Naw man it was very close but Toys still got them by a hair. Got Em!!
Quote:
Originally Posted by iam1bearcat
true. before the gap was like trying to jump a car across the gran canyon and the car never even reach halfway, now if still using the grand canyon and a faster / better car, it reaches the other end, but the front end smashes into the side of the cliff and bursts into flames closer than before, but still a ways to go
I’ve been waiting for this movie for like a year now, holding out for the perfect edition. It finally came.
“Avatar.”
This movie is definitely up my alley. James Cameron’s films have never disappointed me yet; they provide some of the best combinations of entertainment value, story telling, and cinematic competence. And with a rather unique premise, a lot of awesome-looking sci-fi hardware, plenty of action and eye-candy, this film stands pretty strongly among my other favorites (whether that be “Star Wars,” “LOTR,” any “Star Trek” film, etc). Like those films, “Avatar” presents a very vivid and detailed universe, loaded with detail and environments that gives it a life of its own. Planet Pandora is truly a sight to behold, and is the perfect setting for, heck, any sci-fi film. The spectacle is through-the-roof, and the film maintains even pacing to keep it all fresh and interesting. I think it’s a blast all the way through (even at three hours).
[Show spoiler]I believe that this film is very competently made. Cameramanship is solid; production design is very strong, and the production value is very high. I know a lot of folks say the writing/acting is terrible, but frankly I don’t think it’s any worse than “Aliens” or any other Cameron film. The music score has its moments.
But if there’s any point of contention (as it is with everybody else), it’s with the story. I went into it believing it’s an adaptation of “Pocahontas,” and in that context I believe it’s a great adaptation. But in the context of originality, “Avatar” is hardly original, as it does take after “Dances with the Wolves,” “The Last Samurai,” and any number of other films. I honestly did find the story very predictable (not to mention that the themes are very opaque).
My dad said that if this film was unpredictable, he wouldn’t have liked it. And therein resides the story’s inherent strength, and possibly the reason why it’s so popular. It is a timeless story that could apply to any era or genre (whether you consider it tacky and unoriginal or not ). Not to mention, how would it have been if the bad guys won in the end? Who would condone a downbeat depressing ending after so much upbeat adventure? This is pure escapism and a heck of a popcorn movie; it provides an adventure that is very audience-friendly and appeals to the masses. Movies of this kind are rarely original (come on, “Star Wars” is a rip off and we all know it . Pure originality is hard to achieve anywhere). So I don’t personally hold it against this film or against Cameron.
The one thing I do find negative about this film (almost annoyingly so) are the characters. Heck, I suppose the characters in Cameron’s films have never been standouts. But, I do believe that his treatments for Sarah Connor and Ellen Ripley have been phenomenal; they are exceptional heroines with a decent amount of depth and development. In “Avatar,” disappointingly, we see very little of this development. On the other hand, it’s the actions of Cameron’s characters that speak louder than words; I think seeing Jake Sully going from a wheel-chair-bound washout to a hopping blue warrior dude says plenty. It’s the other characters I’m more troubled by; the entire supporting cast is very one-dimensional and stereotypical, to the point of becoming unreasonable and annoying. There’s a snobby corporate jerk, there’s a gung-ho trigger-happy military commander, there’s a tree-hugging scientist, there’s a jealous native…the list goes on! And they all represent very distinctive viewpoints and themes that can get rather preachy (this film is very anti-war and pro-nature…could it be a typical Hollywood-ish left-wing liberal view on the world today, or what? ). With a film this long and with its massive scope, perhaps there’s not enough room to squeeze any more characterization in there, much less any room to make the themes more sublime. Be that as it may, I might have appreciated the characters better otherwise (especially the super-evil military commander; I would have been interested to see some background and see why he is the way he is…but nooooo ).
There is one theme/motif in the film I like that propels the story to a slightly above-average fare: on a more subtle level, the film is about dreams. Because every time Jakes goes into his avatar, he goes to sleep, and his experience as a Na’vi is like a psychedelic dream that eventually becomes a full-blown reality. And when he’s awake, everything’s cold, gray, metallic, ugly. Jake even says outright “everything is backwards now: out there is the true world, and in here is the dream.” It gets to the point where the dream becomes the idealized world that Jake fights for and wants everybody else to partake in, while rejecting the old industrialized human world. Maybe that’s a little too in-your-face too, but I think it’s interesting.
So there you have it: "Avatar," super-duper popcorn flick, or terrible as a piece of art...you be the judge.
4/5 (entertainment: 4.5/5, story: 3/5, film: 4.5/5, intellectual impact: 2/5) Score might improve with repeated viewings, since with each viewing I find its flaws more forgivable.
Recommendation: Yep. I have yet to meet a person outside of this forum who hates the movie, and it’s pretty clear that the majority enjoys it very well. I can say though that if you are a viewer looking for pure cinematic art and a 100% original story, you are setting yourself up for disappointment.
This Blu-Ray looks and sounds darn near perfect!
PQ: 5/5, AQ: 5/5
[Show spoiler]Some notes about the Extended Edition (16+ extra minutes, longest runtime ever)
This cut is about as essential as the “LOTR” EEs, the “Star Wars” SEs, or the alternate editions of “T2.”
The first two times I saw this in the theater, I missed out on the first 10-20 minutes. I still don’t know how the Theatrical Cut opens. But I can tell already that I love the alternate opening better. I think it adds plenty to the main character; I always thought it was important to know where he comes from initially and what kind of person he is before the big adventure thing starts. I can’t imagine going into this film not seeing him like this in the beginning; without this scene, his growth becomes a little more stunted. Not to mention, the scummy-looking Earth stuff correlates very well with the pro-nature themes of the movie (for better or for worse), and the neon lights accentuate the dream themes I described above (I think it’s a cool motif).
They brought out Jake’s dead brother
[Show spoiler] in a cardboard box?! Really?!!! I don’t know whether to laugh or cry
.
Added scenes with Grace are quite helpful for her character. But, hearing about
[Show spoiler]the death of Neytiri’s sister doesn’t seem to flow right with Neytiri’s character. After all, if her sister is dead, shouldn’t she be somber and more enraged at the humans, much less Jake?
This scene is a little too out-of-context in that respect.
Okay, I don’t remember this stampede/hunting scene in the original cut. It’s awesome.
Hmm…Na’vi sex scene… nothing particularly erotic or raunchy, but it is rather touching.
Na’vi attack on some bulldozers…don’t remember if this was in the TC or not, but it looks cool.
Sorry for the long review (especially for a movie everybody seems to hate ). Have I beaten beatcat yet?
This is exactly why i like Cameron and Avatar. He throws out the combo very nice and its a one of a kind ride. I loved it and im glad you saw the pic for what it's worth. Great review man!!!!!
About the PQ and AQ. Avatar is hands down no argument dont even think about arguing the BEST blu ray out when it comes to clarity. I was extremely shocked!!!!!!!!!
Last edited by lDlisturb3d; 11-23-2010 at 10:38 PM.
Yea thats her name. Yea she is pretty hot. And yes when big baby was being ran by Lotso he was a beast but we also saw his baby moments to lol. Got Em!!
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Got Em!!
closer than before, but still a ways to go 
Got Em!!
). Not to mention, how would it have been if the bad guys won in the end? Who would condone a downbeat depressing ending after so much upbeat adventure? This is pure escapism and a heck of a popcorn movie; it provides an adventure that is very audience-friendly and appeals to the masses. Movies of this kind are rarely original (come on, “Star Wars” is a rip off and we all know it 
). With a film this long and with its massive scope, perhaps there’s not enough room to squeeze any more characterization in there, much less any room to make the themes more sublime. Be that as it may, I might have appreciated the characters better otherwise (especially the super-evil military commander; I would have been interested to see some background and see why he is the way he is…but nooooo 
). Have I beaten beatcat yet? 
YES, LOVING THEM BOTH!!!!! Diesel 
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