Soldier Blue, Ferngully, Dances With Wolves+ a bit of lame SF window dressing = Avatar.
Beautiful to look at but tedious to watch if you've seen any of its predecessors.
I watched Avatar for the first time last Monday and I have to admit I quite liked it. Not one I'll watch again in a hurry, mind, but it wasn't as bad as some have been saying it is.
People like what they like, and dislike what they dislike. They don't have to explain, nor justify those reactions. Personally, I think the film is technically astonishing and in my book reason enough alone to enthusiastically like it.
Others don't like it, for whatever reason - so what? No law says they have to, anymore than any law says you have to like/dislike anything else. I happen to hate mint-flavoured ice-cream. There's no logical reason why that should be so, it just is the way it is. But I think for me to sit down and explain to the world just why I think mint-flavoured ice-cream is horrible is a pretty pointless exercise. Why would anyone but me care? And why would I want to try and jump on a band-wagon of like minded mint ice-cream haters? I don't really give a toss what a load of strangers think about ice-cream anyways, so stuff 'em!
And as a final point Avatar is not claimed to be the best, the most liked, the most admired, least admired, or whatever. It's only claim to fame is that at the moment it's the most paid-to-be-seen film so far. That's all.
Where did you get that its the most popular movie ever???
Its made the most money yes, but that doesn't make it the most popular movie ever.
Well I guess it depends on how you measure popularity. If it's made the most money then that says that there was a hell of alot of people who wanted to see it and in some cases went to see it more than once.
However I've yet to meet a person who loved it so I guess measuring a films popularity with how much money it makes isn't really the best way.
I caught a bit of it on Sky just now (OH is recording it) and it just looked daft, more jarringly so when it keeps cutting to dumb live action bits. I guess it was never something that was going to fare well on home TV, so at least in that respect I suppose it harks back to a time when film-makers believed you had to go all-out to put something truly special up on the cinema screen to keep pulling the punters in.
It isn't a BAD movie by any stretch... The intentions behind the film seem good enough. Technically it is breathtaking... You have to be quite cynical to not admit that. Narrative wise its old hat, done better in the past. Dialogue is clunky at best and it could have been a half hour shorter than it actually is.
However, in a year (2009) in which Transformers 2 and Terminator Salvation came to stink up our screens... Avatar is a f**king masterpiece compared to those incredibly dumb, disgusting, decomposing pieces of absolute cack! And thank goodness it took more money than those films combined... Especially Michael Bay's carcass of a film.
I have avoided Avatar like the plague as I am convinced I will hate it.
I was just like you. It must have been the way they promoted the film because I was convinced I'd hate it after seeing trailer. Even my Mum couldn't get me to see it despite her raving about how good it was. But I gave in. Last night I watched it and I actually thoroughly enjoyed it and I'm gutted I didn't see it at the cinema. Give it a go and watch the first half hour and see how you feel. You can always switch it off.
Avatar made so much money because they charged everybody twice as much as usual to get in. As for it being the most popular, only time will tell, although i can't see it's appeal lasting as long as Gone with the Wind, The Sound of Music, Star Wars, E.T., Toy Story, and a dozen other films i could mention. Remember, Titanic was also the highest grossing film of all time, yet now is regarded in many quarters as an awful film. This afternoon i watched Dances with Wolves, and IMO it's twice the film Avatar is,- It has a script for starters.
Avatar made so much money because they charged everybody twice as much as usual to get in.
That's a factor, but it still made more than double any other film except Titanic. Inflation is a much bigger issue than the 3D ticket prices. It's probably not the highest grossing film ever once you factor in inflation, but that gets complicated when trying to calculate historical inflation for international box office.
Inflation adjusted, it's not even in the top 10 biggest films in US box office history (it's #14). But it did better internationally than a lot of those films, so it's hard to say how it would fare compared to those worldwide.
if the likes of Gone With the Wind ticket prices where the same as todays 3d ticket prices for the likes of Avatar - it would of made 10 X more than Avatar.
but i am going to deny the success of the film. cant see anything beating it. but never thought Titanic would ever be beaten!!
In five years everyone will wonder what all the fuss was about. No, make that two. In focusing on pushing back technological boundaries, Cameron forgot the most important things in a film, the story, characters, and dialogue. If you watched this film on a black and white portable TV, you wouldn't care for it at all. James Cameron is the new George Lucas, putting money and spectacle before his art, when he has the luxury of complete artistic freedom, and could do what he likes.
I loved Avatar. For pure escapism its unbeatable imo. JC created a fully realised alien world that dragged me in and made me believe it was real. Fantastic.
I bought the extended version on blu-ray and I have to say the transfer is effing fantastic.
I like the film. I'm not arsed if people don't like it and I certainly wouldn't impose my views on anyone but what really annoys me is when a film is dismissed as being a pile of poo and anyone that likes it is an idiot with no taste etc etc.
Just because you don't like something doesn't mean everyone else is wrong.
I saw it in the cinema and it took about an hour to get into it (or in other words, just give up on the story and appreciate it for the visual masterpiece it is). I'd never want to watch it again, however. A film perfect for 3D - 2D, not so much. After the second hour passes, the novelty of what you're seeing wears off and you end up just thinking about the numb bum you've gained. I then found myself willing the thing to end just so I could reassure my body my arse hadn't fallen off!
I watched Avatar for the first time last Monday and I have to admit I quite liked it. Not one I'll watch again in a hurry, mind, but it wasn't as bad as some have been saying it is.
I quite enjoyed it at the time. Mainly because it is well-paced, so I didn't get bored. However, even then I was aware there wasn't a lot of depth to the story or characters, and you get to the end realising there were no surprises or twists.
Thinking about the film afterwards is when I really began to dislike it. Partly because of the many offensive plot elements. For example, the chap in a wheelchair who can only be a hero when/if he has legs - that's a very negative vision. Also, the whole white man's guilt trip of the hero not just going native, but being better at being native than the natives are, to the point where he becomes their leader and saviour.
And partly because it was such a wasted opportunity. I think the people who call it "dances with Smurfs" as a criticism miss the point. You could argue that District 9 has the same, simple story, of the member of the oppressive classes going native. Yet District 9 managed to be a much more interesting, original and worthwhile film.
Let's face it, Cameron is a very poor writer (of story and dialogue). I'll say one good thing about Avatar (and only one) - it was slightly better than the dreadful Titanic.
I quite enjoyed it at the time. Mainly because it is well-paced, so I didn't get bored. However, even then I was aware there wasn't a lot of depth to the story or characters, and you get to the end realising there were no surprises or twists.
Thinking about the film afterwards is when I really began to dislike it. Partly because of the many offensive plot elements. For example, the chap in a wheelchair who can only be a hero when/if he has legs - that's a very negative vision. Also, the whole white man's guilt trip of the hero not just going native, but being better at being native than the natives are, to the point where he becomes their leader and saviour.
And partly because it was such a wasted opportunity. I think the people who call it "dances with Smurfs" as a criticism miss the point. You could argue that District 9 has the same, simple story, of the member of the oppressive classes going native. Yet District 9 managed to be a much more interesting, original and worthwhile film.
I think you're being a bit unfair there because he turned down the chance to get legs as a human to help the Navi - remember the colonel promised to get him legs if he succeeded in his mission .
so he did risk a lot .
I think you're being a bit unfair there because he turned down the chance to get legs as a human to help the Navi - remember the colonel promised to get him legs if he succeeded in his mission .
so he did risk a lot .
But when he's helping the Na'vi, he's in an avatar that has legs. It's true he risks a lot. He betrayed his own species, and could have been killed. Not regaining legs was small beer in comparison. And at the end of the film he does get his legs back permanently, where-by the film reaffirms its message for cripples. It's not an optimistic film for people who are stuck in wheel-chairs with no hope of recovery.
Comments
Beautiful to look at but tedious to watch if you've seen any of its predecessors.
Others don't like it, for whatever reason - so what? No law says they have to, anymore than any law says you have to like/dislike anything else. I happen to hate mint-flavoured ice-cream. There's no logical reason why that should be so, it just is the way it is. But I think for me to sit down and explain to the world just why I think mint-flavoured ice-cream is horrible is a pretty pointless exercise. Why would anyone but me care? And why would I want to try and jump on a band-wagon of like minded mint ice-cream haters? I don't really give a toss what a load of strangers think about ice-cream anyways, so stuff 'em!
And as a final point Avatar is not claimed to be the best, the most liked, the most admired, least admired, or whatever. It's only claim to fame is that at the moment it's the most paid-to-be-seen film so far. That's all.
Regards
Mark
Well I guess it depends on how you measure popularity. If it's made the most money then that says that there was a hell of alot of people who wanted to see it and in some cases went to see it more than once.
However I've yet to meet a person who loved it so I guess measuring a films popularity with how much money it makes isn't really the best way.
However, in a year (2009) in which Transformers 2 and Terminator Salvation came to stink up our screens... Avatar is a f**king masterpiece compared to those incredibly dumb, disgusting, decomposing pieces of absolute cack! And thank goodness it took more money than those films combined... Especially Michael Bay's carcass of a film.
I was just like you. It must have been the way they promoted the film because I was convinced I'd hate it after seeing trailer. Even my Mum couldn't get me to see it despite her raving about how good it was. But I gave in. Last night I watched it and I actually thoroughly enjoyed it and I'm gutted I didn't see it at the cinema. Give it a go and watch the first half hour and see how you feel. You can always switch it off.
But it don't have smurfs getting it on and wagging their tails!
That's a factor, but it still made more than double any other film except Titanic. Inflation is a much bigger issue than the 3D ticket prices. It's probably not the highest grossing film ever once you factor in inflation, but that gets complicated when trying to calculate historical inflation for international box office.
Inflation adjusted, it's not even in the top 10 biggest films in US box office history (it's #14). But it did better internationally than a lot of those films, so it's hard to say how it would fare compared to those worldwide.
but i am going to deny the success of the film. cant see anything beating it. but never thought Titanic would ever be beaten!!
Indeed - I doubt it will have enduring appeal really.
I like the film. I'm not arsed if people don't like it and I certainly wouldn't impose my views on anyone but what really annoys me is when a film is dismissed as being a pile of poo and anyone that likes it is an idiot with no taste etc etc.
Just because you don't like something doesn't mean everyone else is wrong.
the end battle is great tho and the scenery
Thinking about the film afterwards is when I really began to dislike it. Partly because of the many offensive plot elements. For example, the chap in a wheelchair who can only be a hero when/if he has legs - that's a very negative vision. Also, the whole white man's guilt trip of the hero not just going native, but being better at being native than the natives are, to the point where he becomes their leader and saviour.
And partly because it was such a wasted opportunity. I think the people who call it "dances with Smurfs" as a criticism miss the point. You could argue that District 9 has the same, simple story, of the member of the oppressive classes going native. Yet District 9 managed to be a much more interesting, original and worthwhile film.
I think you're being a bit unfair there because he turned down the chance to get legs as a human to help the Navi - remember the colonel promised to get him legs if he succeeded in his mission .
so he did risk a lot .
The gf watched it with me. Sorta. She left about an hour in to go online. She actually said the words "shout me in when something happens"