHIT SHERLOCK! He's not making a mystery. The type of story that James Cameron is presenting does not try to be too complex or riddled with mysteries. It is straightforward.

The true testament of the story is HOW those plot points (which we know are obviously going to happen) develop, and the impact it has on the audience.

I've watched the movie 3 times now with different people, and each time everyone seems to love the way the movie progresses; the romance, the battle, the redemption. These are all obvious plot points, but its HOW they're done that makes the movie fantastic.

Furthermore, as someone who had NOT seen the trailers, I had no fucking idea what was going to happen. At one point, I thought the movie was over only to realize that there was still 40 minutes left. You people need to stop watching every single trailer and reading every bit of news.

I knew I was going to watch the movie when I found out it was a James Cameron movie. Hell, the movie could have been known as James Cameron's Super Gay Orgy and I still would have went to see it

Spoiler

and damnit it might have moved[/spoiled]

 

[Gui_PT]

Somone needs to na'vi this picture, like right now:

And no, it's not shopped.

In case you haven't seen it yet :lol

I wonder if Cameron has a hidden avatar somewhere in the movie. Or if he plans on doing it in the next one.

 

[Solo]

Should be fun to see Monday's numbers, which will be the jumping off point for predicting the rest of Avatar's run.

 

[Opiate]

You know, you could really slot in just about any major love story, all the way back to Helen and Paris and it'd work (with a few different things slashed out). "Originality" when it comes to legends, myths or stories, really doesn't happen.

Heck, with a couple extra lines you could turn it into the story of the generic "Hero of a Thousand Faces" exceedingly easy.

It's all about the way the story is told.

No, it's also the originality. Just saying, "It's supposed to be like a myth!" isn't an excuse. Using this, you could (in theory) have the most blatantly derivative film ever and hide it behind myth-status.

Originality is very important. And there are degrees of originality: there's a sliding scale from "literally an exact copy of a previous work" all the way up to "this story is totally original and written in a new language." It's like people are insisting that originality doesn't matter because they can tell it's one of the movie's great weaknesses, and don't want to lend it credence.

Why do we care so much about Don Quixote, or Beowulf? Both are fine stories, but the themes presented in the former represent the first time we'd seen those particular set of themes presented, ever, while Beowulf was the first story we've heard in English. Both are executed competently (particularly the former), but it is their originality that mandates their continued reading centuries or even millinea after they were first authored.

Being first matters. Being original matters. So does execution -- it absolutely matters -- but this isn't an either/or. They can both be important, and both are. Avatar fails on one while succeeding in the other.

 

[FirewalkR]

Should be fun to see Monday's numbers, which will be the jumping off point for predicting the rest of Avatar's run.

14 million and we're all set.

 

[starsky]

The one I went today was Tuesday afternoon session. The cinema was half packed. It's pretty decent turn up for a movie in its third/fourth week.

 

[jett]

14 million and we're all set.

The 18% drop you predict would definitely be abnormal.

 

[skybaby]

Furthermore, as someone who had NOT seen the trailers, I had no fucking idea what was going to happen. At one point, I thought the movie was over only to realize that there was still 40 minutes left. You people need to stop watching every single trailer and reading every bit of news.

I knew I was going to watch the movie when I found out it was a James Cameron movie. Hell, the movie could have been known as James Cameron's Super Gay Orgy and I still would have went to see it

Spoiler

and damnit it might have moved[/spoiled]

Spoiler

Haha so fucking true. When the camera panned and showed he was in a wheelchair was like Wooot! So cool

 

[jett]

Furthermore, as someone who had NOT seen the trailers, I had no fucking idea what was going to happen. At one point, I thought the movie was over only to realize that there was still 40 minutes left. You people need to stop watching every single trailer and reading every bit of news.

You're not the only one. On two of my showings I've heard people whisper "is it over?" after hometree got destroyed.

 

[Odious Tea]

You're not the only one. On two of my showings I've heard people whisper "is it over?" after hometree got destroyed.

Did you turn around and say "Does it look like its fucking over?" both times?

 

[JGS]

No, it's also the originality. Just saying, "It's supposed to be like a myth!" isn't an excuse. Using this, you could (in theory) have the most blatantly derivative film ever and hide it behind myth-status.

Originality is very important. And there are degrees of originality: there's a sliding scale from "literally an exact copy of a previous work" all the way up to "this story is totally original and written in a new language." It's like people are insisting that originality doesn't matter because they can tell it's one of the movie's great weaknesses, and don't want to lend it credence.

Why do we care so much about Don Quixote, or Beowulf? Both are fine stories, but the themes presented in the former represent the first time we'd seen those particular set of themes presented, ever, while Beowulf was the first story we've heard in English. Both are executed competently (particularly the former), but it is their originality that mandates their continued reading centuries or even millinea after they were first authored.

Being first matters. Being original matters. So does execution -- it absolutely matters -- but this isn't an either/or. They can both be important, and both are. Avatar fails on one while succeeding in the other.

I disagree. A movie that follows the same money making outline of every blockbuster tent pole movie does not indicate it to be a copy of those movies. In fact, it needs to follow that outlne as that is what the public wants. Like Beowulf, Don Quixote, & a million other pieces of literature that follow the beginning/middle/end formula, it just needs to tell it in a different way. THAT's originality imo.

The fact that Avatar is being compared to at least 20 different movies at one time proves it's originality to me. The fact that people who have seen and read other stories (Like myself), but still love this one proves it's got something others are missing.

The thing that bugs me is people who think that others don't have the ability to define what originality is- like they have the set of rules that determine it.

The Na'vi & Pandora have enough originality to compensate for any perceived lack of it. It's certainly enough to carry the film beyond the films it is being compared too. Yes, this includes Ferngully & Pocahantas (Pocahantas is really just Ferngully or Ferngully is really just Dances with Wolves anyway, right?:lol ).

It would be nice if people who didn't like the movie simply say they didn't like the movie instead of tryng to convince people why they shouldn't like it either. It's not like that's going to work anyway (OMG! It IS like Pocahantas! It sucks!).

Avatar is orginal for several reasons that make it easily surpass Pocahantas & most other films it is being compared to. Maybe ones with the rule set for originality should look up from it to notice them or ignore the rules altogether and enjoy the ride.

 

[Count of Monte Sawed-Off]

The people that criticize and mock the movie for being too predictable and cliche are the type of people that complain because they knew the Titanic was going to sink at the end.

There will obviously be a showdown between the human and the Na'vi.
Jake is obviously alive because he's narrating the story.
Jake will obviously change allegiances as he finds out more about the Na'vi.
Jake and Neytiri are obviously going to hook up.

Don't act like some sort of smug idiot because "you figured it out" and it was all predictable. NO FUCKING SHIT SHERLOCK! He's not making a mystery. The type of story that James Cameron is presenting does not try to be too complex or riddled with mysteries. It is straightforward.

The true testament of the story is HOW those plot points (which we know are obviously going to happen) develop, and the impact it has on the audience.

I've watched the movie 3 times now with different people, and each time everyone seems to love the way the movie progresses; the romance, the battle, the redemption. These are all obvious plot points, but its HOW they're done that makes the movie fantastic.

Avatar works for you, that's great. It works for a ton of people. But there's nothing wrong with people complaining about the story, because it's definitely the films weakest point. Cliche can be alright as long as something new is done with it. And Avatar's story really does nothing new.

Avatar is almost a sequel to his undersea documentaries. He's more interested in showing you a world you've never seen than in telling you an interesting story.

 

[Sharp]

14 million and we're all set.

Like I explained to Ghaleon before, that flat-out isn't happening. Ten million would pretty much blow me away and probably guarantee a $700 million+ gross, and that's already pushing the boundaries of remote possibility.