While I also enjoyed the movie I really dont see how it had anything to do with Rangers. The hair thing was gross and the fact that they did it so often made me question the sanitation involved in the process. I mean, basicly you have brain stem tentacles hanging out next to greasy hair and then you fuse them with some random animal... Ick.

---

Alexii points at a Velakan slaver and shouts, "Another one! Don't let it get away!"

In a very generic native-tribal way, sure.

Rangers in the spotlight, nah.

---

Alexii points at a Velakan slaver and shouts, "Another one! Don't let it get away!"

That's why I said themes, not that it was a movie about rangers.

But regardless... I highly recommend it.

-pete

Heh...ouch. Harsh critic, Armifer!




Moving carefully, you slip your hand into Ragran's pockets and carefully grab a platinum.
Roundtime: 2 sec.

If your criticism is that it follows similar motifs in the Heroes Quest story, I have to disagree that it's unoriginal. I'm sure you've seen this;
http://www.saynotocrack.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/05/61074_harrypotterstarwars.jpg
And you can do that with virtually every hero from Odysseus through Batman. Yes, Avatar bore striking similarity in story to Fern Gully, Dances with Wolves, Dune, Last Samurai, etc, but it brings new elements in the form of not being 'human vs. alien (white man vs. native american), or nature vs. earth rape.

I really enjoyed avatar; the plot parallels were obvious, but the visuals and messages were geared to adults instead of being a fairy tale for kids (which is also fine)


I know this: if life is illusion, then I am no less an illusion, and being thus, the illusion is real to me. I live, I burn with life, I love, I slay, and am content.

>This is not a harsh, artsy criticism on some abstract idea of Plot and Film here. I mean it very literally: if you have even a basic awareness of pop culture, you have seen this story before. Avatar has no special creativity or novel insight to give you, and it's a damn shame that this is the template for a blockbuster.

While I know what you mean, the same can be said for many of the archetypal stories in the human experience. There's a reason these same set of plots are so effective.

I guess for my part, I went into this not expecting much in the lines of plot beyond "Dances with Wolves" in space.

The "special creativity" in this film is bringing CGI to a level of realism and immersion that I haven't seen before and using 3D not as a gimmick, but as a matter of fact element of presentation.

-pete

Yeah the story was rather flat, the effects were wild, the theme pretty generic, and thats about it. Great visual movie, but after watching it again I was just really bored.

Kevin Costner is my mortal enemy.

and...

LOL Amifer said Fern Gully. I can't beleive you went there. Major burn there guys.

---

Alexii points at a Velakan slaver and shouts, "Another one! Don't let it get away!"

/blink

Did someone just compare James Cameron to Shakespeare...?

-Evran

* Prophet Hotoke Fuku-Nyorai snuck out of the shadow he was hiding in.

Also, it had thin half naked blue chicks/ripped tall thin half naked blue dudes riding six legged tiger monsters and pterodactyls.
what else do you want in a film?!?!

I know this: if life is illusion, then I am no less an illusion, and being thus, the illusion is real to me. I live, I burn with life, I love, I slay, and am content.

I mean, he's right, and not being elitist. I just disagree that it's particularly problematic in a story of this genre.

You think the Wakowski brothers invented the notion of the Matrix? That Terminator invented the notion of AI take over? That Aliens were the first parasitic aliens?


I know this: if life is illusion, then I am no less an illusion, and being thus, the illusion is real to me. I live, I burn with life, I love, I slay, and am content.

>>Bless your cultural and intellectual superiority.
>>Oh my god your bowel movements must be incredibly compact and difficult to pass.

We could have had a discussion about fiction, but you want to talk about taking a dump.

-Armifer
"In our days truth is taken to result from the effacing of the living man behind the mathematical structures that think themselves out in him, rather than he be thinking them." - Emmanuel Levinas

I don't disagree with the assessment of the plot. The elements of the story are not charting new waters.

I recently had a large disagreement with another person who takes a view contrary to the popular view simply to be, contrary. This person seems to feel that they somehow elevate themselves above us common peons by automatically disliking anything liked by the majority. Which to me, makes them a bigger slave to pop culture than the people who follow the trend. The way Armifer presents his criticism reminds me of this argument and rubbed me the wrong way.

Something is good or not good, regardless of how many people jump on the bandwagon.

A familiar story executed with technical excellence is still that... executed with technical excellence. This movie breaks new ground in expressing emotion through CGI, in a way that has not been there before. By a number of measures Avatar is visually stunning. It is notable for what it makes possible now. I have hated CGI performances in anything other than Disney/Pixar cartoons, and possibly Golum in LOTR. This is the first movie in my opinion, where CGI can actualy compete with human performance, for good or ill.

And template for a blockbuster? What the heck does that mean? What else would a blockbuster be, other than something that appeals to a large audience? How is this film any less of a "blockbuster" than any previous blockbuster? What exactly is the right template for a blockbuster?



~Brian/Bahb

>>Bless your cultural and intellectual superiority.
>>Oh my god your bowel movements must be incredibly compact and difficult to pass.

>> We could have had a discussion about fiction, but you want to talk about taking a dump.

If you say so. I'll trust your superior intellect.


~Brian/Bahb

<< Armifer...

I'm willing to withdraw or ammend my kneejerk response. I am curious now.

Would you be willing to move this over to Life Outside of DR and continue? I would rather there than conflicts.


~Brian/Bahb

Don't see Avatar for the plot. It's nothing new. It doesn't pretend to be new.

Is it pretty? Sure. But even that's hard for me to judge as I'd avoided all the new 3D stuff everyone is doing these days until this. When I saw the previews for other movies in 3D I was worried that I was going to have a headache 5 minutes into the film, but overall it was well done. It only occasionally jumped out and screamed "I'm in 3D" and at least all the CG'ed parts looked good in it (Some of the real life people looked a little odd). So overall... sure. It's pretty. But nothing new.

Honestly I'm inclined to throw it in the same pile as The Matrix. Which is to say ground breaking technical effects that were REALLY pretty, and I was a big Matrix fan when it came out, but even discounting the sequels (Tangent, the best review of the third one remains "A two hour live action episode of Dragon Ball Z guest starring Jesus!) I tried to watch it again awhile back and it's aged... really really poorly. It changed the way special effects were done, but in and of itself, isn't that great of a movie.

---

SEND[Abasha] It warms my heart to see three people die for a cupcake.

I started an Avatar thread over in Outside Elanthia - Tunes, Tomes, and Trash, rather than here, if there's any interest left.

~Brian/Bahb