Avatar (2009)

[Disney Duster]

On the contrary, that guy dwindled down plots to the point of them not even being plots, so vague, hardly anyting at all, just to claim he could say there's only seven basic plots. And not all stories that have been made to this day fit very easily into those categories.

They are hardly plots, ot really what I would call a "plot" (would you use those descriptions to tell the plot of a movie? The plot on the back of the DVD case of a film?). And yet, they even run into each other.

If the riches sought after can be metaphorical, why isn’t a new reason for living the riches, why isn’t the terms with himself or rebirth the riches?These are so general and not really plots, they can be! And of course they can all be the quest story. The beginning quests for the ending. There’s only one story in the world folks, don’t even try to tell a new one, because according to some guy says so. Saying "it's a quest" is not telling the plot at all! There can be multiple kinds, there’s not just one kind or seven kinds, wtf?

[Escapay]

"A little learning is a dangerous thing; drink deep, or taste not the Pierian spring: there shallow draughts intoxicate the brain, and drinking largely sobers us again."
-Alexander Pope, An Essay on Criticism, 1709

To better put that into context, you should know first that the Pierian spring refers to - - - -

You know what?

Screw this.

I'm not going to waste my time trying to explain age-old concepts, and I'm not going to waste any other forum members' time by having them read through it and seeing that you still don't understand. It's not helping me, it's not helping you, and I'm sick and tired of it. It's repetitive, it's frustrating, and I'd rather be in a good mood when I read UD.

And sotiris, thanks.

albert

[dvdjunkie]

Just got back from seeing "Avatar" for the NINTH time!!!!! I truly love this movie and it deserves all the credit that it is getting and James Cameron has truly raised the bar for all those CGI films that will certainly try to follow in his footsteps.

Imagine, the two highest grossing movies of all time - "Titanic" and "Avatar" are both from the imagination and creativity of director James Cameron. That has to say a lot for this man.

I hope the Oscars fill his mantel with statuettes this year. He deserves all he can get.

[Maerj]

I saw this last weekend and thought that it wsa pretty good. The effects were cool and the planet itself was pretty dazzling.

Now, I have read the previous posts here about originality, but I must say that the story was the one thing that really brought this down for me. Not saying that I didn't like it but its been done so many times that its sort of a letdown when paired up with the visuals. Just my reaction/opinion.

My favorite James Cameron films would be Terminator, Terminator 2 and Aliens. After those would be the Abyss, Avatar, and True Lies. Then Titanic, Rambo, and Piranha 2 the Spawning.

[jpanimation]

I guess the movie's even more unoriginal then I thought:

http://www.heavy.com/post/avatargate-th ... ution-3351

Oh well, its not that this story has been told a thousand times that bothers me, its that its been told better.

[Disney Duster]

Eh, that site was reaching a little far to make the comparisons and say it was a rip-off, but Avatar's still original enough, and I James said he was dreaming up the thing before the comic came out in 1994.

sotiris, why did you say what you said about me when the things you argued were even like the things I argued, like that the things weren't plots (but more like genres)?

[Sotiris]

sotiris, why did you say what you said about me when the things you argued were even like the things I argued, like that the things weren't plots (but more like genres)?

I didn't really say anything negative about you Duster; i just said that you did not seem to understand Escapay's argument and continued repeating the same stuff without really answering back. If this were a school debate Escapay would win.

Yes, I disagreed with the "7 Stories" thing but Escapay has made a good case supporting his idea and has said some points that I consider valid. I didn't agree with everything he said but the gist of the argument he made, made sense to me.

[Disney Duster]

That is saying something negative about me, even more negative if you're saying something untrue about me.

But I don't understand why you said those things when I came up with arguments that were similar to your own, explaining how they were vague, not really plots, and the very story we are discussing can't easily fit into any of the categories.

The only other thing you said besides them not being real plots, but more like genres, was how would modernist or avante-guard texts fit? And I was like that also, asking how even certain familiar stories would fit.

What you said of me just doesn't make sense when you argued similar things I did.

[Siren]

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[blackcauldron85]

That was awesome. Really well done, artistically, IMO, too!

[blackcauldron85]

It's surpassed Titanic:

Avatar is the new king of the world
http://animatedviews.com/2010/avatar-is ... the-world/




Has this been discussed here before? I think that it's an interesting discussion:

How Is Avatar Not an Animated Film?
http://www.slate.com/blogs/blogs/browbe ... -film.aspx
(via animationguildblog.blogspot.com)

I mean, essentially, it's motion capture, and A Christmas Carol, Monster House, and The Polar Express are considered animated films. Even Dinosaur, with its live-action backgrounds, is considered an animated film.



Oscar snubs "Avatar's" motion-capture actors
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20100203/en_ ... ars_snub_1
(via cartoonbrew.com)

[KubrickFan]

It's surpassed Titanic:

Avatar is the new king of the world
http://animatedviews.com/2010/avatar-is ... the-world/

It has surpassed Titanic worldwide for quite a while now, and even passed the 2 billion dollar mark. The article is mainly about how it defeated Titanic in the US, so 'king of the world' is kinda wrong, even though many people in the US would think differently .

[Siren]

Saw Avatar again today. 2nd viewing, again in 3D. 2nd time around, I got to pay more attention to visual details. The Banshees, just wow. I love them so much. I love the fact so many of the creatures have a set of primary eyes and a smaller set of secondary eyes. Seriously, what I would really love, is a Discovery Channel like program about the flora and fauna of Pandora. Similar to Walking with Dinosaurs. I would love Cameron so much if he would do something like that. I got the survival guide of Avatar and they talk pretty in depth about behavior of the creatures there. Cameron obviously put a lot of thought into them. I would love though for a "real" documentary on the wildlife of Pandora.

[jpanimation]

Saw Avatar again today. 2nd viewing, again in 3D. 2nd time around, I got to pay more attention to visual details. The Banshees, just wow. I love them so much. I love the fact so many of the creatures have a set of primary eyes and a smaller set of secondary eyes. Seriously, what I would really love, is a Discovery Channel like program about the flora and fauna of Pandora. Similar to Walking with Dinosaurs. I would love Cameron so much if he would do something like that. I got the survival guide of Avatar and they talk pretty in depth about behavior of the creatures there. Cameron obviously put a lot of thought into them. I would love though for a "real" documentary on the wildlife of Pandora.

I've got a feeling that something like that is on it's way. I bought a book called The World of Kong, designed by the guys at Weta (same people who did Avatar), and it gave you a history of Skull Island and all the natives, animals, and plant life on the island. You'd be amazed at all the details that you never see in the film (King Kong or Avatar). The people at Weta create soo much never explored in the movies that these kinds of books are fascinating (with all the detail, you'd swear its a real place).

[dvdjunkie]

For those of you who get the Fox Movie Channel, you will get that wish for a look and the flora and fauna of Pandora. They are going to run a 'behind the scenes' program each week done by the director James Cameron, and will take you deep inside the makings of the film and its sets. Should prove to be very interesting watching.

Also, how could a 'chick-flick' like "Dear John" take over the top spot from "Avatar"?? Thank goodness it was for only one week, but "Dear John", come on, we can watch movies like that every day of the week on Lifetime Channel, why do we need to pay hard-earned money for it at the cinema when there are films like "Avatar" out there to be repeatedly seen.

By the way, I have made it an even dozen times (12) that I have seen "Avatar", and I see something new each time I see it. I like my friends who ask if I want to tag along to see this film. I have only paid to see it three times, the rest of the time I have been someone's guest!!!

[blackcauldron85]

Also, how could a 'chick-flick' like "Dear John" take over the top spot from "Avatar"?? Thank goodness it was for only one week, but "Dear John", come on, we can watch movies like that every day of the week on Lifetime Channel, why do we need to pay hard-earned money for it at the cinema when there are films like "Avatar" out there to be repeatedly seen.

I have yet to see Dear John, but the book is amazing...I didn't know that anything had taken Avatar out of the top spot, so this is news to me!

I have only paid to see it three times, the rest of the time I have been someone's guest!!!

Not that I should be worrying about your finances, but it makes me feel really good that you didn't pay all 12 times!

[Escapay]

For those of you who get the Fox Movie Channel, you will get that wish for a look and the flora and fauna of Pandora. They are going to run a 'behind the scenes' program each week done by the director James Cameron, and will take you deep inside the makings of the film and its sets. Should prove to be very interesting watching.

I hope these programs get included on the eventual DVD/Blu-Ray since we don't get Fox Movie Channel. I'd really like to see them!

albert

[jpanimation]

I though everyone got Fox Movie Channel, its right next to TCM on Direct TV, and I always assumed it was a basic channel. Well, it pisses me off because they advertise that channel on our local Fox network in HD and then when you get to the channel, its a HIGHLY compressed mess only in SD (Direct TV SD is lower then DVD quality). Like TCM, no commercials, no editing, and OAR but the PQ is terrible. I'm still waiting for TCM to become HD, ever since HDNet Movies and TCM were showing Breakfast at Tiffany's at the same time and I compared the two, I stopped watching TCM for the most part. Suddenly the green blurs became bushes with every leaf visible (it was like night and day). Between Universal HD, MGM HD, and HDNet Movies, I get my classic movies in HD fix (at least until TCM upgrades and the world rejoices).

[ajmrowland]

Just as any other movie channel is, FMC is a premium channel.

[blackcauldron85]

Koreans watch Avatar in “4D”
http://www.crunchgear.com/2010/02/08/ko ... tar-in-4d/
(via community.livejournal.com/ohnotheydidnt)