Comments on: James Cameron’s Avatar (2009)

By: 3ds r4

3ds r4 — Fri, 24 Jun 2011 01:36:43 +0000

So the only thing it has that’s new is simply the 3D mode, yet they are charging $250, the same exact price as the quad-core PSP Vita? With the OLED screen? and dual analog sticks?

By: Barry Imhotep

Barry Imhotep — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 22:35:34 +0000

Loved Avatar but can’t deny you’re right about FernGully and the like.

By: Kelly

Kelly — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 05:02:31 +0000

Ferngully and definitely some Dances With Wolves sprinkled in there too.

By: heather Eddahmouni

heather Eddahmouni — Sun, 10 Jan 2010 13:54:28 +0000

My father is CONVINCED that he ripped off “fern Gully” been saying it since he saw it and didnt think anyone else had connected the dots!!!!

By: Matches Malone

Matches Malone — Sun, 27 Dec 2009 12:16:49 +0000

So, it follows that it’s going to be standard Cameron fare, just like Titanic. Would love to see you review that film from your unique POV, AFC

By: Rick Swift

Rick Swift — Fri, 25 Dec 2009 00:01:16 +0000

Well said AFC. Well said. Although I really liked the 3D experience, some people really liked the burning embers and whatnot – but, I liked the flying scenes. But, uhm, you can see what I said about it at my site too, pretty much same same, Fern Gully meets Dances with Wolves, meets the Smurfs.

By: dsi r4

dsi r4 — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 11:39:05 +0000

I want to give my review is that After a second viewing at a better theater, I feel this movie is more fresh than rotten. The stunning visuals are slightly better than the unoriginal plot and horrendous dialogue.

By: filmgurl

filmgurl — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 09:57:54 +0000

It was definitely one of those movies that made me curious – it looked different and unique. Some say watching it in 3D was a gimmick. Though, I think it was one of those movies that I was glad to see it in 3D. Had I not it may have been a different experience for me all together. Nice review, and yes – the Smurf pic is great!

By: Andre (BlackNerd)

Andre (BlackNerd) — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 20:51:01 +0000

Love the Smurf picture. You know I had to say something about that

By: DuJuan

DuJuan — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 01:31:31 +0000

I’m going to see Avatar after Christmas, so I’ll hold off judgment until then. Though I’m sure everything you said will be true.

By: Karen

Karen — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 22:52:51 +0000

The movie seems predictable. Nice review though!

By: SagaciousT

SagaciousT — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 22:02:24 +0000

While I am one of those people who generally concedes that there are not many (if any) movies out there telling stories that haven’t been told before, and that most can be boiled down to reveal their Shakespearean ingredients…I just can’t agree that there is nothing much to see in Avatar if special effects don’t matter to the moviegoer.

Cameron even mentioned in a couple interviews that the 3D technology would not be beating you over the head. There we’re no scenes in the movie made to “show off” how cool 3D can look. His example was Monsters vs Aliens, when they start the movie by blowing one of those party noise makers into the camera…as it unrolled toward the audience, everyone let out a collective “Woah!”. The closest equivalent Avatar has is a single droplet of water floating by in zero-g.

3D does something for theaters I never imagined…it makes sitting in the worst seats, almost totally irrelevant. The 1st time I saw the movie I was in the front row on the left side…while i did have to slip down into my chair to get comfy, The 3D had me forgetting that I was at an extreme angle at all. The only thing that was really better about being dead center the 2nd time, was that it was easier on my neck.

You are right that there isn’t a ton of action, if action is defined only by battles and fighting. But I found the the early scenes of piloting the avatar body for the first time to be just as action oriented as was needed at that point in the movie. If anything the action scenes build in intensity slowly, until they crescendo into all out war at the climax of the film. I find constant action to often be more tedious than a film directed by someone who knows how to keenly control the ebb & flow of good pacing…letting up just enough in the right places to develop characters & plot and then bringing us back into the thick of it, to keep us on edge.

Same goes for the dialogue. While it was no masterpiece of drama…none of the words that came out of characters mouths, ever insulted my own ability to figure out what was going on by myself, which many films (particularly action films) do quite a bit. The only exception might be the scene where Parker explains Unobtanium to Dr. grace…it would have made more sense to have that conversation with Jake instead, but it worked in the sense that Parker was being intentionally patronizing.

Avatar, IMHO, is a really great example of balance in all forms of story telling. It had something for everyone.