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Rottenwatch: AVATAR (82%)

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y2dvd said:
All that depression talk is actually pretty creepy. I mean I never got depressed from overjoy after realising I could never ride dinosaurs that can throw eggs or how I could never shoot fireballs outta my hands or eat mushrooms that gives me extra lives...actually that last one does make me sad. :\

You can.

You have to
believe
.
 
Decado said:
Can anyone comment on IMAX vs. regular 3D? Was the movie filmed on IMAX cameras or equivalent (whatever that would be)?

Imax runs at twice the frames per second as regular 3d screens. It looks damn amazing if you manage to get tickets for a Imax 3d Experience show.
 
GhaleonEB said:
I think the screenplay is deceptively strong, but the dialog is simply good (with some bad moments). I haven't seen a lot of movies this year, but it still does not strike me as the kind of screenplay that should be up for awards, but whatever. Probably a bit of bandwagon effect going on here.
Definitely.
 
Count Dookkake said:
I disagree with your analysis regarding "American gluttony", considering he is the only person in the picture we see doing that.
Not all Americans are gluttons, just the ones that are end up being particularly tacky and shameless about it.
 
y2dvd said:
All that depression talk is actually pretty creepy. I mean I never got depressed from overjoy after realising I could never ride dinosaurs that can throw eggs or how I could never shoot fireballs outta my hands or eat mushrooms that gives me extra lives...actually that last one does make me sad. :\

Doesn't even make any sense to me. The amazonian jungles are very much pandora-like. Go on vacation, bitches!
 
I wonder if all these depressed people who desperately want to live in a world like Pandora would be ok with all the "rules" you'd have to abide by? Would they embrace the Na'vi religion? (and swear to it completely?) Would they be ok with the fact that so many would most certainly die during the trials to become a hunter? (I wonder how many people would fall off the floating rocks before they could even get to the banshees)

Sometimes people just aren't in tune with reality. :lol

EDIT: One thing I read about the Na'vi that was never mentioned was how they apparently do have a type of capital punishment system in place. Apparently they sever the queues of criminals which is considered to be a fate worse than death.
This is apparently how Tsu'tey was really supposed to die
 
Thing about the Navi religion is that it is not really a religion. It is physical reality. So I'm not really sure that people would be inclined to hold onto their old Earth concept of 'faith' when Pandora's network offers so much more.
 
Because it hasn't been posted here yet.

Fourth weekend finals: $50,306,217 for a domestic take of $430,846,514 over 24 days. http://boxofficemojo.com/movies/?page=daily&id=avatar.htm

Sunday was a 25.9% drop from Saturday and 9.3% week over week. The weekend drop was 26.6%. Both Saturday and Sunday were very strong with only Friday seeing a significant drop-off from the previous week. Interesting... implies that new releases are biting into Avatar the day they come out but their impact fades before the weekend is over. I tentatively predict Avatar to win next weekend over Eli.
 
Count Dookkake said:
Thing about the Navi religion is that it is not really a religion. It is physical reality. So I'm not really sure that people would be inclined to hold onto their old Earth concept of 'faith' when Pandora's network offers so much more.
The fact that it is "real" makes it no less of a religion if going by the basic definitions of what a religion is:

* a set of beliefs concerning the cause, nature, and purpose of the universe, esp. when considered as the creation of a superhuman agency or agencies, usually involving devotional and ritual observances, and often containing a moral code governing the conduct of human affairs.

Beliefs, rituals, code, conduct, etc. Even in such a short and brief view in the movie, you could tell those were pretty much ingrained into the Na'vi way of life. The Na'vi probably wouldn't be too happy trying to explain away Ewya with "science" I bet.
 
Combine said:
The fact that it is "real" makes it no less of a religion if going by the basic definitions of what a religion is:
* a set of beliefs concerning the cause, nature, and purpose of the universe, esp. when considered as the creation of a superhuman agency or agencies, usually involving devotional and ritual observances, and often containing a moral code governing the conduct of human affairs.

Beliefs, rituals, code, conduct, etc. Even in such a short and brief view in the movie, you could tell those were pretty much ingrained into the Na'vi way of life

Not sure I agree with that. As we don't learn of a Navi creation story, purpose of the universe, or any acts of devotion or ritual in the sense that we humans understand these terms. It is a semantic quibble, but when the Navi are all plugged in together, they aren't praying. They are actually plugged into each other and Eywa.
 
Evlar said:
Because it hasn't been posted here yet.

Fourth weekend finals: $50,306,217 for a domestic take of $430,846,514 over 24 days. http://boxofficemojo.com/movies/?page=daily&id=avatar.htm

Sunday was a 25.9% drop from Saturday and 9.3% week over week. The weekend drop was 26.6%. Both Saturday and Sunday were very strong with only Friday seeing a significant drop-off from the previous week. Interesting... implies that new releases are biting into Avatar the day they come out but their impact fades before the weekend is over. I tentatively predict Avatar to win next weekend over Eli.

Some initial reviews for Eli have been pretty negatively harsh. I haven't heard much about the movie at all. Think it'll be very close to Avatar's weekend, will probably beat out on Friday but not the whole weekend.
 
What this movie is doing is insane. It may pass Titanic which blows my mind. How does someone create the biggest movie of all time, take a huge break, come back and beat his unbeatable record.

But I remember what Titanic did and I dont see it with Avatar. That was madness unlike anything I have seen. EVERYBODY saw Titanic, whole families would go 5, 6, 7 times. That was a phenomenon that I am not sure I will see again. I see Avatar is making the money but I dont see that level of fandom. Of course with inflation Avatar is probably not even at half of what Titanic made.

Its an excellent movie but I am still trying to figure out why this movie. Is it the 3D? The story isn't the most original. I dont see it as a movie that will be treated as a Star Wars, I dont think it will be its own mythology or anything. I dont even see it as Cameron's best movie. What is the hook, why is this movie making this much money?
 
Count Dookkake said:
Not sure I agree with that. As we don't learn of a Navi creation story, purpose of the universe, or any acts of devotion or ritual in the sense that we humans understand these terms. It is a semantic quibble, but when the Navi are all plugged in together, they aren't praying. They are actually plugged into each other and Eywa.
Indeed, you could say that the difference between religious prayer and the Na'vi ritual is that in the Na'vi's case, there's actually someone on the other end listening.

:p
 
Evlar said:
Because it hasn't been posted here yet.

Fourth weekend finals: $50,306,217 for a domestic take of $430,846,514 over 24 days. http://boxofficemojo.com/movies/?page=daily&id=avatar.htm

Sunday was a 25.9% drop from Saturday and 9.3% week over week. The weekend drop was 26.6%. Both Saturday and Sunday were very strong with only Friday seeing a significant drop-off from the previous week. Interesting... implies that new releases are biting into Avatar the day they come out but their impact fades before the weekend is over. I tentatively predict Avatar to win next weekend over Eli.
I wouldn't necessarily read that into the results this weekend, particularly not given such weak competition (and for a different segment of the market). I would be more inclined to blame the relatively large Friday - Friday drop on the fact that the previous Friday was New Year's Day, a traditionally large moviegoing holiday during which people visit cinemas throughout the day, and this was just a normal Friday.
 
MiamiWesker said:
What this movie is doing is insane. It may pass Titanic which blows my mind. How does someone create the biggest movie of all time, take a huge break, come back and beat his unbeatable record.

Looks like Cameron could teach a certain crime-fighting furry a thing or two about prep time.
 
FirewalkR said:
So, $1.6Bn worldwide the next weekend (4-day in the US)?
Possible. It made over $300m world-wide last week. Going against the normal weekly declines are the holiday weekend in the US and the opening in Italy.

Since it needs $270m to get there, I'd say at the least it will get close. Titanic's WW record will go down 1-2 weeks later.

Domestically Avatar will be #3 by the end of this week.
Sharp said:
I wouldn't necessarily read that into the results this weekend, particularly not given such weak competition (and for a different segment of the market). I would be more inclined to blame the relatively large Friday - Friday drop on the fact that the previous Friday was New Year's Day, a traditionally large moviegoing holiday during which people visit cinemas throughout the day, and this was just a normal Friday.
I think that's exactly right. Look at the week-over week drops by day:

Friday: -47.5%
Saturday: -17.7%
Sunday: -9.3%

Saturday and Sunday are more indicitive of its legs going forward than Friday, for the reason you mention.
 
Sharp said:
I wouldn't necessarily read that into the results this weekend, particularly not given such weak competition (and for a different segment of the market). I would be more inclined to blame the relatively large Friday - Friday drop on the fact that the previous Friday was New Year's Day, a traditionally large moviegoing holiday during which people visit cinemas throughout the day, and this was just a normal Friday.
Good point. However, look at the increase from Friday to Saturday this week: 60.2%. That's gigantic compared to historical norms. Some factor either pushed it down on Friday or pushed it up on Saturday. IMHO.
 
Evlar said:
Good point. However, look at the increase from Friday to Saturday this week: 60.2%. That's gigantic compared to historical norms. Some factor either pushed it down on Friday or pushed it up on Saturday. IMHO.
New Year's landing on Friday inflated last Friday's earnings. This week's Friday take was more normal. However, the Saturday and Sunday holds I posted above point to the real strength of Avatar's legs that are masked in the full weekend comparisons.
 
MiamiWesker said:
What this movie is doing is insane. It may pass Titanic which blows my mind. How does someone create the biggest movie of all time, take a huge break, come back and beat his unbeatable record.

But I remember what Titanic did and I dont see it with Avatar. That was madness unlike anything I have seen. EVERYBODY saw Titanic, whole families would go 5, 6, 7 times. That was a phenomenon that I am not sure I will see again. I see Avatar is making the money but I dont see that level of fandom. Of course with inflation Avatar is probably not even at half of what Titanic made.

Its an excellent movie but I am still trying to figure out why this movie. Is it the 3D? The story isn't the most original. I dont see it as a movie that will be treated as a Star Wars, I dont think it will be its own mythology or anything. I dont even see it as Cameron's best movie. What is the hook, why is this movie making this much money?

I don't know about whole families. Titanic was R rated afterall. But I have seen whole families go see AVATAR. I've been 4 times and every time the theater was full. Tons of kids sat up front and something happen that I have never seen happen in a room with kids in it. It was quiet and not a single person got up to use the bathroom. That's like a god damn miracle.
 
Bit-Bit said:
I don't know about whole families. Titanic was R rated afterall. But I have seen whole families go see AVATAR. I've been 4 times and every time the theater was full. Tons of kids sat up front and something happen that I have never seen happen in a room with kids in it. It was quiet and not a single person got up to use the bathroom. That's like a god damn miracle.
Titanic was PG-13.
 
I don't remember it being families going to Titanic 5 or 6 times. I remember it being teenage to middle aged women who went that many times. I remember footage of the lineups and even inside the theatres after a couple weeks of it being out and them being filled something like 70%+ with women.
 
Feep said:
As usual, I believe Cameron just writes a fucking story, and then everyone proceeds to twist the movie into their own personal pulpit of ideals and messages. This happens for many things.
Cameron himself says he included a message in the film...
 
maharg said:
I don't remember it being families going to Titanic 5 or 6 times. I remember it being teenage to middle aged women who went that many times. I remember footage of the lineups and even inside the theatres after a couple weeks of it being out and them being filled something like 70%+ with women.

Yeah that was the main crowd. I remember constant news stories, like 3 months after the movie gone out showing the massive crowds for Titantic. Most of which were young teenage girls that saw it like 14 times. I dont see that madness with this movie. It may break the record but it still isnt at the level that movie was, that I don't think I will ever see in my lifetime again.
 
ShinAmano said:
I had a good laugh at David Brook's similar column the other day. I think it's quite explicitly the opposite. That we all have an avatar - our bodies - and we need to look beyond them to see that we're all equals, even if we're different. The repeated themes of seeing and waking up ("I see you", eyes opening) and a not-so metaphorical theme of walking in someone else's shoes are meant to show how narrow our differences are. At least they quote Cameron saying as much:

Writer/director Cameron, who is white, said in an e-mail to The Associated Press that his film "asks us to open our eyes and truly see others, respecting them even though they are different, in the hope that we may find a way to prevent conflict and live more harmoniously on this world. I hardly think that is a racist message."

Beyond that, if you really want to take a racial angle to it, the movie could be spun as saying it's white people who are the real savages. How typical of white people to latch onto the "White Messiah" angle instead. :p
 
LeMaximilian said:
Wait, it wasn't just boob in Titanic right? Wasn't there a straight up kooch shot in the art scene?
No...but in Jaws (PG) there was full frontal and graphic violence that would get that an R rating easy these days.
 
ShinAmano said:
No...but in Jaws (PG) there was full frontal and graphic violence that would get that an R rating easy these days.

Jeeez, I might have to go back and watch Titanic...it's been a long time. For some reason, I thoroughly recall that being one of the first virginia's I'd ever seen for my young virgin eyes at the time. Mind f'in blown...
 
Count Dookkake said:
Boobies used to be standard fare for PG-13 and even some PG movies. We live in dark times.

Yep, The Abyss had boobies so there is precedent even for Cameron prior to Titanic.

If you throw in Terminator and err....the Alien Queen, it's clear Cameron likes them.
 
Evlar said:
Interesting... implies that new releases are biting into Avatar the day they come out but their impact fades before the weekend is over.
nope. The Friday to Friday decline was because the previous Friday was a holiday (new years) and this past friday was a work day. This coming friday compared to last will be much more in line with the rest of the declines for the movie. It could very well see a decline in the teens-to-low-twenties if it's current rate holds up (given the holidays involved). If it does that, displacing Titanic domestically would be all but a given.

MiamiWesker said:
Yeah before PG-13 was invented PG movies were crazy. Airplane was PG and that had practically everything.
both PG and PG-13 have been significantly neutered. PG originally meant you had a chance of seeing boobs. PG-13 used to mean boobs and swearing.. at this point PG-13 means crude humor, implied graphic violence, and/or possibly non-red blood and that's about it. PG basically means "G with kid-level of violence". If there actually WAS boobs in a new PG-13 release, I'd imagine protest even louder than the smoking protest in this movie.
 
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