Avatar (the movie)

[kama_s]

We just got back from watching ''Avatar'' in Imax. Easily one of the best movies of the decade. Ayone else see it yet?

 

[fleur-de-lis]

Yep-- Cameron is sooooo good at creating worlds. What did you like best?

 

[kama_s]

The CGI. Oh my god the CGI. Apparently around 400 million was used to make the film, but they''ve recovered over 250 million in the very first week.

 

[MichelleCarmen]

Yes, and I loved it. It was a great movie! Sam Worthington did a great job

The glasses kind of bugged my eyes, though. both my husband and I noticed our eyes were sore for about an hour after the movie.

 

[Brown.Eyed.Girl]

Ooh I really want to see this, but BF will never go with me (sci-fi/fantasy movies are not his thing). Poooo

 

[trillionaire]

******** Spoiler alert*********



cool effects, but I felt like the storyline was same stuff, different day. It reminded me a lot of ''The Last Samurai'', ''Dances with Wolves'' and even somewhat of ''District 9''... your typical savior complex with a oppressed/marginalized group of people with exploitable resources. The critiques of capitalism and environmental conservation where shallow at best, and overly simplistic as worst. Honestly, I left the movie pretty annoyed.

Not at all what I expected, though I had no idea what to expect. We saw it openning night in 3-D, and I guess I expected more. I don''t think that the 3-D added much to the film, either.

 

[waxing lyrical]

Saw it in 3D. Awesome. Just awesome. One of my favorite movies. I *heart* Worthington.

 

[MonkeyPie]

We plan to go see it this weekend, and I am so stoked!

 

[kama_s]

Date: 12/22/2009 2:14:35 AM
Author: trillionaire
******** Spoiler alert*********



cool effects, but I felt like the storyline was same stuff, different day. It reminded me a lot of ''The Last Samurai'', ''Dances with Wolves'' and even somewhat of ''District 9''... your typical savior complex with a oppressed/marginalized group of people with exploitable resources. The critiques of capitalism and environmental conservation where shallow at best, and overly simplistic as worst. Honestly, I left the movie pretty annoyed.

Not at all what I expected, though I had no idea what to expect. We saw it openning night in 3-D, and I guess I expected more. I don''t think that the 3-D added much to the film, either.

I do agree that the theme was a bit recurrent, but I mean, there are only a handful of movies with this storyline...as opposed to a million boy-meets-girl etc type of movies. The 3-D effect, well, I was absolutely marvelled by it!

That said, I went in with zero expectations. I think that is why I was very pleasantly surprised.

 

[Bleed Burnt Orange]

It is definitely one of my all time favourites. It was different. The way it was presented, and the whole destruction for profit idea.

I really liked the actors that were chosen. I''m really glad for Sam Worthington, whom I loved in the movie! Doesn''t hurt that he''s good to look at too.

I love love loved the movie and can''t wait to see it again in 3D.

 

[Aloros]

It was definitely a tired theme, but the new format really re-engaged my emotions. I''ll admit I was pretty ''meh'' when seeing last samurai, simply because I"d been there, done that. The imagery in Avatar was so amazing, so fresh, that instead of rolling my eyes and thinking "yeeeah, I know what''s coming next" I found myself genuinely drawn in.

A beautiful film, and definitley one I''ll be seeing again. It''s very immersive, so much so that it leaves you feeling a little bit small when you leave the theater.

 

[geckodani]

Overall: Absolutely FANTASTIC movie and definitely well worth seeing. Visually stunning, the CGI is absolutely out of this world.

Plot wise: Meh, it was really predictable.

Still one of the best times I''ve had at a theater though!!! And I''m so going again, LOL.

 

[sweetpea&babycorn]

wow im so relieved to hear good reviews! i definitely did not want to spend $10-12 on seeing this movie unless there were good reviews we''re going to try to see it in imax, i hope we can get tix!

 

[Selkie]

I spent most of it in stunned awe at the beauty and the intricacy of the world he created (and as a marine biologist I especially loved the little floating tree seeds that looked like jellyfish!) I knew going in that the plot would be very "been there, done that" and I had issues with how much of a caricature the main villain was, but other than that...mindblowing, especially in 3D. Definitely not a "Wait till it comes out on DVD" movie.

 

[Ara Ann]

We''re going to have to skip this one...since I have motion sickness issues during some fast action and CGI style movies (DH does too sometimes, ''Hancock'' made him ill) and I heard last week on the news, several people per theater actually got sick in the middle of it (in London, before it opened in the US).

Anyone feel queasy from the special effects?

 

[Bleed Burnt Orange]

Date: 12/22/2009 3:34:57 PM
Author: Ara Ann
We''re going to have to skip this one...since I have motion sickness issues during some fast action and CGI style movies (DH does too sometimes, ''Hancock'' made him ill) and I heard last week on the news, several people per theater actually got sick in the middle of it (in London, before it opened in the US).

Anyone feel queasy from the special effects?

Actually, I''m prone to motion sickness. I get it pretty badly. It wasn''t an issue for me at all!

You might want to refrain from seeing it on IMAX, that''s for sure.

 

[Hera]

I get motion sickness really easily and had no issues while wathing the movie. Ditto on skipping the imax version though.

 

[pierreone]

Just got back from the theater and WOW! What a visually stunning movie! Everything was so well done that I felt like most of what I was watching was real. I agree that the plot was a bit predictable and the main villain was a total caricature, but overall well worth $10.

 

[CNOS128]

Okay, good, I can still go see it then! A friend of mine who was really looking forward to it reported back last night that it was terrible! BUT he did see it in 2D, so I''m sure that was part of it.

 

[geckodani]

DH gets horribly motion sick, and I have huge headache issues with 3D. We saw it in 3D IMAX, and I had a headache for about 1/2 an hour, but once I got used to focusing through the glasses, I was fine. DH (who pretty much puked after Cloverfield) had absolutely no issues with motion sickness.

 

[Ara Ann]

Wow, good to hear no one has had any motion sickness from this one! I bet DH and our sons will want to go...but I''ll probably skip it, LOL...I''ve learned the hard way, too many times and have paid for movies I never got to watch through to the end!

 

[sweetpea&babycorn]

oh no! we were going to see in IMAX and am so sensitive when it comes to motion sickness - i even get motion sick watching someone reading in a car... might have to reconsider this, but it was supposed to be a family outing with my new fiance and brother and sisters, i might have to suck it up, so to speak...

 

[Bleed Burnt Orange]

Date: 12/23/2009 2:58:18 PM
Author: sweetpea&babycorn
oh no! we were going to see in IMAX and am so sensitive when it comes to motion sickness - i even get motion sick watching someone reading in a car... might have to reconsider this, but it was supposed to be a family outing with my new fiance and brother and sisters, i might have to suck it up, so to speak...

Awww. There is always bonnine (sp?) or another motion sickness pill you could try taking before.

Cloverfield was HORRIBLE for me. I was on the verge of throwing up. It took me over an hour to recover after seeing that one.

 

[asscherisme]

Date: 12/22/2009 3:34:57 PM
Author: Ara Ann
We''re going to have to skip this one...since I have motion sickness issues during some fast action and CGI style movies (DH does too sometimes, ''Hancock'' made him ill) and I heard last week on the news, several people per theater actually got sick in the middle of it (in London, before it opened in the US).

Anyone feel queasy from the special effects?

I saw it today in 3D IMAX and it was a fantastic movie but I felt a bit sick to my stomach during parts of it and had to close my eyes.

I wished we had seen it in a regular theater and not 3D or IMAX. I think I could have handled one or the other, but both was a bit much for my son and me! My son had a big headache after the movie but still loved it. But then again, I get seasick very easily so I should have known better! My daughter said it was her favorite movie ever and she had no prolblems watching it. I left my younger kids with a friend and I''m so glad I did not take them. Too much violence for young kids.

 

[partgypsy]

I purposely didn''t read any reviews, previews, etc of Avatar because I''ve had movies ruined for me before, so I was able to watch it "fresh". After watching the movie and reading some review I can see where people are coming from regarding the simple plot, and non-nuanced of sky people versus the Navi (sic), but when I read reviews focusing on that I feel the reviewer is missing the point.
The biggest character in the movie is really the fully realization of the planet Pandora itself, with the plants, animals, trees, and the Navii''s lives within that environment. I saw it last night and while trying to fall asleep kept on having images of the movie especially of the Navi''s bodies moving in that environments it was so vivid. I can see why Kama said you feel so much "smaller" when you are out of the theatre.
Now having read alot of science fiction probably like everyone would have made some changes, like more exposisiton of timeline of what is going on in earth back home and of discovery/exploration of the planet, the relative support/motivations behind scientists verus merecenaries, more interactions between human versus Navii (because it looks so cool!). I also would made a significant but more realistic change to the final battle, but hey James Cameron didn''t hire me. ...
the main accomplishment was that full rendering of another world and becoming lost in it so I''m glad they spent time on that. Personally I have been to movies with actions scenes and that there were so many fast cuts/blurring/too much going on the actual action gets lost and it''s just confusing. Both my husband and I felt that the pacing of the actions scenes was very well done, where could actually watch what was going on and have the anticipation/apprehension of it. Also I was afraid the 3D effects would be very cheesy with things jumping out all the time, and if anything was rather understated. So I guess some of the things I really liked about the movie other people would see as flaws.

 

[Ara Ann]

Date: 12/27/2009 9:24:38 PM
Author: asscherisme

Date: 12/22/2009 3:34:57 PM

Author: Ara Ann

We''re going to have to skip this one...since I have motion sickness issues during some fast action and CGI style movies (DH does too sometimes, ''Hancock'' made him ill) and I heard last week on the news, several people per theater actually got sick in the middle of it (in London, before it opened in the US).


Anyone feel queasy from the special effects?

I saw it today in 3D IMAX and it was a fantastic movie but I felt a bit sick to my stomach during parts of it and had to close my eyes.


I wished we had seen it in a regular theater and not 3D or IMAX. I think I could have handled one or the other, but both was a bit much for my son and me! My son had a big headache after the movie but still loved it. But then again, I get seasick very easily so I should have known better! My daughter said it was her favorite movie ever and she had no prolblems watching it. I left my younger kids with a friend and I''m so glad I did not take them. Too much violence for young kids.

My sons saw it yesterday and loved it! Our oldest can sometimes feel sick too (certain video games can bother him) and he was slightly concerned he''d get woozy, but did fine. They saw it in 3D too...and both insist that DH see it too and said he won''t get sick from it. I''m going to sit this one out though, as I seem to be a lot more sensitive and prone to motion sickness than any of them are.

I wonder if the theaters are giving refunds if people who''ve felt sick have to leave early? I even got sick during the beginning of the last Indiana Jones movie, during the motorcycle chase scene...I had to leave and sit in the car! A waste of $8.50.

 

[partgypsy]

I''ve experienced with other movies the action scenes being so fast paced it is unpleasant, but I didn''t have any problem with this movie (saw it in 3D). I''ve only seen a couple movies in Imax, and there is something about them (the wrapping around my eyeball screen, the vertigo), I don''t care for them. After the last Imax movie I saw (the human body) don''t know if I''ll ever see another Imax movie again!

So I would think the non Imax 3D version should be ok.

 

[movie zombie]

we saw it in 3D. on the other side of my husband was a couple with what appeared to be a 4 year old. slight spoiler alert but what a cutie: about 2/3 through th movie when the jelly fish air bourne creatures float down and around, the 3d effect had them out in the audience and this little cutie was reaching out to catch them like snow flakes.......way too cute!

mz

 

[MichelleCarmen]

Date: 12/30/2009 4:20:40 PM
Author: movie zombie
we saw it in 3D. on the other side of my husband was a couple with what appeared to be a 4 year old. slight spoiler alert but what a cutie: about 2/3 through th movie when the jelly fish air bourne creatures float down and around, the 3d effect had them out in the audience and this little cutie was reaching out to catch them like snow flakes.......way too cute!

mz

That is cute about the 4 YO trying to grab the jelly fish!

I''m surprised that a 4 YO would be able to sit still through a movie that long.

Dh and I debated whether or not to take the boys to the movie and DH decided to and the kids liked it, but my older son said he didn''t care if he saw it again. Normally, he''d be all over the idea a movie multiple times.

 

[Callisto]

I just saw it today as well and LOVED it!!!

My mom is the most prone to motion sickness of anyone I know and she didn''t get sick in the 3D imax.

ALSO ANYONE WHO IS STILL PLANNING TO SEE IT READ THIS:
***** I had a pretty bad headache for the first third of the movie until I actually held the glasses about an inch off my nose. My headache went away INSTANTLY. For me, I wasn''t focusing the 3D when the glasses were right on my face but when the glasses were just a tad farther off my face it was crystal clear. I just put my elbow on the arm rest and held the glasses, it wasn''t tiring at all. Definitely try this if you notice a problem focusing on the 3D*******


Also as "tired" as that theme of ruthless colonization and destruction may be to some, we''re clearly not learning anything as we are still destroying our world and taking lives in the name of capitalism all across the world whether its destroying the rainforests, maintaining the coal industry or any of the other materialistic pursuits of our culture. Personally, I have no problem being reminded of that message and motivated to change the way we live.