Those of us who actually hated James Cameron's Avatar http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/fans-and-critics/threads/2597 MaccaGirl90 ... Yes, I said it. I never have understood the hype around this film. I watched it with my family (we got the DVD last Christmas) and I hated every minute of it. I felt like Cameron simply copied/pasted from movies such as Pocahontas and Dances With Wolves and put a sci-fi twist on those premises. Not exactly an original film and nothing like his 1997 blockbuster Titanic, that's for sure! I think the only reason people even liked it was for the 3D effects, which were probably nice in the theatre but I don't think they held up for normal home viewing. I also got to thinking about this because, since I work for Disney, Disney's Animal Kingdom is breaking ground on a Pandora themed land in 2013 and there are many of us who are a bit baffled as to what blue aliens have to do with a theme park built around animals. So please tell me I'm not alone in being terribly critical of this supposedly amazing film. Wed, 12 Oct 2011 02:57:40 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/fans-and-critics/threads/2597?page=1#forum_thread_comment_23747 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/fans-and-critics/threads/2597?page=1#forum_thread_comment_23747 cadaughtrey Well, you're right, that's exactly what he did. It was the typical "unbalanced white man is hired to subdue the natives, falls in love with their way of life (and the chief's daughter) and ends up fighting along beside them" story. Personally, I liked it better when it was called, <em>The Last Samurai</em>. That being said, the appeal <em>was</em> the effects. It was a gorgeous looking movie. I'll agree not worth the hype. But I certainly didn't hate it. Wed, 12 Oct 2011 09:02:00 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/fans-and-critics/threads/2597?page=1#forum_thread_comment_26371 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/fans-and-critics/threads/2597?page=1#forum_thread_comment_26371 QuincyMorris Eh. It wasn't a movie. It was a vision for the future. Basically, everyone loved it because the effects were so stunning compared to everything else being released these days. However, I am of the mind that the film will be forgotten over time as it becomes easier to make alien worlds so beautiful. Wed, 12 Oct 2011 09:19:02 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/fans-and-critics/threads/2597?page=1#forum_thread_comment_26555 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/fans-and-critics/threads/2597?page=1#forum_thread_comment_26555 Swiftflame Aha. Good to see this thread. Heh. I and my entire family hate this movie. A LOT. It's cliched, though watching the effects might dull that enough to make it tolerable. You should see the TVTropes page for this movie. They had to divide the page into categories of tropes, there were so many. But worst is the insinuations in the movie's heart, and a very cynical prediction of the future. Earth has been completely ruined by the humans, and now they're going out looking for other places to loot and take over. Anything associated with the humans also tends to have dull, desaturated colors (I work with Photoshop and a brother who renders and restores old movies, I can tell), and boring, traditional names. The Na'vi, on the other hand, are one with nature and very vivid, exotic, have little lights glowing in them, and tend to have long, odd names. Jake himself is sort of a big metaphor for the entire movie, just in case the audience misses everything else. Crippled. Unwhole. Depressed. Uncaring. Then he gets a shiny new Na'vi, alien body and ta-daa, he's free from his crippled existence. He's become ideal. He is also no longer human. Quaritch is also another Aesop in the movie. Harsh, vicious, obviously the very worst of humankind, and in the end he's so consumed by greed and hatred he brings about his own fall at the hands of purity. It's also a very manipulative movie. The colors, the effects, the characters and plot... they're all out to make you hate the humans and root for the brave, lovely Na'vi. Colors can cause emotional reactions in people, usually without them being aware of it. And who wouldn't want such a dazzling alien beauty to win when being destroyed by dull, uncaring humans? The end is the Aesop. Jake is taken out of his human body and becomes a Na'vi. Yep. That's the only way we can become free and good. By turning into something we aren't and losing our human-ness. Good heavens, the movie is monumental in its horribleness. The effects are great. But they're tools for the purpose. It's a wretched, wretched movie. Wed, 12 Oct 2011 12:44:57 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/fans-and-critics/threads/2597?page=1#forum_thread_comment_29029 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/fans-and-critics/threads/2597?page=1#forum_thread_comment_29029 MaccaGirl90 Yours is by far the best anti-Avatar review I've read. I agree on all your points and cannot understand why this is even worthy of becoming a franchise. Wed, 12 Oct 2011 13:45:06 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/fans-and-critics/threads/2597?page=1#forum_thread_comment_29847 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/fans-and-critics/threads/2597?page=1#forum_thread_comment_29847 puppynme2 My hat is off to each and every one of you who sat through it. I made it through 30 minutes and decided the minutes of my life had more important things to do. Wed, 12 Oct 2011 14:22:02 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/fans-and-critics/threads/2597?page=1#forum_thread_comment_30343 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/fans-and-critics/threads/2597?page=1#forum_thread_comment_30343 cheesypeas Eh, I thought Avatar was a boring pile of cliché... although personally I found the most annoying part (strangely enough) was the nature on Pandora (though pretty), you know, cos it's supposed to be "like nothing on earth" except that everything is surprisingly just like earth only all the critters have six legs and ten eyes and there's floating islands. And also the weird thing with the braids... I mean if they basically have sex with each other by connecting their braids, why is it not sex when they do it with one of the huge horsies or the flying pterodactyl-thingies ... I dunno, maybe I'm just not enough of a sweet innocent mind for Avatar :D Wed, 12 Oct 2011 14:37:04 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/fans-and-critics/threads/2597?page=1#forum_thread_comment_30555 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/fans-and-critics/threads/2597?page=1#forum_thread_comment_30555 MalcolmCooms Hm, interesting. I have never seen it (although with all the fuss I intend to), but as soon as I saw the plot I thought, "That's Dances with Wolves". Then some members of my family saw it and said: Yep, It's "Dances with Wolves", except with aliens. On the other hand, I liked "Dances with Wolves", so...who knows? (BTW, I hated the ridiculously overdramatic "Titanic".) Wed, 12 Oct 2011 14:37:17 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/fans-and-critics/threads/2597?page=1#forum_thread_comment_30561 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/fans-and-critics/threads/2597?page=1#forum_thread_comment_30561 cheesypeas (ugh, I know, Titanic is such a dramatic cheesepile, everything in it is a cliché) Wed, 12 Oct 2011 14:39:52 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/fans-and-critics/threads/2597?page=1#forum_thread_comment_30596 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/fans-and-critics/threads/2597?page=1#forum_thread_comment_30596 Wandering Monster For all that people complain about Hollywood execs and what they do to creativity, I don't believe I've ever seen a movie play it as straight and as safe as Avatar. It borders on being a parody of a Hollywood movie. But then to make a movie this insanely expensive, Cameron had to play it safe, and he did it so well that he got the sequels he wanted. So I'm gonna wait and see if those turn out any more interesting. That said, I didn't enjoy the movie. It was watchable enough, but it was just shameless in its wishful thinking and sentimentalism. Which in a way is refreshing, but in another way is offputting. I sure couldn't get into the Na'vi, who out-Elfed all the other Elves I couldn't get into. The thing about Dances With Wolves is that the Sioux (and by extension the other Native Americans) really existed, and many of them did die and much of their culture was lost because of what other real (white) people did to them. And yet even that movie, which was partly an apology for the way these people had been misrepresented and caricaturised, managed a more ambiguous, human portrayal of the guys we were meant to sympathise with than Avatar even attempted. You just can't get me to feel sorry for the senseless destruction wrought upon some flawless blue space cats. I'm not going to feel bad about being human because some military and capitalist stereotypes cut down the Party Tree. Wed, 12 Oct 2011 14:52:05 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/fans-and-critics/threads/2597?page=1#forum_thread_comment_30788 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/fans-and-critics/threads/2597?page=1#forum_thread_comment_30788 golfgal08 I actually hated the special effects. I think it was complete overkill. If I wanted to watch a movie that was digitally animated, I'd watch something like Toy Story 3, thanks. Wed, 12 Oct 2011 15:08:54 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/fans-and-critics/threads/2597?page=1#forum_thread_comment_31078 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/fans-and-critics/threads/2597?page=1#forum_thread_comment_31078 Kaysper Ambivalent about the film itself. Hate, hate, HATE the fact that the film has decided it owns the word "avatar" now. How full of *censored* with a *censored* up your *censored* do you have to be to decide that you have sole copyright on a word that has so many connotations beyond blue space cat elves? I love hindu mythology. I love Avatar the Last Airbender/Legend of Korra. I love Digital Devil Saga: Avatar Tuner. Imagine my vitriol when I found out about that law suit threat, and determination to use those words and full names over and over to tweak that stupid decision on the nose. Wed, 12 Oct 2011 15:38:11 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/fans-and-critics/threads/2597?page=1#forum_thread_comment_31568 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/fans-and-critics/threads/2597?page=1#forum_thread_comment_31568 undivided_self haaaate it. almost had a heart attack when it looked like it was going to win Best Picture at the Oscars. I'm so glad it didn't happen. Wed, 12 Oct 2011 18:43:47 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/fans-and-critics/threads/2597?page=1#forum_thread_comment_34465 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/fans-and-critics/threads/2597?page=1#forum_thread_comment_34465 dutchbando I didn't hate it per se. Instead, I spent the entire running time of the movie laughing at it. Hilarious. Perhaps it would have been cooler and I may have gotten sucked in had I seen it on the big screen in 3D. Alas, we saw it on DVD and the 'ooh pretty!' effect was lost on us. Not to mention I could not possibly take any movie seriously in which the mythical element they're searching for is called 'Unobtainium.' Seriously? Unobtainium??? Not to mention the stupid dialogue and staggering predictability. We were calling every plot twist long before it happened and then lo and behold it occurs exactly as we predicted! Imagine that!?! Thank god it didn't win best picture... Wed, 12 Oct 2011 20:45:48 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/fans-and-critics/threads/2597?page=1#forum_thread_comment_36377 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/fans-and-critics/threads/2597?page=1#forum_thread_comment_36377 OrdinaryOwl I had the misfortune of watching this movie with someone who actualky thought Avatar's message was... deep. Like, if only we embraced the earth more, everyone would be happy! This was unfortunate because I couldn't make snarky comments through the entire thing. The plot was so predictable and the characters so wooden it hurt. Not even Shiny!Graphics could save it. I personally was rooting for the military and their shiny mechs throughout the movie. I'm sorry but the human race &gt; blue cat-people for me. Jake pretty much said, "Screw the billions of humans who need UNOBTANIUM to live, a hundred sexy cat women...I mean people, need me!" He didn't even try to fulfill his diplomatic mission to work out a compromise. At least the crazy!general didn't lose sight of the entire reason he was there. I would only ever re-watch Avatar if I had the accompanying Rifftracks to soften the blow. Wed, 12 Oct 2011 21:33:46 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/fans-and-critics/threads/2597?page=1#forum_thread_comment_37056 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/fans-and-critics/threads/2597?page=1#forum_thread_comment_37056 jordan-leeann I was forced to sit through this slovenly pile of garbage during a party we had in one of my high school classes. Everyone stared at me, mouths agape, when I said I've never seen it before - turns out I was lucky and could have easily done without EVER seeing it. It was boring, cliche, and overrated. All the pretty special effects in the world can't disguise those qualities! Wed, 12 Oct 2011 22:09:46 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/fans-and-critics/threads/2597?page=1#forum_thread_comment_37579 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/fans-and-critics/threads/2597?page=1#forum_thread_comment_37579 MaccaGirl90 Yep, that was my reaction. My sister saw it in the theatre and loved it, while her ex- coincidentally, a Marine- hated it. I'm the only one in my family who despised the film and people still look at me funny when I say I couldn't stand watching it. Never again unless someone wants to torture me. Wed, 12 Oct 2011 22:15:13 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/fans-and-critics/threads/2597?page=1#forum_thread_comment_37661 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/fans-and-critics/threads/2597?page=1#forum_thread_comment_37661 Katie C Swiftflame, you basically summed up this movie for me much more eloquently than I could. Each point you made had me going "Yes! YES! OMGYES!!!!!" I saw it once, in theaters, in 3D, with a bunch of A-V nerds (the differences in color and lighting were not lost on us either). To be honest I'm really glad I saw it that way because I was able to have a wonderful visual experience and now I don't ever have to see it again. Ahhhhhh. :) However...as a Fantasy Wrimo I did have an appreciation for Pandora and its creatures as an example of world building. The fantasy writers in the group (myself included) ended up spending post-movie dinner discussing the anatomical functionality of six legged mammals more than anything else in that movie. :P Thu, 13 Oct 2011 00:07:48 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/fans-and-critics/threads/2597?page=1#forum_thread_comment_39134 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/fans-and-critics/threads/2597?page=1#forum_thread_comment_39134 crispy.panda The weirdest thing about the whole Avatar phenomenon for me was the amount of times I told people I hated the film only to be asked, "Ahh, but have you seen it in 3-D yet?" How is wearing some dopey glasses going to fix a poorly plotted, badly acted and over-long pile of tripe like Avatar? And to even be in the running for Best Film....ARRRRGGGGHHHH! Thu, 13 Oct 2011 01:05:50 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/fans-and-critics/threads/2597?page=1#forum_thread_comment_39650 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/fans-and-critics/threads/2597?page=1#forum_thread_comment_39650 neonnightlight I hated all the hype it got. I was one of the people who was super not a fan of the movie. Then you had all those people who were GUSHING over how great it was. Thu, 13 Oct 2011 01:29:47 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/fans-and-critics/threads/2597?page=1#forum_thread_comment_39829 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/fans-and-critics/threads/2597?page=1#forum_thread_comment_39829 Col. M. Sawyer Most of my problems with Avatar have been said already, but as a strategy/tactical aficionado I have to state that the way the soldiers were presented with their planning was stupid as well. It simply drives me up a wall to see the stupid mistakes that the humans were making. That being said, the movie becomes infinitely better if you view it as a tragedy about a Marine who was seduced and eventually brainwashed into serving an eldritch, scheming planet-brain, and eventually turns upon his own people and attempts to murder his own species, at the end becoming another mindless minion of the horror from space. Heck, now that I put it into words it sounds like something Lovecraft would have written. Thu, 13 Oct 2011 01:55:43 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/fans-and-critics/threads/2597?page=1#forum_thread_comment_40028 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/fans-and-critics/threads/2597?page=1#forum_thread_comment_40028 Swiftflame Ohhhh, my gosh, you're right. Jake Sully was not a Marine. There is no way on Earth that man could be anything like a marine. Any Marine who watched this movie would either die laughing or die of embarrassment at Jake being associated with Marines. <em>And you do not do a cavalry charge at a big line of soldiers with long-range weapons!!!</em> What kind of strategy was that?! Or was that another ploy for garnering sympathy?! Thank you all for reading what I said. I did my best to speak as well as I could. Thu, 13 Oct 2011 02:27:06 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/fans-and-critics/threads/2597?page=1#forum_thread_comment_40248 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/fans-and-critics/threads/2597?page=1#forum_thread_comment_40248 fuzz Swifty, what did you think of Wall-e? That had exactly the same message as Avatar did. I get what you're saying about the colours and whatnot changing our perception; you are completely right -- but that is true of every movie ever made. Everyting is biased and pretty much EVRYTHING we're given has some kind of message behind it. You don't have to like the message to enjoy the narrative. And yes, the first thing I said after I walked out of the cinema was 'that was dances with wolves with blue people'. But again, you can look at most things and say 'well, that's completely like ....'. I think we have to stop jumping up and down about cliches and just enjoy the way the story is being told. Because really, everything is based on something else and 'there are no original ideas'. That being said, I'm not saying that everyone has to like the movie and I'm not saying that anything anybody has said so far is invalid. I just think that if you're going to get too worried about cliches and not-so-subtle morals, you might find it more difficult to find things you enjoy reading/watching. But yes, unobtanium? Good one... Thu, 13 Oct 2011 07:18:14 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/fans-and-critics/threads/2597?page=1#forum_thread_comment_41792 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/fans-and-critics/threads/2597?page=1#forum_thread_comment_41792 Ophiucha The first time I saw the film was on a plane ride, watching it on a (2D, obviously) 5 inch screen. Needless to say, without the graphics at their best quality and filling up my field of vision, not to mention a lack of 3D, there really wasn't anything for me to like about the film. I did eventually see it on our nice, HD, widescreen TV, and it does look quite nice (though I should say that the Na'vi themselves don't look any more realistic to me than a painting does, so they're not mind-blowing or anything - the scenery porn was fantastic, though). But the plot and characters are still boring. :p Thu, 13 Oct 2011 09:05:44 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/fans-and-critics/threads/2597?page=2#forum_thread_comment_42654 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/fans-and-critics/threads/2597?page=2#forum_thread_comment_42654 cadaughtrey A franchise is not created on the strength of the material, but on the strength of the marketing. You work for Disney. You should now this. Thu, 13 Oct 2011 09:10:18 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/fans-and-critics/threads/2597?page=1#forum_thread_comment_42694 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/fans-and-critics/threads/2597?page=1#forum_thread_comment_42694 Katie C <em>Swifty, what did you think of Wall-e? That had exactly the same message as Avatar did.</em> I'm not Swifty but I would argue that it didn't...at least not <em>exactly</em>. True the Earth was pushed to a state of inhospitable decay forcing the humans elsewhere but in addition to the environment going to pot, humanity had been reduced to a cold, numb society that didn't even care to interact with each other never mind their surroundings. That's why once their ship starts to go out of control, the movie starts to emphasize things like physical contact and how people are starting to see each other with their actual eyes instead of through screens. That's a theme Avatar does not explore at all. Even if you look at Wall-E and Avatar as purely environmental statements, humanity is redeemed at the end of Wall-E and ultimately works to better itself. Wall-E leaves you with a sense of hope and optimism and doesn't make you feel bad to be a human. Avatar just...doesn't have that ray of hope at all. Humanity just never ceases to suck. Thu, 13 Oct 2011 10:15:28 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/fans-and-critics/threads/2597?page=2#forum_thread_comment_43359 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/fans-and-critics/threads/2597?page=2#forum_thread_comment_43359 cadaughtrey I used to refer to this movie as "Dances with Wolves...In Space" Thu, 13 Oct 2011 10:44:12 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/fans-and-critics/threads/2597?page=2#forum_thread_comment_43671 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/fans-and-critics/threads/2597?page=2#forum_thread_comment_43671 Col. M. Sawyer Used to? Re Wall-E Comparison: There's two important things that Wall-E had that Avatar did not. One was characters we could emapthize with. The only character I liked in Avatar was Quaritch, and now that I'm watching Terra Nova (I'll mention this again in point two), I'm beginning to suspect it's because he's played by Stephen Lang. Everyone else was bland and trite, and I didn't walk away from Avatar with anything good in exchange for a wasted three hours. Wall-E, on the other hand, had cute characters that I could empathize with even though they weren't human and a villain who, though I could understand his motives, I wanted him to be defeated. The second point was that Wall-E was nowhere near as preachy as Avatar. It didn't spend every moment yelling at you about how bad humanity was for messing up the environment. It had scenery porn that was, in my opinion, just as good as Avatar (I submit "Define Dancing" for your consideration) and wasn't telling us that we were evil for being human and that the only way to become good was to become something else. I mentioned I'd talk about Terra Nova here as well. It has the same basic premise as Avatar (human colony from a futuristic Earth in which people need gas masks to live normally move to a wild and barely-hospitable world trying to survive against intelligent hostiles as well as the local fauna) might possibly have a green aesop in there, but they aren't pushing it, and for that reason TN gets extra bonus points from me. As a side note for everyone here, I recommend Terra Nova. It's not paleontologically correct, unfortunately, but I find it a very good "What-could-have-been" of Avatar. One where the humans are the good guys. Thu, 13 Oct 2011 11:41:58 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/fans-and-critics/threads/2597?page=2#forum_thread_comment_44302 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/fans-and-critics/threads/2597?page=2#forum_thread_comment_44302 Swiftflame [quote=fuzz]Swifty, what did you think of Wall-e? That had exactly the same message as Avatar did. [/quote] Well, I wouldn't say the exact same message. The Earth was a ruined wreck, but it began to recover, as discovered by the EVE unit, whose purpose WAS to find signs that Earth was hospitable again. And the captain actually decided, very firmly, that he would take his ship back to Earth once he was given this evidence. He was simply inexperienced and had the problem of getting past a quite powerful AI. The movie is about, if people take responsibility, then the path it predicts can be changed and improved. I actually enjoyed Wall-e quite a lot. The characters are funny, and in some small ways it's original. Thu, 13 Oct 2011 11:57:41 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/fans-and-critics/threads/2597?page=2#forum_thread_comment_44493 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/fans-and-critics/threads/2597?page=2#forum_thread_comment_44493 valleyradionerd Did anyone else spend half the movie thinking: "wow this would be a lot better if it was ACTUALLY Anne Mcaffrey's Pern"? (and the other half thinking- "oh my GOD, it's not over YET?") Thu, 13 Oct 2011 16:53:06 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/fans-and-critics/threads/2597?page=2#forum_thread_comment_48261 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/fans-and-critics/threads/2597?page=2#forum_thread_comment_48261 fuzz Okay. I hear what you guys are saying. I disagree but I do get where you're coming from. I found wall-e more preachy than Avatar though, but that's just me. Both were pretty bad, in that respect. I was just kind of fond of the characters in Avatar, to be honest and it was actually the characters in wall-e that irritated me. Thu, 13 Oct 2011 21:09:41 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/fans-and-critics/threads/2597?page=2#forum_thread_comment_51373 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/fans-and-critics/threads/2597?page=2#forum_thread_comment_51373 MaccaGirl90 That's exactly what my sister's ex-boyfriend said. And he's a Marine, has been one since 2007. Thu, 13 Oct 2011 23:37:33 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/fans-and-critics/threads/2597?page=1#forum_thread_comment_53094 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/fans-and-critics/threads/2597?page=1#forum_thread_comment_53094 MaccaGirl90 At least the humans in Wall-E took responsibility for their carelessness and worked to make a better Earth in the end. That's something to sympathise with. The ones in Avatar? Not so much. Avatar basically crammed down our throats what awful people we all are. Thu, 13 Oct 2011 23:39:32 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/fans-and-critics/threads/2597?page=2#forum_thread_comment_53108 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/fans-and-critics/threads/2597?page=2#forum_thread_comment_53108 Swiftflame And then they tried to make us feel like monsters for being a part of the mostly-irredeemable race, and to garner our sympathy for the Na'vi. But I do see what you mean, Fuzz. Fri, 14 Oct 2011 13:02:58 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/fans-and-critics/threads/2597?page=2#forum_thread_comment_58597 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/fans-and-critics/threads/2597?page=2#forum_thread_comment_58597 Beautiful Illusion I ... well, I guess it was more that I just didn't see what all the fuss was about. It was an okay film on its own, but not one of the best films I've ever seen; I know that isn't the point, but personally, I've never watched a movie in 3D and I have no intention of doing so. I don't really care for the difference at all. I felt a little bit as though Avatar's success, after a while, rested mostly on hype, and mostly on the experience rather than the film's content in itself. I didn't feel like the story was especially strong (and, I'm sure, has been done decades before anyways. I'll have to get back to you on the name of the film, I think it was a Western, though) ... which doesn't work for me, not at all. Plus points for the cast including Giovanni Ribsi, though. Fri, 14 Oct 2011 15:24:09 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/fans-and-critics/threads/2597?page=2#forum_thread_comment_60330 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/fans-and-critics/threads/2597?page=2#forum_thread_comment_60330 FluffySilver This film is the only one I have ever not been able to sit through from the beginning. Sat, 15 Oct 2011 02:29:10 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/fans-and-critics/threads/2597?page=2#forum_thread_comment_67273 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/fans-and-critics/threads/2597?page=2#forum_thread_comment_67273 MaccaGirl90 Most of us find it comparable to Dances With Wolves, is that the Western you're thinking of? Or if there's another one... sheesh, that's a lot of movies that came before Avatar that resemble it super strongly. It's starting to feel like plagiarism on Cameron's part here... Sat, 15 Oct 2011 18:22:22 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/fans-and-critics/threads/2597?page=2#forum_thread_comment_74765 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/fans-and-critics/threads/2597?page=2#forum_thread_comment_74765 Fantas Eyes To me it was sort of Pocahontas meets Fern Gully. Sat, 15 Oct 2011 18:29:36 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/fans-and-critics/threads/2597?page=2#forum_thread_comment_74862 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/fans-and-critics/threads/2597?page=2#forum_thread_comment_74862 MaccaGirl90 Yep. Mostly with Pocahontas. It actually lines up perfectly character-wise. Sat, 15 Oct 2011 18:37:53 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/fans-and-critics/threads/2597?page=2#forum_thread_comment_74937 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/fans-and-critics/threads/2597?page=2#forum_thread_comment_74937 prettybellflower "I think the only reason people even liked it was for the 3D effects, which were probably nice in the theatre but I don't think they held up for normal home viewing. " I don't think you're wrong for being overly critical of that movie. I remember reading an article where some people were saying life wasn't the same for them after watching Avatar. Because of that I wasn't going to watch it. I did watch it eventually at home and I did like it. I know this is for those who hated it but as someone who did like it, I know I didn't because of 3d effects. But like some others I do think this will be forgotten. It wasn't one of my favorites. I watched it once but unlikely I'll be watching it again anytime soon. Sat, 15 Oct 2011 19:35:41 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/fans-and-critics/threads/2597?page=2#forum_thread_comment_75518 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/fans-and-critics/threads/2597?page=2#forum_thread_comment_75518 MalcolmCooms I think the fact that a LOT of different movies have a similar plotline proves that it ISN'T plagiarism. I mean, we all know the story of the boy who grows up thinking he's a loser until he's whisked away to a place that's magical and he's finally accepted (after, of course, being divided into seperate sleeping areas using magical means), but then learns that he is the center of a prophecy that picks him as the only person capable of stopping the most powerful being of the time from taking over the world. I am talking, of course, of Percy Jackson and the Olympians. Harry Potter? What? What made you think that... Sat, 15 Oct 2011 19:52:17 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/fans-and-critics/threads/2597?page=2#forum_thread_comment_75700 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/fans-and-critics/threads/2597?page=2#forum_thread_comment_75700 prettybellflower I was thinking Harry Potter. :) It's hard to write something that isn't similar at all to anything else. So that doesn't bother me unless it goes to the extreme. Sat, 15 Oct 2011 19:56:51 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/fans-and-critics/threads/2597?page=2#forum_thread_comment_75743 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/fans-and-critics/threads/2597?page=2#forum_thread_comment_75743 fuzz Well, it obviously wasn't a 'life changing movie'. Oh and I found another movie that I thought was similar to Avatar -- Apocalypto anyone? It had blue people and everything. Sat, 15 Oct 2011 20:21:32 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/fans-and-critics/threads/2597?page=2#forum_thread_comment_75995 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/fans-and-critics/threads/2597?page=2#forum_thread_comment_75995 prettybellflower I agree Fuzz but that article had me a little worried because to me those people were a bit extreme. I saw Apocalypto. I don't think it's that similar to Avatar. Maybe because I studied that culture around the time the movie came out and to me it would have been perfect for my class. Of course some parts of the movie were just made up. Sat, 15 Oct 2011 20:47:31 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/fans-and-critics/threads/2597?page=2#forum_thread_comment_76264 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/fans-and-critics/threads/2597?page=2#forum_thread_comment_76264 0M4ll3y I was finding it enjoyable up until the Na'vi decided to charge into heavy machine gun fire. Yup. Good use of your home advantage there. But yeah, the movie was nothing special, but the effects were. I saw it on the biggest screen in the Southern Hemisphere, which added to the effect. But this is probably the first 3D film done very well. (3D wise, not plot wise) Sun, 16 Oct 2011 01:50:20 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/fans-and-critics/threads/2597?page=2#forum_thread_comment_79151 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/fans-and-critics/threads/2597?page=2#forum_thread_comment_79151 fuzz Well, yeah, I am making a bit of a stretch but it is a <em> little</em> bit similar. You know, if you squint. Sun, 16 Oct 2011 02:46:37 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/fans-and-critics/threads/2597?page=2#forum_thread_comment_79502 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/fans-and-critics/threads/2597?page=2#forum_thread_comment_79502 deadkanon My biggest problem with Avatar was its arrogance. Humans run out of resources, humans decide to loot another planet, humans hurt the poor primitive aliens, and then a human decides that humans are wrong and leads the poor primitive aliens to a brighter future. I just want to see a movie where a supposedly powerless alien species can fight off human invasion without a human leader (yes, I know that he embraces his love of nature etc and decides to join the Na'vi in the end, but that's a different story). Sun, 16 Oct 2011 15:03:39 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/fans-and-critics/threads/2597?page=2#forum_thread_comment_84704 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/fans-and-critics/threads/2597?page=2#forum_thread_comment_84704 KatrinasForest Ferngully was my first thought as well when I saw it too. I did watch the 3D and my head hurt so much about 2/3 of the way through that I just took the glasses off. It was beautiful, for sure. It would have made a beautiful Disney World attraction. You know, those things were you go to see it just for the visuals and you're there 20 minutes at most. I was glad to see it only won the awards it truly earned, and not Best Film. I had to laugh at the dialogue. I honestly started calling out the names of the tropes as they appeared. With names like "unobtainium" though, I have to wonder if James Cameron was basically screaming through the screen, "I did this just to play with the cool technology! Everything besides that is designed purely to lure masses of people to pay me for playing with the cool technology!" Sun, 16 Oct 2011 16:06:32 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/fans-and-critics/threads/2597?page=2#forum_thread_comment_85509 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/fans-and-critics/threads/2597?page=2#forum_thread_comment_85509 Swiftflame <em>I just want to see a movie where a supposedly powerless alien species can fight off human invasion without a human leader (yes, I know that he embraces his love of nature etc and decides to join the Na'vi in the end, but that's a different story).</em> That would be so nice. Please, someone DO this. Howard Tayler did call Avatar "The best Ferngully remake ever." I agree. The more I think about it, in fact, it's incredibly like Ferngully. Only Ferngully had a slightly different Aesop. Ferngully: We're on a road to destruction and uncaring, and we need to open our eyes and start caring before it's too late. Avatar: We're on a road to destruction and evil and have almost reached it, and we need to remake ourselves to begin over again. Sun, 16 Oct 2011 16:14:39 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/fans-and-critics/threads/2597?page=2#forum_thread_comment_85621 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/fans-and-critics/threads/2597?page=2#forum_thread_comment_85621 emtock I didn't even finish watching it. My dad and brother bought the DVD after they watched it in 3D at the theaters. However, I saw it on a computer and got bored halfway though and never ended up finishing it. I told my brother that I didn't like it and he said, "Well, it was better in 3D" Personally, I'd rather have story and characters over pretty graphics any day. Sun, 16 Oct 2011 16:40:24 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/fans-and-critics/threads/2597?page=2#forum_thread_comment_85987 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/fans-and-critics/threads/2597?page=2#forum_thread_comment_85987 Swiftflame I agree. The graphics are nice, but you can get eye-candy elsewhere, like hiking in a preserve or surfing the internet for pictures. It's all just supplemental setting, and if you don't have good characters and story, then having good graphics makes little difference. Sun, 16 Oct 2011 23:26:30 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/fans-and-critics/threads/2597?page=3#forum_thread_comment_91164 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/fans-and-critics/threads/2597?page=3#forum_thread_comment_91164 cadaughtrey <em>Dances with Wolves, The Last Samurai, Lawrence of Arabia, Pocohontas</em>. Take your pick. I'm sure there are a ton of others I'm forgetting. Mon, 17 Oct 2011 10:46:19 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/fans-and-critics/threads/2597?page=2#forum_thread_comment_95609 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/fans-and-critics/threads/2597?page=2#forum_thread_comment_95609 MaccaGirl90 It is going to be a Disney World attraction- in 2017. Tue, 18 Oct 2011 00:31:47 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/fans-and-critics/threads/2597?page=2#forum_thread_comment_105863 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/fans-and-critics/threads/2597?page=2#forum_thread_comment_105863 Earthsick I didn't like it. /: I guess I could go on and on about why I didn't like it, why I despise this piece of trash but ... a lot of people already said a lot of things that I agree with. And also ... what the heck, glowing plants are not new. There are glowing plants in the sea. Way to go Cameron. (There are also glowing fungi - they don't really count as plants though.) Tue, 18 Oct 2011 05:53:04 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/fans-and-critics/threads/2597?page=3#forum_thread_comment_107376 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/fans-and-critics/threads/2597?page=3#forum_thread_comment_107376 Earthsick Well, I agree ... a lot: http://pics.nase-bohren.de/pocahontas-avatar.jpg Fits perfectly. Tue, 18 Oct 2011 05:59:26 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/fans-and-critics/threads/2597?page=2#forum_thread_comment_107403 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/fans-and-critics/threads/2597?page=2#forum_thread_comment_107403 openendedskies Avatar was terrible. The Titanic was bad. Everything I want to say has already been said. Tue, 18 Oct 2011 09:15:51 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/fans-and-critics/threads/2597?page=3#forum_thread_comment_108578 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/fans-and-critics/threads/2597?page=3#forum_thread_comment_108578 Leprechaun Avatar was essentially a modern day Pocahontas with an obnoxiously huge graphics and special effects budget. I love it when Americans cheer for the Na'vi... The irony is delicious. Tue, 18 Oct 2011 20:40:20 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/fans-and-critics/threads/2597?page=3#forum_thread_comment_117557 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/fans-and-critics/threads/2597?page=3#forum_thread_comment_117557 Zitianos I love your icon and your statement. I was so upset when I realized that the Avatar business applied to Digital Devil Saga as well as the Last Airbender. Seriously, Cameron? You can't own words, especially one that's been used for longer than you've been alive. Silly. Tue, 18 Oct 2011 22:03:28 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/fans-and-critics/threads/2597?page=1#forum_thread_comment_118771 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/fans-and-critics/threads/2597?page=1#forum_thread_comment_118771 MaccaGirl90 Haha, so very true.... which is why I'm confused as to why Disney struck a deal to include this franchise in its theme parks. HELLO they did Pocahontas, same exact story, just use that! Wed, 19 Oct 2011 02:01:29 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/fans-and-critics/threads/2597?page=3#forum_thread_comment_121304 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/fans-and-critics/threads/2597?page=3#forum_thread_comment_121304 MaccaGirl90 Yep. I saw that on Tumblr. Fits it to a T! Wed, 19 Oct 2011 02:02:15 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/fans-and-critics/threads/2597?page=2#forum_thread_comment_121308 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/fans-and-critics/threads/2597?page=2#forum_thread_comment_121308 Elaine Dalton Yeah, I didn't like the movie at all. Got the DVD from the library and watched it once with my family - so lame and overrated. Besides, what was the deal with the costumes {or lack thereof}? Didn't like that. Sat, 22 Oct 2011 21:14:33 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/fans-and-critics/threads/2597?page=3#forum_thread_comment_177560 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/fans-and-critics/threads/2597?page=3#forum_thread_comment_177560 BloodRoseAngel Don't shoot me but I am a fan of Avatar (there are two massive ex-cinema posters on my wall that I bought when it stopped showing XD), though I DO agree with you. The story is totally uninventive. xD I like it because I like the Na'vi and Pandora and the visual effects. Yeah, basically it's just eye candy for me. =P I'm in the process of writing an Avatar fanfic, but it doesn't have a single actual Avatar character in it, it's got a whole cast of characters made by me, including a hyperactive one-eyed Na'vi, a terminally ill human boy and his parents, his crazy Irish father and his domineering mother. I just liked the background of the film and wanted to make something new out of it. Don't shoot me. X'D But yeah. Uninventive story, but very pretty graphics. :D Wed, 26 Oct 2011 13:34:23 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/fans-and-critics/threads/2597?page=3#forum_thread_comment_232943 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/fans-and-critics/threads/2597?page=3#forum_thread_comment_232943 Elfdragon12 What I have to say is of very little consequence since I've never watched it. I fully admit that now. I'll just say that I'm a product of what happens when over-hyped stories collide with disappointing, let-down spoilers. And heck, if I had seen the movie before anybody told me about it, I probably would have figured it all out before the end anyway. The only reason anyone says to watch this movie is to see the graphics. That is not what I want out of a movie. I love good visuals as much as anybody, but I can go see similar things in National Geographic or something and not have to pay exorbitant theater fees. And also not be preached at. At least Inception, which I felt was also overhyped, had an interesting story to tell with a more unusual (but still basic) speculative fiction/sci-fi idea. (My sister told me that I'd have to pay strict attention to be able to follow along... It really wasn't that complicated and my dad, who has read much more sci-fi than I have, agreed.) Wed, 26 Oct 2011 15:03:17 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/fans-and-critics/threads/2597?page=3#forum_thread_comment_234334 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/fans-and-critics/threads/2597?page=3#forum_thread_comment_234334 beanza3 This and the one above it. O.o Why people love it, I don't know... Wed, 26 Oct 2011 16:34:48 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/fans-and-critics/threads/2597?page=3#forum_thread_comment_235986 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/fans-and-critics/threads/2597?page=3#forum_thread_comment_235986 csjs95 I know it sounds crazy, but Avatar is a total ripoff of the animated movie Atlantis: The Lost Empire. These are only a few reasons why: (I copied this off of an imbd thread) - Warrior Princess that wears hardly anything - Villain who is pretty old, muscular and an army veteran. - Young, pushy Hispanic girl who is good with machinery (well, Avatar: Planes, Atlantis: Vehicles) - They are after a very expensive mineral in which taking it might kill all the land's inhabitants - The Navi/Atlanteans are all connected to one big tree/crystal. - The color BLUE - The main guy is assigned to get familiar with the princess and they end up falling in love - Epic aerial battle at the end. - The king dies - The final confrontation between good guy and bad guy: After beating up on the main guy, the bad guy holds him up by some part of his body and almost kills him with large, sharp object. The bad guy is stopped by the princess (Neytiri's bows she shoots at him, and Kida's crystallized glass.) - The main guy staying in that specific place to be with his woman. Mine: They both involve having to plug something in to ride a vehicle (or animal) that apparently no one has been able to ride in years -Neither of the main characters were "supposed" to be on their respective journeys. - The outsiders become greedy and try to blow the planet/land up -Both have a strong message about nature Wed, 26 Oct 2011 18:28:42 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/fans-and-critics/threads/2597?page=3#forum_thread_comment_237894 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/fans-and-critics/threads/2597?page=3#forum_thread_comment_237894 crazybooklady [quote=Col. M. Sawyer] ...a tragedy about a Marine who was seduced and eventually brainwashed into serving an eldritch, scheming planet-brain, and eventually turns upon his own people and attempts to murder his own species, at the end becoming another mindless minion of the horror from space. [/quote] You need to turn that into a book, Colonel. Wed, 26 Oct 2011 21:00:39 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/fans-and-critics/threads/2597?page=1#forum_thread_comment_240242 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/fans-and-critics/threads/2597?page=1#forum_thread_comment_240242 crazybooklady I was burned out on Avatar before it ever hit the theaters thanks to all the hype . And once I saw the first trailer for it, I said, "Hey, I remember that when it was called <em>Fern Gully</em>!" Having now seen a large part of Avatar, I'm definitely thinking Fern Gully was the better movie. Wed, 26 Oct 2011 21:13:34 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/fans-and-critics/threads/2597?page=3#forum_thread_comment_240456 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/fans-and-critics/threads/2597?page=3#forum_thread_comment_240456 SilveryBeing I hated the movie and almost wanted to ask for my money back. I just kept thinking "I already saw The Last Samurai". It was so over hyped and frankly -boring-. Sure it was pretty, but not a lot of substance. And I wasn't even that blow away but the graphics! Any Miyazaki movie I find a lot more breathtaking. Tue, 01 Nov 2011 21:38:52 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/fans-and-critics/threads/2597?page=3#forum_thread_comment_374652 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/fans-and-critics/threads/2597?page=3#forum_thread_comment_374652 Lydia_Ember THANK YOU! thanks for making this topic. I effin hated this movie. My mom wanted to watch it and, afterwards, I was like "I could have been sleeping." I felt offended on so many levels after watching this. I mean, really. Not to say that I can't watch anything with touchy themes to it, but they kinda beat you over the head with it. "Okay, so some white guy is sent to mingle with the natives." So, they make her have one accent. Still didn't catch it? there's 4-5 other accents within her tribe. No? Okay, let's reference a bunch of other indeginous cultures in the next tribal shot. Still don't see it? Let's borrow from another, completely different culture (nevermind that they're all the same race and they didn't look at too wide an area). If you're gonna borrow from a culture, pick one. Do one thing well instead of a mish mash. It's a beautiful movie and the language Na'vi was kinda cool, but I freakin' hated this movie. I think I had better times watching the soap bubbles pop in the sink or tub. Tue, 01 Nov 2011 21:59:52 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/fans-and-critics/threads/2597?page=3#forum_thread_comment_375354 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/fans-and-critics/threads/2597?page=3#forum_thread_comment_375354 Itzika I'm trying not to make everything about Twilight... but aside from the details and the medium, this was pretty much a description of Twilight. And people say there's nothing wrong with either. *steps down from anti-Twilight soapbox* This was a very good review, and I honestly hadn't realized the anti-human label fit this movie so thoroughly. (Possibly because it's pretty much where I see our society headed. I am a cynic. Oh well.) Tue, 01 Nov 2011 23:06:27 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/fans-and-critics/threads/2597?page=1#forum_thread_comment_377736 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/fans-and-critics/threads/2597?page=1#forum_thread_comment_377736 Itzika They... they're trying to sue for people using the word "avatar"? I had not heard that. And that just pisses me off. I now want more than ever to get one of my stories with an avatar of a god finished and published, just to give them the proverbial finger. Tue, 01 Nov 2011 23:09:45 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/fans-and-critics/threads/2597?page=1#forum_thread_comment_377839 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/fans-and-critics/threads/2597?page=1#forum_thread_comment_377839 Itzika There's another thread--I think somewhere on the science fiction forum, but I forget exactly where--where someone said that it's impossible to have a six-limbed vertebrae. The structure won't support more than one pair of shoulders or hips. So unless these massive creatures on Pandora evolved some other structure to hold their bodies up, it doesn't work. Tue, 01 Nov 2011 23:12:59 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/fans-and-critics/threads/2597?page=1#forum_thread_comment_377949 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/fans-and-critics/threads/2597?page=1#forum_thread_comment_377949 Itzika I was neutral on the movie until about halfway through, when I went "HOLY CRAP IT'S POCAHONTAS!" and started picking out all the parallels. Also commenting to drop this link here: http://thatguywiththeglasses.com/videolinks/thatguywiththeglasses/bum-reviews/15043-ep036 It's my favorite reviewer's review of Avatar. And yes, he does compare it to all those movies. Tue, 01 Nov 2011 23:27:16 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/fans-and-critics/threads/2597?page=3#forum_thread_comment_378431 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/fans-and-critics/threads/2597?page=3#forum_thread_comment_378431 Lelle Svenner I think that the main problem with "Avatar" was that Cameron didn't bother to re-write his original script...which he had written in the 1970's. The script was so damn outdated that it hurts. For me the best thing in the movie was Sigourney Weaver. You can never go wrong with Sigourney. Wed, 02 Nov 2011 00:36:58 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/fans-and-critics/threads/2597?page=3#forum_thread_comment_379876 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/fans-and-critics/threads/2597?page=3#forum_thread_comment_379876 Quicksilver_Wolf I actually haven't seen it yet. I don't know, I just couldn't be bothered getting excited about something that was so obviously catered to fanboys. You know, people who easilly impressed by dragons and anthromorphs. And blue cat/elf people. And mecha (I do like mecha though). I won't say it's BAD, but when my psychologist asked if I'd seen it, and I said nah, she said I wasn't missing much. Somehow, I reckon that's true. Wed, 02 Nov 2011 02:29:56 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/fans-and-critics/threads/2597?page=3#forum_thread_comment_382066 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/fans-and-critics/threads/2597?page=3#forum_thread_comment_382066 Lydia_Ember I totally believe this. I so believe this. Wed, 02 Nov 2011 05:48:41 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/fans-and-critics/threads/2597?page=3#forum_thread_comment_384839 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/fans-and-critics/threads/2597?page=3#forum_thread_comment_384839 CarmenEtError I'm very glad to see this thread. I went to this movie with some coworkers. They loved it. I hated it. I could have made a list of scenes before I went to the movie, put them in order, and not been wrong once. I have no understanding whatsoever as to how this movie has gained such a following. Wed, 02 Nov 2011 10:20:44 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/fans-and-critics/threads/2597?page=3#forum_thread_comment_390537 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/fans-and-critics/threads/2597?page=3#forum_thread_comment_390537 InClaraVoce I know, I just hung on for Sigourney Weaver and then she died and I was like "...Oh. Ok. Can I leave now?" Wed, 02 Nov 2011 10:40:18 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/fans-and-critics/threads/2597?page=3#forum_thread_comment_391089 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/fans-and-critics/threads/2597?page=3#forum_thread_comment_391089 InClaraVoce Avatar is so bad. Seriously. The graphics were pretty, although let's face it, they didn't look realistic at all -- we didn't have the technological capability to do this movie yet. I liked the animation style and would have liked it better had the whole movie been animated, but it wasn't, so how everything looked and especially the way in which everything MOVED in the ~wilds of Pandora~ clashed horribly with the humans and they environment. Then, as I recall, there was like a 45 minute fight scene in which practically nothing happened. Also it promoted anti-human earth worship, the kind that says "humans are an evil pollutant" even though humans are a PART OF NATURE and I was like o_____o environmentalism is cool but...! I was amazed that so many humans of my acquaintance looooved a movie that was so blatantly anti-human and looked at me like I was crazy when I said it was awful. And it was exactly like Pocahontas except Pocahontas was really good. I saw Avatar before Titanic, but now having seen most of Titanic and having been vastly unimpressed, I think it's safe to say that James Cameron's two top-grossing films of all time are also the most ridiculously overrated films of all time. Wed, 02 Nov 2011 10:48:25 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/fans-and-critics/threads/2597?page=3#forum_thread_comment_391325 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/fans-and-critics/threads/2597?page=3#forum_thread_comment_391325 Lydia_Ember That scene was 45 min long? WTF?? I think the only reason my mom got it on MOD was our neighbor raved about it. Course, that lady ain't all there, quite frankly, so she should have been warned. I'm soooo glad I was in college when this came out. I woulda been ticked if I got dragged over there and paid to see that. Wed, 02 Nov 2011 14:52:36 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/fans-and-critics/threads/2597?page=3#forum_thread_comment_398831 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/fans-and-critics/threads/2597?page=3#forum_thread_comment_398831 Lady Pendragon Me and my little sister watched it alternating between 2X and 3X speeds. And laughed our heads off. Wed, 02 Nov 2011 16:20:19 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/fans-and-critics/threads/2597?page=3#forum_thread_comment_401642 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/fans-and-critics/threads/2597?page=3#forum_thread_comment_401642 InClaraVoce I might be exaggerating. I don't know how long it was, but it was really, really boring. I mean, I generally find big fighty scenes really dull, but it was one of the dullest ones I've ever had the misfortune to pay 10 or 15 bucks to sit through. ...I say 10 or 15 because I can't remember whether I saw it in 3D or not. I think I did, which was a mistake because I hate 3D, but everyone was like "OMG it was soooooo much better in 3D" so I assumed there were really cool 3D effects. Which there weren't, as I remember. I actually wanted to see it at first because everyone was going on about how it was the greatest film ever made. As I said, I hadn't seen Titanic yet so I didn't realise how overrated James Cameron was. P= Wed, 02 Nov 2011 17:31:04 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/fans-and-critics/threads/2597?page=3#forum_thread_comment_404268 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/fans-and-critics/threads/2597?page=3#forum_thread_comment_404268 Kalrhadia Menethil got it on DvD, hated it. simple. It shouts big budget special effects but carries no depth of story or character. If anyone is familiar with North American Folk Tales (especially ones that have been put on the Big Screen thanks to Disney) you will probably recognise it as nothing other than 'Pocahontas in Space' Cameron has been predictable ever since 'True Lies' (1995), well known by cinema goers as the Director famous for creating corny scripts, 2 dimensional characters and a mess of history (i think he did more damage to the Titanic's legacy than the chuffing Iceberg...) nuff said. Kally x Wed, 16 Nov 2011 16:05:36 -0600 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/fans-and-critics/threads/2597?page=3#forum_thread_comment_729792 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/fans-and-critics/threads/2597?page=3#forum_thread_comment_729792 Gazoinks I saw it, but I agree with everything you said (including the stuff about Inception, I had a similar experience). Wed, 16 Nov 2011 16:25:00 -0600 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/fans-and-critics/threads/2597?page=3#forum_thread_comment_730088 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/fans-and-critics/threads/2597?page=3#forum_thread_comment_730088 Gazoinks You talking 'bout the big fight near the end? Yeah, I distinctly remember getting bored there. Wed, 16 Nov 2011 16:28:24 -0600 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/fans-and-critics/threads/2597?page=3#forum_thread_comment_730132 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/fans-and-critics/threads/2597?page=3#forum_thread_comment_730132 Gazoinks I love that, thanks for linking it. "And the military is like, 'Blow stuff up! Blow stuff up!'" :D Wed, 16 Nov 2011 16:29:20 -0600 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/fans-and-critics/threads/2597?page=3#forum_thread_comment_730147 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/fans-and-critics/threads/2597?page=3#forum_thread_comment_730147 ashiibrook I watched in cinema and while the effects were pretty, especially with the feeling as though there was a random flower flying past your head, the story however, is crap. And with the effects missing from the DVD, well, there is really nothing to draw you to this anti human clique. There I said it. Thu, 17 Nov 2011 19:28:20 -0600 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/fans-and-critics/threads/2597?page=1#forum_thread_comment_747188 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/fans-and-critics/threads/2597?page=1#forum_thread_comment_747188 PhantomDream I'm ambivalent on avatar. I didn't love the characters or anything, but I appreciated the effects and the obvious <em> effort </em> put into the movie. I didn't hate it or anything. On the other hand, I absolutely loathed Wall-E. It was possibly one of the worst films I ever watched. The robots were cute, but the plot was horrific and the whole Evil Steering Wheel thing? I mean, really Pixar? Hmm, now I want to add an Evil Steering Wheel to my novel. Anyhow, I guess what I'm saying is that humans pillaging other planets? Not too suprising, to be honest. And yes, the military was probably acting totally wrong. And yes, the theme is overdone. But I wasn't that upset or shocked that they said no to the whatever-it-is mineral. It's their tree and their culture. Yeah...as an ambivalent person, I probably shouldn't be here. But I respect your opinions, and your points! (And yeah, I'm a sucker for pretty graphics.) Thu, 17 Nov 2011 20:17:22 -0600 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/fans-and-critics/threads/2597?page=3#forum_thread_comment_747750 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/fans-and-critics/threads/2597?page=3#forum_thread_comment_747750 Earthsick Watched it at the cinema and at my parent's house when I stayed over for Christmas. Horrible, horrible movie. This thing is just bad. Really. Bad. The plot is exactly the one from Pocahontas: White man comes to foreign country, meets chief's daughter of the local natives tribe, gets shown their means of life, evil other white men try to get something that the natives have (or occupy the land it is on), some fighting, fiance of the chief's daughter dies, chief dies/gets wounded, sappy but happy ending. Somewhat. Exact. Same. Plot. The characters were flat, the setting was just a jungle with glowing plants (some underwater plants also glow so nothing new from Cameron), the movie felt kind of like ... Cameron's wet dream. Dances with Wolves in Space with Pocahontas' plot and blue people. Also. Unobtanium? Really? When I heard this for the first time I was like "sounds like 'unobtainable'" - even though I watched the movie in German. D:&lt; I'm mad. I'm also mad about the fandom being everywhere and people editing their photos to look like blue people, asdflheslfkhdlfkhdkeyboardsmash. Fri, 18 Nov 2011 01:16:09 -0600 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/fans-and-critics/threads/2597?page=3#forum_thread_comment_750642 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/fans-and-critics/threads/2597?page=3#forum_thread_comment_750642 XVisiEX I watched it 4 times Fell asleep on it 3 of those times at different points, sort of skimmed it on a sick day the 4th time and was like "I would have been mad as insert word here had I paid 14.00 bucks for this" Mon, 28 Nov 2011 11:46:38 -0600 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/fans-and-critics/threads/2597?page=4#forum_thread_comment_875624 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/fans-and-critics/threads/2597?page=4#forum_thread_comment_875624 Quinpilix Every time I hear someone say that they like Smurf-furry!Avatar I die a little inside. My inner sci-fi author wants to punch people in the face for all the wasted opprotunities. There is no way the na'vi should look that human. No way at all. And everything else, which ahs already been said. And now of course, sci fi writers the world over will have to put up with "Oh, you mean like Avatar?" when they tell people that they write sci-fi, and then be roped into explaining how the movie's a piece of garbage that insults the entire genre. Mon, 28 Nov 2011 18:26:13 -0600 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/fans-and-critics/threads/2597?page=4#forum_thread_comment_880037 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/fans-and-critics/threads/2597?page=4#forum_thread_comment_880037 XVisiEX [quote=Quinpilix] Every time I hear someone say that they like Smurf-furry!Avatar I die a little inside. My inner sci-fi author wants to punch people in the face for all the wasted opprotunities. There is no way the na'vi should look that human. No way at all. And everything else, which ahs already been said. And now of course, sci fi writers the world over will have to put up with "Oh, you mean like Avatar?" when they tell people that they write sci-fi, and then be roped into explaining how the movie's a piece of garbage that insults the entire genre. [/quote] Ugh, I would rather watch Pocahontas then that thing any day -_- same movie Mon, 28 Nov 2011 22:11:55 -0600 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/fans-and-critics/threads/2597?page=4#forum_thread_comment_882805 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/fans-and-critics/threads/2597?page=4#forum_thread_comment_882805 sarasvati.river Avatar was preachy, Wall-e was kind of preachy, but oh my GOD Happy Feet had enough "save the planet!" heart wrenching scenes to beat out both of those movies. Damn dancing penguins. Avatar was awful because it was blue furry porn. Tue, 29 Nov 2011 23:15:13 -0600 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/fans-and-critics/threads/2597?page=2#forum_thread_comment_896095 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/fans-and-critics/threads/2597?page=2#forum_thread_comment_896095 fuzz At least you don't have to explain why your book isn't like Twilight if you mention the word 'vampire'. Wed, 30 Nov 2011 00:20:55 -0600 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/fans-and-critics/threads/2597?page=4#forum_thread_comment_896874 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/fans-and-critics/threads/2597?page=4#forum_thread_comment_896874 Krynn-Meridia As someone who wants to work in the special effects industry, I'm going to admit it: Avatar is my favorite movie ever, and it is closely followed by Final Fantasy Seven: Advent Children. Yup, I'll be the first to admit it. I have possibly the worst taste in movies ever. However, I will also admit that despite my intense love for Avatar and sixteen foot tall blue cat people with USB cords built into their braids, that Avatar had the derpiest plot since, since . . . . . . I don't know. The plot is that derpy. However, as opposed to Advent Children, Avatar actually HAD a plot. So I got to give it bonus points for that. Now, if you don't mind, I'm off to watch Cloud fight Bahamut Quake for the eleventeenth time. :D Thu, 01 Dec 2011 17:59:23 -0600 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/fans-and-critics/threads/2597?page=1#forum_thread_comment_918557 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/fans-and-critics/threads/2597?page=1#forum_thread_comment_918557 jboy [quote=Krynn-Meridia] [/quote] I agree with you. Avatar and Advent Children are the best movies ever! Thu, 01 Dec 2011 18:48:36 -0600 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/fans-and-critics/threads/2597?page=1#forum_thread_comment_918962 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/fans-and-critics/threads/2597?page=1#forum_thread_comment_918962 Krynn-Meridia *highfive* Yay for CGI! Thu, 01 Dec 2011 19:02:05 -0600 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/fans-and-critics/threads/2597?page=1#forum_thread_comment_919056 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/fans-and-critics/threads/2597?page=1#forum_thread_comment_919056 RobertLent I'm liking Avatar more and more after reading this thread. Mon, 12 Dec 2011 16:08:10 -0600 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/fans-and-critics/threads/2597?page=4#forum_thread_comment_966599 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/fans-and-critics/threads/2597?page=4#forum_thread_comment_966599 Fellow Writer I could not agree with you more. The fact that Avatar the Last Airbender and Legend of Korra are forced to dance around the copyright thing because of James Cameron's Avatar is complete bull****. Fri, 30 Dec 2011 00:20:54 -0600 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/fans-and-critics/threads/2597?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1010748 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/fans-and-critics/threads/2597?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1010748 HarpGuy I felt it was massively overhyped. I saw it in 3D when it came out in a fit of boredom and thought that it was cliched and poorly written but the scenery was quite pretty, even if the aliens were far too human and a bit silly. Then I saw part of it when my brother borrorwed the DVD, and thought it was no worse at home. THe 3D didn't really do anything much for me; I've only ever seen 2 films with decent 3D that added to them in any way: Despicable Me (jut that bit in the credits...) and Hugo, which was beautiful. Avatar wasn't too awful (I turned my brain off and just looked at the pretty trees), but nowhere near as groundbreaking and stunning as I'd been led to believe. Also, the CGI just wasn't all that good. I'd say I've seen better... Fri, 30 Dec 2011 04:09:30 -0600 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/fans-and-critics/threads/2597?page=4#forum_thread_comment_1011066 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/fans-and-critics/threads/2597?page=4#forum_thread_comment_1011066 Vacillator I loved it when I saw it in 3D, but on reflection, I am not at all impressed by the message of the film. It was far too anti-technology and pro-primitivism for my liking. Sorry, but technology is awesome, and primitive people do not have any kind of magical connection with nature that we in civilisation have somehow lost. Tue, 07 Feb 2012 19:08:08 -0600 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/fans-and-critics/threads/2597?page=4#forum_thread_comment_1122958 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/fans-and-critics/threads/2597?page=4#forum_thread_comment_1122958 beanza3 It didn't seem like it should've taken 12 years for that to be made. Just... No. O.o Tue, 07 Feb 2012 20:30:22 -0600 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/fans-and-critics/threads/2597?page=4#forum_thread_comment_1123195 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/fans-and-critics/threads/2597?page=4#forum_thread_comment_1123195 Earthsick Woah, woah. They do that? Seriously? They say "like Avatar" if you mention you write scifi? WHAT. D: I'm dying a little on the inside right now. And I'm actually only writing fantasy. Wed, 08 Feb 2012 00:52:20 -0600 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/fans-and-critics/threads/2597?page=4#forum_thread_comment_1123756 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/fans-and-critics/threads/2597?page=4#forum_thread_comment_1123756 Vacillator [quote=Quinpilix] And now of course, sci fi writers the world over will have to put up with "Oh, you mean like Avatar?" when they tell people that they write sci-fi, and then be roped into explaining how the movie's a piece of garbage that insults the entire genre. [/quote] As far as its sci-fi credentials go, I will say one thing in its favour - the spacecraft that actually takes them to Pandora is one of the more plausible designs I've seen in sci-fi media. They remembered to put massive radiators on it. Most other spacecraft designs in sci-fi media pay absolutely no respect to thermodynamics whatsoever. Wed, 08 Feb 2012 12:57:40 -0600 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/fans-and-critics/threads/2597?page=4#forum_thread_comment_1124267 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/fans-and-critics/threads/2597?page=4#forum_thread_comment_1124267