Avatar overtakes Titanic as the all time box office champ

[Mikey]

It seems our generation (as a whole) is so different than past generations.

Grown up adults today are huge fans of kids movies, special effects and even collecting toys.

Back in the old days most grown-up men liked war or gangster movies and their hobbies were drinking and mowing the lawn.

[Earth 2 Chris]

When we finally do get a parentel to take the kids, rest assured, Avatar will be long out of theatres and the wife and I will have our choice of several movies we wouldn't watch on TBS. It's a curse.

Same here.

I did see Avatar, despite not really planning to, based on good word of mouth and a shining endorsement from my friend. Loved it, thought it was fantastic. I don't understand the hatred spewed toward this movie. Just because it cost a lot of money to make doesn't make it suck. It could have sucked, but it doesn't. And take it from me, the actual marketing doesn't do the movie justice. If you don't want to see it, that's fine, but I can't understand why some seem so hacked off by it's success.

Chris

[ODBJBG]

I was ranting about this yesterday: Infinite Hollywood: My Rant on Avatar Being #1 Movie Ever

The main problem with Avatar to me, is will the film be any good on a black and white 20 inch TV? If it's not a good movie on a black and white 20 inch TV, then it's not a good movie.

But I haven't seen it, so I can't say.

[The Toyroom]

James Cameron still owes me money from The Abyss....

[Gorn Captain]

I'll probably go see it.
I'll probably like it.
But nothing about it "blows me away", not like when I saw previews of Star Wars, Aliens, etc.
It'll be a decent film. But it won't "change the world of movie-making", as Cameron says.

Btw: a ticket for 3-D bumps the price up by about $4 here. I don't need 3-D that much...

[toys2cool]

That's awesome , I had a feeling it would 2 weeks ago

[clemso]

Who would have guest, Avatar good, but not that good.

[huedell]

Some people are indeed intently uncomfortable with this movie's success.
I can't understand the furor...it's much harder to understand
than the positive hype.
I haven't liked a LOT of the box office smashes of the past ten years.
I still tip my hat where it's due and come to peace with it

[boynightwing]

As someone who works at the movies, Avatar has all of our nerves fried. It just wont let up. People showing up hours ahead of time to wait in line, and the movie sells out for evening shows by 2 in the afternoon. Its good for business to be sure but I know myself and my crew need a break after the Christmas rush and we can't seem to get it.

I liked the movie but honestly I don't think its worth the hype aside from how pretty it is. I wont likely ever see it again. I think though its great for science fiction because it is drawing in so many people who would never normally see a movie like this. I still double take when I see little old ladies waiting in these crazy line ups.

In short, its a double edged sword. Good for many things, bad for others. Mostly bad for my nerves.

Not worth the hype anyway. In my opinion.

[huedell]

... Its good for business....
...how pretty it is....
...iits great for science fiction because it is drawing in so many people who would never normally see a movie like this...
...Good for many things...

So it's "not worth the hype"...maybe so, but, still, from your post alone,
it sounds like it accomplished a great feat.

From your post and others it seems to be a movie that has been satisfying
so many things that "movies are about"...."spectacle" and "escapism"
and is a more acceptable script than, say, PHANTOM MENACE
which was also pretty widely seen and a "movie goers type movie".

I admit I have no desire to see this movie...mostly because no one
I'm close with has said it's a "must see"...then again, no one has said
it's "bad" either.

I actually heard people say worse things about TITANIC when it first came
out than I have about this film.

I'm also older now...call it "jaded" (whatever)... but a notable point is
this is the kind of movie that I, and I bet a lot of our older
fellow Mego Museum posters would have considered a "must see"
when we were 16 years old.

[Adam West]

I don't have any hatred toward the movie busting records. I'm sure I would like it if I saw it but the trailers really didn't appeal to me. I like watching movie in 3-D but for some strange reason, it causes my wife and son to feel motion sickness so they refuse to watch movies in 3-D.

I think it just may be that a lot of people are turned off by James Cameron's arrogance. I can still remember when he won Best Picture for "Titanic" and when he accepted the award I seem to remember that he acted like he was the best director to ever walk the planet.

I also was a bit turned off when I did see the making of Avatar and Cameron talking about how it was going to change the way movies were made. It is difficult for me to put my finger on it but it didn't really come across to me in a tone when he said it like he was really excited by this new technology but more of an arrogant tone again like he is the best director ever to walk the planet.

I can also imagine that there are some people still a bit ticked about the documentary he did claimining he found Jesus' bones. I honestly don't know what ever came about that other than most archeologists dismissed his claim for various reasons and I think they found out that one of the ossuaries (if that's the right word) was a forgery.

[Adam West]

Yes, 3-D tickets bump the price up here as well. Matinee prices are $7 but a 3-D matinee runs $11. I have no clue what non matinee prices are since I haven't seen a movie at adult running times in about 15 years.

[huedell]

....
I think it just may be that a lot of people are turned off by James Cameron's arrogance. I can still remember when he won Best Picture for "Titanic" and when he accepted the award I seem to remember that he acted like he was the best director to ever walk the planet.

I also was a bit turned off when I did see the making of Avatar and Cameron talking about how it was going to change the way movies were made... it
didn't really come across to me in a tone when he said it like he was really excited by this new technology but more of an arrogant tone again like he is the best director ever to walk the planet.

I give the guy a bit of leeway on that. According to box-office records
he IS actually one of the "best" in the biz....maybe moreso as a producer
than a director.....but still, it is pretty amazing.

Obviously it doesn't give licsence for one to act like a jerk...but a little
"proud"....okay.

When his next movie that makes less money than expected arrives...things'll
change a bit

I can also imagine that there are some people still a bit ticked about the documentary he did claimining he found Jesus' bones. I honestly don't know what ever came about that other than most archeologists dismissed his claim for various reasons and I think they found out that one of the ossuaries (if that's the right word) was a forgery.

That's the first I heard of this project.

[Brue]

I probably won't end up seeing it, I haven't got many baby sitting options and that makes movies $80-100 nights on average. We have to really want to see a film in order to get that going and while I have no hate towards this movie, I'm just not that motivated to see it.

When we finally do get a parentel to take the kids, rest assured, Avatar will be long out of theatres and the wife and I will have our choice of several movies we wouldn't watch on TBS. It's a curse.

I have the baby sitting issue as well so theater movies do cost $50 for us.

I saw this because my dad went with us and paid for the movie, drinks and snacks. so we only had to pay the sitter.

It is visually spectacular but NOT a special movie in the way of story. As a matter of fact it was fairly predictable moratliy story that we have all heard before. The acting ranged from 2 dimensional to shallow to just lain bad.

If you don't see it in IMAX digital 3D - don't see it at all. It is about the visual. This movie is sure to issappoint on the small screen.

I give the visuals a 10 of 10
story 5 of 10
starring actor 5 out of 10
starting actress 8 out of 10 (eye candy factor only)
supporting cast 5 or 6 out of 10

overall (at the theatre) - 7.5 out of ten. it is like those alex ross oversized DC comics - looks nice but the story is not compelling and movies and comics need both.

value without the HD IMAX 3D - - it looks like a made for the sci fi channel original movie

this movie brought something new visually and was marketed well. it is not as good as the money it's made.

[Mikey]

To me they all resemble Sean Penn because of their weird noses