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[Thomas James]

It seems like Cameron's writing style is what a lot of people can call plagiarism. However plagiarism cannot be easily dismissed just because the idea is not original because then the question must be asked "who stole the idea first". Look at Shakespeare and his Romeo and Juliet masterpiece which is a story he ripped off from Samson and Delilah. And West Side Story was ripped off from Romeo and Juliet. The movie the Terminator also reminds me of Samson.

[Chris Millar]

is this a truly an open forum dedicated to a community of eccentric artists involved in creative film making?

 

Yes

 

Or are we just a bunch of mainstream technicians who by consensus only consider already established workflows only for the task at hand?

 

Yes

 

Golly,

 

Ok, I hear ya ... ;) - I might, ahem, actually go to Avatar one day soon - heh heh

[James Steven Beverly]

Man's destiny, if we survive the next 40 years or so, is not here on Earth, but out in space. I think it is very important for us to be inspired to something beyond sitting around on this rock bickering with one another. I believe that was Cameron's actual goal with this film -- to inspire us to explore. When Cameron was presented with an award from the Planetary Society, he stated: "Exploration is not a luxury we can't afford; it's a necessity we can't afford to lose. Pushing farther into the unknown is our greatest endeavor as a civilization and our deepest responsibility to future generations."

 

I also have to kinda agree with this as well, it would certainly help end over crowding and depletion of natural resources if we could start colonizing and terraforming other planets starting with the moon and Mars, we could begin to expand the human presence in the universe beyond this fragile world. That IS what we so, adapt and thrive in new and challenging environments. It is the quality that has allowed us to survive and become the most dominate spices on earth. There are human beings on every part of this earth including Antarctica and there is a permanent presence in space orbiting around the planet as I write, it is indeed our destiny and I look forward to seeing it fulfilled. B)

[John Brawley]

Everyone else: not that I have any control over this but if I did I'd ask an open question, would you boot him if you were admin ?

 

 

I've requested several times that the mods take a stand....obviously to no avail.

 

jb

[David Mullen ASC]

I've requested several times that the mods take a stand....obviously to no avail.

 

jb

 

 

Who are the moderators for this forum? I'm not one of them.

 

I wouldn't boot him, but I would delete any completely off-topic posts in a thread.

[John Holland]

I have just seen this film , 3D 2.40 , not Imax . What to say well the story is weak , its a Si-Fi Western with the bits of the "Aliens! script that he didnt use , the [Company thing ] etc and i think Ms Weaver shouldnt have been cast in the role she plays ! But Wow its just so stunning to look at !!!! The 3D was used very well , and the overall design is just stunning . I do think if anyone goes to see it make sure you see the 3D version !!

[K Borowski]

The 3D was used very well , and the overall design is just stunning . I do think if anyone goes to see it make sure you see the 3D version !!

 

I saw the trailer [1st one] and agree that, just from that I could tell the movie'd be visually stunning, but the 2nd trailer (the hideously long one) wasn't nearly as impressive, when the story was drawn into it.

 

Looks like Cameron bit off more than he could chew. He certainly knows how to tell a story visually, but in terms of script, it seems very stale.

 

Am looking forward to seeing this myself, probably only once though. . .

[Adrian Sierkowski]

All i'm going to say is that they were giving away tickets to Avatar this morning on the news... and in my experience, this doesn't bode well for the film as the last time they gave away tickets (this news channel) was for Elf...

[Gus Sacks]

All i'm going to say is that they were giving away tickets to Avatar this morning on the news... and in my experience, this doesn't bode well for the film as the last time they gave away tickets (this news channel) was for Elf...

 

I like Elf!

 

I'm seeing Avatar tonight at midnight in 3D IMAX. We'll see how it goes...

[Guest Stephen Murphy]

I saw it today in Imax (presented as a 1.78 image BTW) and i was pretty underwhelmed. I found the 3D quite annoying at times and at others quite good but on the whole found it to be far less involving compared to the imax sequences in the Dark Knight and would rather have seen this as a 2D presentation. The handheld shots didnt work for me at all, and the BSG type snap zooms were irratating as hell. Thought the HD footage looked impressive with nice highlights and colour. Loved the design of all the mech stuff and most of the flora and creature stuff but I hated the work done on the Avatars themselves - I think the Navi/Human hybrid is a really poor design and I couldnt connect with Worthingtons Avatar at any point. On the contrary I thought Zoe Saldanas Navi was excellent for the most part as were the other Navi characters but everytime one of the Avatars came on screen particularly Sigourney Weavers Avatar I found myself giggling at how bad they looked.

I really hope this kind of 3D production doesnt become the norm for the future, even for event movies - Id much rather see them in 70mm or Imax or even plain old 35mm anamorphic. Guess im a 3D scrooge:-)

[Chris D Walker]

I have just returned from the Plaza in Truro after seeing the movie in RealD. I'll be answering the questions most of us want to hear. This is my view on the movie, you're free to disagree but please don't say that I'm wrong, each to his own.

 

Was it good?: Yes.

 

Film of the year?: No.

 

Was it 'The Game Changer'?: No.

 

Was it good in 3D?: 50/50 - The actual photography looked like cardboard cutouts. The CG had more depth and flow.

 

Convincing CG?: Difficult to call on the photorealism standpoint. There was a clear separation between the humans and 'the natives'; both were on screen together for a total of maybe three scenes.

 

Good story?: I've seen the story before; we all have to some extent.

 

Good visuals: Yes.

 

What about the cinematography?: It was very tight framing so I didn't feel how expansive the world was meant to be. Strange use of zooms during several instances.

 

Do I take back what I said in an earlier post?: No. Much of the design didn't click with me. I could go on but no-one wants to hear it, right?

 

Acting?: Sigourney Weaver was shockingly the worst actor in the whole movie. No-one besides Sam Worthington's 'Jake' and Zoe Saldana's 'Neytiri' had time to really show their chops. Stephen Lang was very much 'stock' bad guy.

 

When the movie finished there was one guy clapping which turned into the audience applauding in that awkward way we Brits don't clap but don't wish to be rude.

 

In closing, the movie was good, but I enjoy picking out negatives of any film before discussing the good points.

 

Can I give a score out of Five?: 3/5.

 

Out of ten?: 6 or 7/10.

[Thomas James]

To coincide with the release of Avatar the Blu-Ray disc association announced their new 3D specification. I believe you will need a Playstation 3 with a firmware update and a 120 hertz television to view the new 3D content. The 120 hertz television will probably also smooth out motion for 3D which will make 3D viewing more comfortable to watch. My HDTV is only 26 inches so it might be a good excuse to upgrade if I can get a new TV for $500. Avatar in the new Blu-Ray 3D format should be available next year.

[Jonathan Bowerbank]

All i'm going to say is that they were giving away tickets to Avatar this morning on the news... and in my experience, this doesn't bode well for the film as the last time they gave away tickets (this news channel) was for Elf...

 

It's just another marketing tool, not an implication of the film's quality. Word of mouth via social networking is the cheapest way to advertise a film nowadays, and giving away tickets just makes it that much easier.

[Joe Taylor]

Would it be giving anything away if someone could explain how or why the aliens speak perfect English? I've seen the trailer.

[Hal Smith]

I wonder if Cameron knows that every engineer on the face of the earth involved in bleeding edge technology laughs about having made something using Unobtanium. I first heard it when Roger Penske referred to his unlimited sports racing cars as having axle shafts made out of Unobtanium.

 

It's not a very original gag.

[Guest]

Would it be giving anything away if someone could explain how or why the aliens speak perfect English? I've seen the trailer.

 

Really? You have to ask? Every one knows that English isn't just the global language here, but it's also the language on all other planets as well.

 

Next you'll ask why the Germans always speak English in war movies. :blink:

 

R,

[Joe Taylor]

Really? You have to ask? Every one knows that English isn't just the global language here, but it's also the language on all other planets as well.

 

Next you'll ask why the Germans always speak English in war movies. :blink:

 

R,

 

 

Oh, like that whinny farm boy pissing-on to his uncle about power converters. Now I get it.

[Marcus Joseph]

I thought the film was great, certainly visually stunning and nothing like what I've seen in the cinemas for quite a while. I noticed those zooms at certain points too, but as far as the story goes, it never really bothered me that it was unoriginal. I was quite surprised at how well Cameron made those 2/3' Pace camera systems hold up on the big screen, it was quite difficult to see the digital as opposed to film elements that are a lot more apparent in most other digitally shot movies these days. Maybe I'd change my mind on that if I were to see it in 2D. One of the best photorealistic shots from my point of view is the one where Jake has that chase with the deadly animal and jumps off the mountain into the water, as he's getting out at that point, the water looks unbelievably real. The amount of money put into all that rendering (as well as all the plant life and movements etc.) would be absolutely tremendous.

 

And as far the film's rating goes, I think the final battle alone justifies a 10/10 from myself.

 

What's curious to me is what you all think of Cameron stepping up his game with 48 frames per second? I certainly think it would benefit a movie like Avatar because some of the fast paced action sequences looked a little choppy.

Edited December 18, 2009 by Marcus Joseph

[Antti Näyhä]

I have just seen this film , 3D 2.40 , not Imax .

Are you sure? Wasn't the AR supposed to be 1.78:1 in 3D presentations, and 2.39:1 in 2D?

[John Holland]

Hi i do know my formats !!!!!! it was 2.40 shown in Real 3D

[Gus Sacks]

One of the best photorealistic shots from my point of view is the one where Jake has that chase with the deadly animal and jumps off the mountain into the water, as he's getting out at that point, the water looks unbelievably real. The amount of money put into all that rendering (as well as all the plant life and movements etc.) would be absolutely tremendous.

 

The water and fire elements looked absolutely unbelievable. Specific moments I could name that might otherwise be spoilers, that involve fire and explosions, all looked stunning. Yeah, wooden acting for the most part... typical story. But there were some very compelling moments, and yes, I did think the lead Na'Vi Catwoman was very attractive. Some of those close-ups looked extraordinary. But, some of those wide shots looked... eh.

[K Borowski]

Really? You have to ask? Every one knows that English isn't just the global language here, but it's also the language on all other planets as well.

 

Next you'll ask why the Germans always speak English in war movies. :blink:

 

R,

 

That's simple guys: It was explained in a Star Trek episode (universal translator.)

 

Duh!

;)

[Chris Millar]

The water and fire elements looked absolutely unbelievable.

:huh:

[Joe Taylor]

Wow. I was one of those who dissed and wrote this one off because I was underwhelmed by the trailer. I almost feel ashamed.

 

Only one quibble, even when admiring the visuals with those horrible 3D glasses, when I removed them to see the screen, the colors absolutely Came Alive!

 

This is a great movie.

[Joe Taylor]

I think I also loved this movie because I kind of fell head-over-heels for the heroine-- kind of weird.