The 'Avatar' balancing act.

[ADWyatt]

With 'Avatar's' first weekend under its belt, the movie's negative aspects are coming to the fore by those who were less than thrilled by this 300 million dollar spectacle. Since you can't please everybody, the negatives are expected, but it would be fascinating to find out how 'experts' who disliked the movie would rewrite the plot. Sort of like asking revolutionaries in a democratic country how they would replace the government they wish to topple. (They all have the right answers, and the luxury of not being in office to battle against special interest groups.)

What were 'Avatar's' supposed shortcomings, and how might they compare with the great films of the past? Let's take a look...

1. The plot was too predictable. Oh Really? Good Guys vs. Bad Guys in an ultra-expensive blockbuster, and you're not sure who's coming out on top? You have to be kidding.

To put this in perspective, let's look at two other major films from the past, 'Ben-Hur' and 'Titanic', each of which won 11 Oscars. Was there a single living entity in the known Universe that didn't know who was going to win the chariot race, or what would happen when boat met berg? It wasn't the plot that mattered in these movies, but the spectacle and character interaction. Along those lines, 'Avatar's' spectacle is beyond challenging, which leads us to the second criticism...

2. The plot was too thin/too thick (I've read both). Creating a compelling storyline is no easy thing to do when the main attractions are special effects and 3D. With a wafer-thin plot, you've got 'Star Trek, The Motion Picture'. Too thick and you've got a confusing mess called 'Dune.' The best compromise is to create an easily-understandable black & white issue that depends upon a reasonable number of plot twists and acceptably-tense character interaction to progress the story. With these types of movies, you won't find 'Terms of Endearment', but you don't want 'Wild Things' either. In this regard, 'Avatar' succeeds admirably, with only a few moments that drag throughout its 150-minute duration.

3. The music wasn't very good. Actually it was, but few people noticed. And it wasn't because they were falling asleep in their seats.

4. The movie was too political and socially-charged. This has seemed to come from the very same people who have claimed that it was too simplistic. In truth, you can't make a movie that doesn't have at least some political/religious overtones. After all, machines don't make movies work; people do. (Okay, I'll take a one-time back seat to WallE.)

No doubt there had to have been a few people who were just plain bored with 'Avatar.' It simply wasn't their cup of tea, and that's understandable since no movie can please everybody. But I think I would find it fascinating if those movie fans who disliked 'Avatar' simply because of perceived imperfections would rewrite the plot, and do so well enough to confidently hope to recoup the film's massive budget. Such an exercise might find us lucky enough to uncover the next Mario Puzo. Or then again, the next George Lucas.

[Q?]

https://forum.blu-ray.com/showthread.php?t=125737
There is a thread for this you know...

[Foggy]

Originally Posted by Q!

https://forum.blu-ray.com/showthread.php?t=125737
There is a thread for this you know...

you made him your Biatch