AVATAR WAS AWESOME!!!

I saw it yesterday and yes it's awesome. And there's waaaay more than "flashy visuals".

Like what?

I've seen the movie. In case that wasn't clear in my earlier post. And I really don't think it has anything else to offer. It's like a remake of Pocahontas with big blue aliens. It's also more of a flick for women actually than a fullblown action spectacle. Been there, done that. All the characters scream cliche... so apart from an impressive use of 3d technique, in my book Avatar sucks.

Real thing's always better than CGI

Agreed.

and for me personally, I'd much rather have neytiri than the actress who played her

...and her name is ...?

I thought it was awesome. Its one of those movies that aims to be something and achieves it nicely. I found it very immersive, and while the ending was predictable its nice to have a happy ending rather than a kind of 'heroic sacrifice' ending once in a while. And as for the action theres heaps...dragon things grabbing a helicopter and throwing it into another helicopter...lots of explosions and stuff...the only part I found annoying was early on in the movie when the main character (in avatar form) was being attacked by the creature and the camera was all shacky and stuff...in 3d its really friggin annoying coz u cant focus fast enough. Also, despite being 3d, a lot of scenes they used focus which meant if you tried to look at the foreground it was blury...but yeah as far as 3d movies go this has probably been the best.

Also people who complain the plot isn't deep enough are the same kinda people who say the plot in Transformers 2 wasn't deep enough...who friggin cares! Everyone complained Transformers 1 was too much about humans and too much 'drama' so they made Transformers 2 more about robots fighting each other (which we all want...its not meant to be a chick flick!) and yet people still complained

the only part I found annoying was early on in the movie when the main character (in avatar form) was being attacked by the creature and the camera was all shacky and stuff

Yeah in this part I was thinking they really should be doing 60fps AT LEAST instead of freaking 24. My poor PC-trained eyes can't take it anymore!

About plot depth..... so I take you missed the underlying comment on expansionism, the dominating economic model, indigenous people and the inevitability of it all?

Let me throw you some quotes (by memory) on that:

-They don't want anything we can give them (Grace, regarding humans giving gifts in exchange for land)

-They think they cannot be stopped (regarding humans taking the land by force after negotiations failed)

But yeah, happy hollywood ending kind of kills the message. Perhaps there's an alternate UK ending?

But yeah, happy hollywood ending kind of kills the message. Perhaps there's an alternate UK ending?

LMAO!!

If it ended with the humans winning, around the time that the giant tree was destroyed...then yeah it would have been a 'deeper' ending that leaves everyone questioning imperialism etc...but by having a happy ending it still leaves people questioning but not the same degree...kinda amazing to think what power the script writers have on a big movie like that...so many people watching it....

...kinda amazing to think what power the script writers have on a big movie like that...so many people watching it....

You are right, they really have power. Just imagine: how many Belarusian movies about World War II did you watch? Maybe, 0. At the same time my friends and I watched the Western movies like "Saving of private Ryan" (don't remember the exact title) and so on.

It doesn't mean, that your movies are really better, than from my country. No. Just Belarusian movies will not have chance to be showed on your screens. And movie like "Avatar" is popular due to PR, special effects and belief in "a Western movie with an excellent quality".

Actually, Avatar has at least some more quality than the stereotypical Hollywood trash. Or so am I told.

Also, I don't see Belarusian film makers catering to the masses. At least here in Slovenia they're all about 'art' and stuff rather than entertainment. They keep giving each other rewards and patting each other's backs on job well done. That's the academic art for you. S'why Hollywood is so popular. People prefer to go to MacDonalds than some cheesy 'bowtie' restaurant with snob waiters.

Yeah, Avatar is easily a must-see film.

Abriged: The film, has absolutely stunning CGI effects, although it has a rather cliched plot, it's really carried by the environment, the designs and the action, all of which add to make a pretty realistic science fiction movie.

Abridged (more): It's everything you expect, executed well.

Everything I told you, maybe a little less, can be backed up by watching the trailer. Go ahead, google it.

Looking at this film, I am at the point were CGI in films have not improved that much in ten years.

The movie look good but I wasn't like "Wow! How did they do that?" I can,t believe they where able to do that in a movie.

This movie fell very short from it goal to change the way people see films or storytelling with CGI.

This movie reminded me most of The Last Samurai, and Pocahontas.

It is a good movie not great one, Okay storyline, average dialogue, and top notch CGI.

I don't now if it is the best CGI I ever saw in a film but it look great.

It is not a movie I would see over and over again.

Once was good for me.

For reference:

Phantom menace, 1999 (warning: lots of jar jar)

Avatar, 2009

Yes, there's aren't unbelievable changes from year to year like there were before... but there's definitely some significant improvements. For example: live facial performances, which Phantom menace had not (Jar jar's face was animated by animators afterwards).

Also, this slowing down in CGI change means.... games will also get there quickly

I don't know

if we're talking fx, phantom menace is pathetic compared to this

this blows away anything before it

when they're in the forest, at times, all flora(edit) is cgi, yet completely convincing in every way

you're struck taking in the beauty of the scenery, rather than the realism of the special effects

I didn't even fully realize how good the effects were, until after I left the theatre, because they were good enough to forget they were effects.

in the preview you might be struck by some uncanny valley impressions

but when you sit through the first 15 minutes of pandora, you completely forget this stuff isn't real, and you're marveling at new species, instead of new levels of cgi.

jar jar binks looked hokey even when I first saw it.

if you can't see this movie's at a new level graphically

then your eyes might not be trained to look for such things

even gollum had unrealistic aspects to him, and the scenes with the ents in LOTR had ugly green screen artifacts,

the effects in this movie are just breathtaking

I might catch a flaw, when I see it again at imax3d tommorow

Lucid speaks the truth!

I just saw it, and I am stunned.

I keep seeing so much hate, but it was the best movie I have seen in a long long time.

I forgot what a movie was supposed to be, but this film woke me up.

the "blue people" were alive in this movie, maybe more than most actors. it was an exciting glimpse into the future.

When was the last time we saw a happy ending in a film? the world doesn't have to end up in a shit pile in order for the story to be good.

The world, the culture, the musical culture... it was all amazingly convincing.

and people need to chill out about the 24 fps thing: That is not the fault of avatar, yet I see this augmenter being regurgitated across the net (*cough CGtalk cough*)

Go see it! it was fantastic.

Yeah what I mean about 24fps is not specific to Avatar.

ALL FILM should move on to 60fps. Live action, animation, all of it. Specially now that they're changing format (to 3D), it's the time to do the jump.

Wouldn't that mean all cinemas buying new 60fps equipment, and therefore raising ticket prices? I'd notice the difference probably, but wouldn't a lot of people just go "huh? it looks the same, why is it more expensive?"