James Cameron's Avatar

Post by **estefan** » December 19th, 2009, 11:24 pm

Well, I think every little bit of work counts on this sort of project and I have to say Avatar looked absolutely stunning from start to finish, not just in the creation of Pandora but on the Na'vi. Cameron and the special effects crew have not only crossed the Uncanny Valley. They have pretty much stomped all over it. The 3-D also really immerses yourself in the experience, but I don't think watching it on the Blu-Ray will lose much, because it also had an incredibly compelling story.

Now, I'm curious to see what Robert Zemeckis will do now. People could tolerate his creepy zombie mo-cap creations before, but now, he's going to really need to step it up not just a little notch, but a whole lot of notches.

And now, I'm even more looking forward to see what Jackson and Spielberg do with "The Adventures of Tintin" (my most anticipated film at the moment), seeing as they're using the same technology that Cameron used to make Avatar.

Post by **cyberbat** » December 20th, 2009, 10:59 am

I saw this film yesterday. Unfortunately the whole experience was marred by the fact that the air conditioning failed and we both melted in over 36 degree heat! The fact that I stayed through it just showed it was worth the discomfort.

this film is ABSOLUTELY AMAZING! (VISUALLY)

I seriously doubt many people will disagree with this. Story wise....well thats up to the individual. But this is one of the ONLY movies I have seen in ages that I want to watch again.....and again.

In fact my sweetheart and I will try and see it in 2D just to see the difference. The 3D felt like I was just in front of the action and it looked just like what the human eye sees when looking at something. Especially when the little white floaty things and leaf matter seem to fall just out of focus almost onto you
(':P')

now as for the animation part of the film. When the main character has turned into a Na'vi his movements (and his companions) looked a LITTLE Stiff. And I'm talking about when they enter the jungle area and walks around a little. I'm guessing that perhaps that movement was created first in production. I am often told that animators get better at their craft as the movie progresses. Still after that initial scene I TOTALLY FORGOT. They weren't people in prosthetics and were actually animated. The moment and expressions were not 'stiff' and odd and just well....off like most other animations using this technology (or something similar to it)

They eyes looked wet and real. The mouth movements were expressive and believable and the colours of the plant life were amazing. I am sure I saw some publicity shots that I thought were underwater because the plants look like anemones.

My sweetheart pointed out to me that the light reflections on the surfaces of the 'red dragon' were correct and very well done. Quite often the light is incorrect in many animations trying to be realistic in many other movies. For instance you can see this in the poster for 2012 (but that was photo-shopped anyway)

This film actually DOES deserve the hype. I just hope that other movies using motion capture use this high level of production. Because the audience will not settle for less now

.....I bet the 'Christmas carol' director is fuming right now *lol

Can you imagine if they re-did the animation on LOTR with this! The hobbit will look amazing.

Post by **Sullivan** » December 22nd, 2009, 11:17 pm

I think in many ways this film is the most important achievement since Jurassic Park, or at least Lord of the Rings.

A stunning achievement that changes what's possible in cinema. And a rip-roaring actioner to boot.

See it in 3d imax and buckle up for one of the most thrilling experiences in your life.

Post by **Locall** » January 3rd, 2010, 3:40 pm

Avatar blew past the 1 billion worldwide this weekend, making it the 4th highest grossing movie of all time, after only 3 weeks!!!

#1. Titanic $1.842.900
#2. LOTR: Return of the King $1.119.100
#3. PotC: Dead Man's Chest $1.066.200
#4. Avatar $1.018.800
#5. The Dark Knight $1.001.900

So James Cameron's latest really lives up to it's hype!!

I LOVED it!!! Seen it twice, and will go for a third time this weekend!

Post by **Randall** » January 3rd, 2010, 5:27 pm

Saw this New Year's Eve.

I really enjoyed it, and was very impressed by the SFX.

I don't necessarily see it as a Best Picture, but it was pretty good!

Post by **spaz** » January 4th, 2010, 3:10 am

So James Cameron's latest really lives up to it's hype!!

I LOVED it!!! Seen it twice, and will go for a third time this weekend!

-----

i told you

Post by **Ben** » January 5th, 2010, 7:50 am

But great effects and even 3D do not a great story make. Despite the google factor, I was slightly bored by the third or fourth "middle" (of many) the film has.

Post by **Vernadyn** » January 5th, 2010, 2:21 pm

As an admirer of most of James Cameron's work, I think he is unquestionably a great director, and adept at telling stories on a macro level. Where he struggles a bit, perhaps, is in the finer points of storytelling, especially dialogue. For me, however, this was detrimental only in Titanic and, to a lesser extent, Avatar. (I think True Lies is supposed to be cheesy.)

For my part, I loved Avatar, but felt that the storytelling could have used a little work. Cameron is a fantastic director, but perhaps he needs to find a writing partner to smooth out some of the rougher parts. He said himself in the introduction to the Terminator 2 screenplay that he hates writing. Writing is tough for anyone though, and for a perfectionist like Cameron, it may be hard to find a skilled writer who can pick Cameron's brain and help him craft a story that is worthy of his directorial vision. The Terminator films and Aliens didn't turn out too worse for the wear for having additional writers, did they?

Post by **Ben** » January 5th, 2010, 5:35 pm

Don't get me wrong: I'm a Cameron fan through and through, both of the man and his work. And I love Titanic.

But this just didn't grab me, for the reasons I stated here and some other points that I didn't get around to including:
http://animatedviews.com/2010/happy-new ... -for-2010/

Post by **EricJ** » January 9th, 2010, 4:38 pm

And all the "Delgo" jokes we made before the movie came out seem to have now been passed over for an even more accurate (and more site appropriate) comparison now that we have seen the darn thing:
http://www-deadline-com.vimg.net/wp-con ... script.JPG

(I would've been cleaning Pepsi off my monitor immediately after having read that, if not for it being exactly what I was thinking at the time...Leaving aside Neytiri's habit of diving off of waterfalls, Kecoum/TsuTey and Powhatan/Eytucan even LOOKED so uncannily like their Disney doppelgangers, that the colonel referring to "those savages" just couldn't keep the Alan Menken songs out of my head.)

Post by **Randall** » January 9th, 2010, 6:27 pm

But that doesn't mean that Avatar was bad... just that there's very little new under the sun.

Personally, I liked it. I always thought that Pocahontas needed more aliens in it.

Post by **Ben** » January 10th, 2010, 9:10 am

VERY little new under the sun - the bare bones of the story is as old as film itself:

Though no doubt the 3D goggles would put the viewer onto Cameron’s planet of Pandora as if one were there, they wouldn’t do anything to enhance the ultimately boring and rehashed storyline. Ironically, I also saw a documentary on one of Hollywood’s first directors, Cecil B DeMille, over the holiday, and the basic plot of Tinsel Town’s first ever feature film, 1914’s The Squaw Man, is about a white male who falls in love and controversially becomes integrated within a community of Native Americans, and it seemed amusing to me that almost one hundred years later the hottest blockbuster of our time would be mining the very same elements.

Post by **Whippet Angel** » January 10th, 2010, 3:12 pm

Am I the only one that got a "Ferngully" vibe from the film's first half?

Post by **EricJ** » January 10th, 2010, 4:56 pm

Whippet Angel wrote:Am I the only one that got a "Ferngully" vibe from the film's first half?

Yep, we did "Ferngully", and "Delgo", and Kevin Costner, and even a few smartypantses did "Battle For Terra", all back when the trailers were showing--
But neither one had quite the same "Horny Comic-Book-Guy's fantasy" vibe that Poc/Neytiri had*...And again, those two other Kocoum and Powhatan characters' designs could not have been accidental.
(* - Okay, so maybe Krysta...But that's stretching things a bit.)

As I'd said on one other board, an industry-respected 55-yo. director with a divorce, multiple mansions and BMW's, his own production company and $400M of corporate studio money to spend as he pleases is just too old to still be drawing Sexy Nude Catgirls.

Post by **eddievalient** » January 10th, 2010, 8:45 pm

Finally had a chance to see this (in 3D) last night and I was completely blown away. Visually, the term "jaw-dropping" does not even begin to cover it. Also, not once did I check my watch during the entire movie, and that's a rare occurance. I agree that storywise, it may not be Best Picture material (although I did enjoy it immensely), but it would not surprise me the least bit if it were nominated anyway (as well as for Best Screenplay and Best Director). Personally, I hope James Cameron leaves the story as is and never does a sequel, if only because I wouldn't want to see obligitory-sequel-darkness creep in to mar the film's happy ending.

Up to this point, I've wanted to get HDTV/Bluray but haven't felt the need to be in any kind of hurry. However, I think Avatar has pushed me over the edge into wanting to get it as soon as I can. Really, if this isn't a reason to upgrade, I don't know what is. Now I just need to figure out how I'm going to afford it...