Sorry I haven't visited this topic in a looooong time. My cousin saw it last weekend and said it was a pretty good movie but he also said it would be a great movie if they cut 40 minutes out of it. He told me there was about 40 minutes of just the guy running but my cousin tends to exaggerate... A LOT. Anyway I'll probably see it sometime in the near future though.

P.S DarthSion for future reference the ward "Hentai" is the Japanese word for perverted.

I saw this movie in 3D today with my cousin. Initially I was skeptical of the film and started off with eyes wandering just looking at everything. But as the movie progressed, I had to consciously tell myself to blink! The film is entirely engrossing, it lives and breathes!

Being the product of a generation that grew up with the advancement of video games, I can say that this film expressed those thoughts that echoed in my adolescence; "Wow, if only I could be Cloud from Final Fantasy 7...I wonder what it's like to experience the travel of different and distant worlds like Luke Skywalker?...What adventures await on the next page?" Avatar reflected that longing to wake up in a foreign land, that desire for escapism that so many of us can long for at times. It seemed like Cameron was able to accomplish that quite well as Jake certainly gave off the impression that he only lives when he dreams. Ultimately, when the movie ended, I was taken out of my teenage fantasies and back into adulthood; where I have to work, study, and overall just have to be patient.

A marvelous film, not without its faults though, that I would highly recommend!

I guess I had better pack my swimsuit.

The plot was unoriginal at best. The villains (aka, most of humanity) were evil just to be evil with no real reason. We have no idea why they want that metal so badly and are left to wonder if they would really do all of this just to get something that is really shiny (space gold, perhaps). The movie uses every chance it has to tell you that humanity is evil and you should enjoy seeing people get killed by the "noble savages". While it was an okay movie, Cameron should have spent the last 10 years working on the plot and characters and not just dreaming up the effects and figuring out how to convey his anvilicious message. The man makes good movies, but they have flaws. Big flaws like all of his villains (that I have seen) amounting to cartoonish in nature with no motivation other than "they're evil, duh".

I have problems with movies like this in general. You have a group that is vastly more powerful in some respect deciding it wants whatever the noble savages have and deciding they are going to take it. The noble savages meanwhile have an affinity with nature and talk on and on with the "traitor to his own people" character about nature this and nature that. Sometimes they have a very important message to remember in tales like this (in nature, the strong prey on the weak) and sometimes they don't. Either way, that's how nature works. Eventually though, the noble savages don't think it's fair that natures law is biting them in the backside pretty severely when their typically technologically superior opponents start beating them pretty badly. It turns out bothering to learn things like science lets you make some pretty awesome weapons as opposed to learning how to "commune with nature". So, in the end, the noble savages are hypocrits. Either they are all for "the way of nature", except when it beats them up and takes their stuff, or they really believe they are above that (being sentient and all) which makes you wonder what they are preaching about the whole time.

Of course the real irony is that without technology and civilization we wouldn't have these stories that are supposed to make us all feel bad about being people. We would be too busy hunting animals and fighting the next tribe over (which never seems to get played up, I wonder why) to have these stories if it weren't for this awful, evil technology and advancement. Kind of like the Terminator movies. They need computers to make those great special effects but the message is that your computer is planning on nuking your race into oblivion and using your bandwidth to research time travel and robotics.

Of course, I am content knowing the humans will probably just come back with nukes and take care of the Na'vi. Since all of humanity is evil to the core, they won't let themselves be beaten by space hippies when they can just nuke them. It's not like they plan on living there. Yet another movie with a happy ending until you really think about what probably happens next, like Return of the Jedi or The Matrix.

Despite my complaints I was entertained, if completely unsuprised (the only suprise for me in the whole movie was that the Colonel's power armor had a combat knife). Cameron's movies are good, some are even fantastic (Aliens, T1,2), but they would all be so much better if he just spent a little bit of time making his villains real and not just cardboard cut outs. Or maybe try the moral gray zone for once and not have everyone as black and white.

Edit to add: And another thing. Unobtainium. Really James Cameron? How long have you supposedly been working on this (otherwise known as "barrowing ideas from other, sometime obscure, sources") and you can't even think of a real name? I've heard this name used for a material in another movie. That movie was The Core. It's probably used in other movies that I don't know of, but anything that reminds of The Core reminds me of said movie and I generally think less of anything that reminds of The Core.

Wow Tyrant, have you been reading my mind? I couldn't have said it better myself. The only thing I disagree with is the part about being entertained. For me this movie was a complete waste of time. For some reason it seems that because James Cameron made a move, people feel obligated to say how awesome it was. Sure he's made good movies in the past, I don't dispute that, but just because it was produced by Cameron doesn't make it great. I'm pretty disappointed that so many people are going on and on about how wonderful this movie is because it has a really sorry plot which was badly written and poorly executed. And I laughed when they called it unobtainium in the theater. It really doesn't get any more lame than that!

Wow Tyrant, have you been reading my mind? I couldn't have said it better myself. The only thing I disagree with is the part about being entertained. For me this movie was a complete waste of time. For some reason it seems that because James Cameron made a move, people feel obligated to say how awesome it was. Sure he's made good movies in the past, I don't dispute that, but just because it was produced by Cameron doesn't make it great. I'm pretty disappointed that so many people are going on and on about how wonderful this movie is because it has a really sorry plot which was badly written and poorly executed. And I laughed when they called it unobtainium in the theater. It really doesn't get any more lame than that!

Well, I was entertained. It just wasn't absolutely fantastic in my opnion. I did like aspects of it. I just have major issues with the plot and those types of plots in general (when they are mishandled). I don't feel like I wasted my time or money, but I am not in any rush to watch it again.

I guess I had better pack my swimsuit.

The plot was unoriginal at best. The villains (aka, most of humanity) were evil just to be evil with no real reason. We have no idea why they want that metal so badly and are left to wonder if they would really do all of this just to get something that is really shiny (space gold, perhaps). The movie uses every chance it has to tell you that humanity is evil and you should enjoy seeing people get killed by the "noble savages". While it was an okay movie, Cameron should have spent the last 10 years working on the plot and characters and not just dreaming up the effects and figuring out how to convey his anvilicious message. The man makes good movies, but they have flaws. Big flaws like all of his villains (that I have seen) amounting to cartoonish in nature with no motivation other than "they're evil, duh".

I have problems with movies like this in general. You have a group that is vastly more powerful in some respect deciding it wants whatever the noble savages have and deciding they are going to take it. The noble savages meanwhile have an affinity with nature and talk on and on with the "traitor to his own people" character about nature this and nature that. Sometimes they have a very important message to remember in tales like this (in nature, the strong prey on the weak) and sometimes they don't. Either way, that's how nature works. Eventually though, the noble savages don't think it's fair that natures law is biting them in the backside pretty severely when their typically technologically superior opponents start beating them pretty badly. It turns out bothering to learn things like science lets you make some pretty awesome weapons as opposed to learning how to "commune with nature". So, in the end, the noble savages are hypocrits. Either they are all for "the way of nature", except when it beats them up and takes their stuff, or they really believe they are above that (being sentient and all) which makes you wonder what they are preaching about the whole time.

Of course the real irony is that without technology and civilization we wouldn't have these stories that are supposed to make us all feel bad about being people. We would be too busy hunting animals and fighting the next tribe over (which never seems to get played up, I wonder why) to have these stories if it weren't for this awful, evil technology and advancement. Kind of like the Terminator movies. They need computers to make those great special effects but the message is that your computer is planning on nuking your race into oblivion and using your bandwidth to research time travel and robotics.

Of course, I am content knowing the humans will probably just come back with nukes and take care of the Na'vi. Since all of humanity is evil to the core, they won't let themselves be beaten by space hippies when they can just nuke them. It's not like they plan on living there. Yet another movie with a happy ending until you really think about what probably happens next, like Return of the Jedi or The Matrix.

Despite my complaints I was entertained, if completely unsuprised (the only suprise for me in the whole movie was that the Colonel's power armor had a combat knife). Cameron's movies are good, some are even fantastic (Aliens, T1,2), but they would all be so much better if he just spent a little bit of time making his villains real and not just cardboard cut outs. Or maybe try the moral gray zone for once and not have everyone as black and white.

Edit to add: And another thing. Unobtainium. Really James Cameron? How long have you supposedly been working on this (otherwise known as "barrowing ideas from other, sometime obscure, sources") and you can't even think of a real name? I've heard this name used for a material in another movie. That movie was The Core. It's probably used in other movies that I don't know of, but anything that reminds of The Core reminds me of said movie and I generally think less of anything that reminds of The Core.

Dang somebody's got a lot of grievences .

Look to be honest I really loved the movie. First off it was extremely artistic. Every little tiny piece of the planet looked alien and all the little tiny details, like at night all the plants you touched glowed. The alien creatures and the na'vi all looked really great and actually looked like they could've evolved like that on the planet. They also looked very beautiful with different bright colors and textures and did'nt look like you're cheap monster of the week. The Na'vi I thought were excellent and very cat like, which on a planet like Pandora only makes sense.

I understand what you're saying and to be honest the story was not the movie's strongest point. The story has been done before although never in this way which was extremely clever The characters are'nt too archetypical, well maybe the colonel and the company owner. I know what you're saying and partly agree with you about that also. I think part of the reason that the na'vi were so spiritual was partly, if you did'nt hear the dialogue, because what Sigourney Weaver's character was saying. It was that she theorized that there was some hidden telepathic bond between the animals, Na'vi and the trees. It seemed to me that the trees themselves were somewhat sentient and that they were connected to the forest in a sort've bond with what they thought was their god.

The reason that they protected that tree in the end battle was because that tree was in essance their god and the tree was probably sentient.

With the characters and story however, James Cameron probably wrote most of the lines and characters. From what I heard from interviews is that this movie was his "baby" and that he had been thinking about doing this movie most of his life, doodling cat people as a kid. Yet I say again they were'nt too bad. The humans on the other hand did'nt seem all evil, it's like what Jake said at the begining was that these soldiers were more like gun jockeys or even mercenaries. The scientists did'nt seem evil in fact quite the opposite. The guy representing the company was pretty bad

although he seemed to have mixed feelings abpout wiping out the na'vi towards the end.

We really only saw the marines and scientists.

The only time we really see other humans is when all the hmans at the end are marching into a shuttle.

The word and name Unobtainium is actually an engineering term basicly meaning a substance that is rare or hard to obtain. It's actuallly an engineering joke that can be applied to anything rare, but I really don't understand the joke.

I really loved the movie and I think with a movie like this you either love it or you hate it. When I first saw this movie it gave me a feeling of being transported to another world, into another person. The urge to see more and really care about what happens to these people. Some people are going to love this film, some are going to hate it. I know when I saw it, I actually went with my dad, and we were both big skeptics. We thought the story was going to be megablocks and that the special effects were going to be great but would'nt make up for a bad plot. I knew right after the movie ended that I loved it. I just got this feeling from it that i've only gotten from a few films.

The film was incredible and if you have the chance to see it, go! It's a little long almost three hours but it's worth it. It's very entertaining and if you get a chance to see it in 3D, do it because it really makes you feel like you're apart of the film.

I Think it was an alright movie but i found it too long for my attention span , maybe it would have been better if i could have seen it in two parts.

I think it is great movie, I enjoyed reading here about it.

Visually beautiful, plot is ok.

I have a great time watching it!

I just saw it again in IMAX 3D.

The word and name Unobtainium is actually an engineering term basicly meaning a substance that is rare or hard to obtain. It's actuallly an engineering joke that can be applied to anything rare, but I really don't understand the joke.

I thought about this, and I noticed that there are some really stupid names on the periodic table. Such as: Americium, Californium, and Einsteinium, to name just a few.

I think one thing that would have made a more viable reason for the human's actions was to include an actual human settlement. Sure, we saw a compound. Big whoop. It doesn't say, "We've been here for years mining this place, and we have family here! We live here!" as much as I think it should have.

Yesterday i went to cinema to experience this Avatar thing but all the screenings were sold out so i need to see it another time

I went to see this yesterday and wasn't sure what to suspect. The film doesn't have the most original plot - large greedy corporation v nice natives. However I was totally amazed by the production itself. This film must be seen in 3D on a large screen. It won't have the same impact on DVD or tv. The 3D effects weren't the obvious gimmicks that you might get in a 3D theme park attraction - you know the type - spear and other sharp objects pointing into the audience. Instead they drew the audience into the film, not only in the jungle and battle scenes but in the less obvious areas such as when displaying technology in the laboratories (those curved screens and electronic tablets are fantastic).

All in all, a spectacular experience. Despite the film's length I could only sit back and marvel as the spectacle unfolded. Oscar for best special effects anyone?

I'm tempted to go again.

I'm tempted to go again.

I am too. I loved this movie, and sure, maybe the plot was a bit predictable, but the overall concept is unique (with the Avatar program and whatnot)

It really made me think about weather or not humans would actually do this on a foreign planet if the situation presented itself. I think that it could go either way...

I also agree that it needs to be seen in the theater in 3D to get the full effect. I was reading an article in Entertainment Weekly yesterday about how over 75% of its ticket sales have been from the 3D version. I think that the effects were phenomenal, and if you wait to see it on DVD or TV, you will lose the intended affect.

I have heard complaints about the humans being one-dimensional, but I really didn't see too much of a problem. At its core, its an action/adventure movie, and IMO, that type of film doesn't need complex characters to be great. I think the tree main protagonists (Jake, Dr. Grace, and Neytiri) were great, and brought something unique to the story because they each came from different backgrounds.

I think that this movie (which may end up having several sequels) would make a kick-megablocks Lego liscense

-darthperson

I loved it! I saw it in 3D today, and I was blown away! It had everything: Action, good plot, villains, Hero's, Nearly Naked tribal girls, giants mechs, nearly naked tribal girls, giant flying lizards, nearly naked tribal chicks, Magic trees, and did I mention nearly naked tribal girls? I would recommend it to most people!

A LEGO license could work... in theory. But lest we forget that it had a crap load of violence (Way more than Indy and Star Wars put together), and as I said before:

Nearly Naked tribal girls

So that might be a problem. Also, there was a plot that was to sophisticated for most 9 and 10 year olds.

But, if TLG could get passed that, than it would be awesome!

Edited January 2, 201015 yr by Emperor Claudius Rome

But, if TLG could get passed that, than it would be awesome!

Yes, definitely!

There could be new Halu elements so that Na'vi Minifig hairpieces could be attached to brick-built creatures.

Also, the Na'vi Minifig could be the same template as the Toy Story Woody Minifig, since the Na'vi are much taller than Humans!

_

As for the movie itself;

I thought it was a very good Sci-Fi version of the common "Advanced Human invaders come and kill off most of the primitive natives" story.

Except, however, it makes you feel for both of the sides. The Humans are mining Pandora for Unobtainium in order to save their Economy and energy crisis, while the awesome blue feline alien Elves have to deal with the precious trees that they worship being uprooted.

I personally, think that it would be better for the Humans to either professionally tunnel underneath the Hometree to get the Unobtainium, or offer to plant more trees for the Na'vi in return for the Unobtainium, then to simply destroy the Hometree.

So, anyway, I really like this movie for the anti-imperialism and eco-awareness messages.

It also makes me think of what Humanity will become in the future when we develop better space-tranportation technology. I wonder if we will try to attack other intelligent lifeforms over resources, or if we will be a peaceful and parental species that does not have a need for resources, or if we will become the second option but we would be evil-abolishing leaders of the universe?

It also makes me think of what Humanity will become in the future when we develop better space-tranportation technology. I wonder if we will try to attack other intelligent lifeforms over resources, or if we will be a peaceful and parental species that does not have a need for resources, or if we will become the second option but we would be evil-abolishing leaders of the universe?

We already are on our own world. It's just a bigger reflection of us.

We already are on our own world. It's just a bigger reflection of us.

True. Some members of Humanity have done terrible things to other members. I just hope that all members of Humanity that haven't changed their ways of evil will change when we start meeting other sentient races out there.

Not that the universe is plentiful with other sentient beings, though. Maybe other forms of life such as basic animals, or even just microbes. I think that there might only be a small number of other sentient races, like 5 or 7. If so, then they probably won't even be Humanoid.

This movie just broke $1 billion. It's the 5th movie ever to do so.

I saw the movie and it was great When i got home I built one of the military airships with legos it was great

True. Some members of Humanity have done terrible things to other members. I just hope that all members of Humanity that haven't changed their ways of evil will change when we start meeting other sentient races out there.

Not that the universe is plentiful with other sentient beings, though. Maybe other forms of life such as basic animals, or even just microbes. I think that there might only be a small number of other sentient races, like 5 or 7. If so, then they probably won't even be Humanoid.

The problem is that often times it isn't really a "good or evil" situation. Our species will not be content with what we have. Ever. We will at least attempt to expand if it proves viable. When we do, we will need materials and land (or air space, or something). We will take what we want if nothing else opposes us. If something does, I believe we will at least attempt diplomacy first. If that fails, we will go with what has worked all throughout our own history. Taking it by force. If it is something super critical to our survival, the diplomacy phase will be very brief if it happens at all. Even now, there are too many people. We will eventually deplete the resources of this world. Either some type of population control (not very likely to happen on a global scale any time soon) or expansion will eventuall be necessary to our survival. When it's a matter of survival, right and wrong don't enter the equation. Those ideas are a luxory. Let future generations decide if what was done is right or wrong. They will be able to do that because the then current generation did what they did so there actually would be future generations. Survival trumps morality. Until resources are somehow infinite, there will always be competition. When there is competition, there are winners and losers. The winners may play dirty, but they survive to carry on their species.

Would I prefer our future be a Star Trek esque utopia, of course. I don't see it happening though. I believe Star Wars is closer. There is still money. There are still corporations. There are still militaries and nationalities (sort of). I just don't think humanity is going to magically change it's ways. We are what we are.

The problem is that often times it isn't really a "good or evil" situation. Our species will not be content with what we have. Ever. We will at least attempt to expand if it proves viable. When we do, we will need materials and land (or air space, or something). We will take what we want if nothing else opposes us. If something does, I believe we will at least attempt diplomacy first. If that fails, we will go with what has worked all throughout our own history. Taking it by force. If it is something super critical to our survival, the diplomacy phase will be very brief if it happens at all. Even now, there are too many people. We will eventually deplete the resources of this world. Either some type of population control (not very likely to happen on a global scale any time soon) or expansion will eventuall be necessary to our survival. When it's a matter of survival, right and wrong don't enter the equation. Those ideas are a luxory. Let future generations decide if what was done is right or wrong. They will be able to do that because the then current generation did what they did so there actually would be future generations. Survival trumps morality. Until resources are somehow infinite, there will always be competition. When there is competition, there are winners and losers. The winners may play dirty, but they survive to carry on their species.

Would I prefer our future be a Star Trek esque utopia, of course. I don't see it happening though. I believe Star Wars is closer. There is still money. There are still corporations. There are still militaries and nationalities (sort of). I just don't think humanity is going to magically change it's ways. We are what we are.

This is Off-Topic. It has little to do with Avatar.

This is Off-Topic. It has little to do with Avatar.

Too be honest it does have to do pretty much with Avatar. I agree that it's starting to get a little off topic but they're really only discussing the different themes in Avatar.

Well I'm half and half on it, this is my opinion:

I really want to see it, and I hear it is a great movie, but when you look at the facts:

-The plot has been used over and over since the 1940s. Guy tries to stop people but comes to like them/humans killing aliens for energy. That's practically the plot of Lego Mars Mission and King Kong together!

-The ships are remastered Halo ships, undoubtedly.

-That planet, Pandora... it looks suspiciously like Felucia to me.

But besides that, it still seems to be a pretty great movie, so I'll go see it this weekend.

Well I'm half and half on it, this is my opinion:

I really want to see it, and I hear it is a great movie, but when you look at the facts:

-The plot has been used over and over since the 1940s. Guy tries to stop people but comes to like them/humans killing aliens for energy. That's practically the plot of Lego Mars Mission and King Kong together!

-The ships are remastered Halo ships, undoubtedly.

-That planet, Pandora... it looks suspiciously like Felucia to me.

But besides that, it still seems to be a pretty great movie, so I'll go see it this weekend.

I would deffinintly go see it! If you can go see it in Imax 3D or just 3D then do it because it is spectacular. It's not just the cheap 3D gags you would expect from a 3D film.

It's also a film that you can't miss on the big screen.

Avatar is almost up on the higest amount of revenue for any film so far, even almost past Cameron's other high grossing film Titanic.

This is Off-Topic. It has little to do with Avatar.

You obvioucly haven't seen the movie or weren't paying attention. It has everything to do with the movie and topic at hand that was being discussed.

This movie just broke $1 billion. It's the 5th movie ever to do so.

Where did you here this? ast i heard a couple weeks ago it hasn't even recouped half of its production cost.

http://www.mid-day.com/entertainment/2009/...-us-records.htm

Although it has broke a U.S. record for release in december, it has hit 236,000,000 world wide. that was just before Christmass. Kind of odd that it would hit $1 billion in profit in less than 1 month after its release.

Where did you here this? ast i heard a couple weeks ago it hasn't even recouped half of its production cost.

http://www.mid-day.com/entertainment/2009/...-us-records.htm

Although it has broke a U.S. record for release in december, it has hit 236,000,000 world wide. that was just before Christmass. Kind of odd that it would hit $1 billion in profit in less than 1 month after its release.

That's what happened with Titanic, the movie is probably going to be the highest grossing film so far. It's a great film so it does'nt suprise me.

I can't wait to see it, unfortunately that will be a while from now, but my brother tells me it's incredable!

~Insectoid Aristocrat