"Avatar" on DVD

[Brazoo]

Repost

[Brazoo]

I haven't seen it yet either.

Sandy - I do think you're right that you're taking things very personally because I think you're trying to justify your respect for the film in unjustifiable ways and you normally seem very logical.

Your experience and talent is IMMENSE - you also seem like a great guy - and I mean no disrespect - but your experience and talent may effect your personal appreciation for the film, but it doesn't mean people without that experience can't appreciate the movie. The movie was not made FOR filmmakers. When someone buys a ticket the experience is now theirs - and however they felt about the experience it is valid, in my opinion.

As for how much work went into it - yeah, well this is one of the hardest aspects of doing art - even from my ragtag hobo approach to being creative. Hard work does not automatically equal great work - and even if a piece of work is great it's not going to be everyone's cup of tea. Even from my personal perspective with my own work, sometimes I can slave over something and hate it in the end and sometimes I can hash something out and end up loving it. In a perfect world the two would always be balanced, but they're not.

You can say that the amount of money the film made is relevant to it's place in pop culture and history, but I don't see how that validates the quality of the work. "Beverly Hills Chiuaua" is not a better critical achievement than "The Third Man" just because more people saw it. Know what I mean?

In any case, I totally respect your opinions normally, and I hope you don't take offense to the fact that I disagree with your justifications for why Avitar should be considered important to everyone.

[wolfie]

I'm another who has never seen it but i will do sometime allthough i read that if you saw it on dvd it was not too good, only really comes alive in 3D.

[jessica]

Well, it's a toss up between Planet of the Apes (1968) and this movie...so yeah, it's up there.

[Cmonster]

Best movie ever made.

[palitoy]

You're not the last

Welcome Brethen...

[The Toyroom]

I admit it. I'm the last adult in the US that has not seen this film.

You're not the last

[Bruce Banner]

I admit it. I'm the last adult in the US that has not seen this film. I suppose I'll have to rent this and see what I missed. I just don't see how anything can come attached with such hype or how I can ingnore it and just enjoy the film for what it is. I'll certainly try.

Scott

I felt the same. Then I finally decided to go see the movie (in 3D) and was pleasantly surprised. It's certainly worth watching.

[kennermike]

I admit it. I'm the last adult in the US that has not seen this film. I suppose I'll have to rent this and see what I missed. I just don't see how anything can come attached with such hype or how I can ingnore it and just enjoy the film for what it is. I'll certainly try.

Scott

still have not seen it never will

[Random Axe]

I admit it. I'm the last adult in the US that has not seen this film. I suppose I'll have to rent this and see what I missed. I just don't see how anything can come attached with such hype or how I can ingnore it and just enjoy the film for what it is. I'll certainly try.

Scott

[jessica]

I saw the movie again today on the big screen. Still as brilliant as the first time I saw it. Glad I convinced my brother in law to see it. He was so impressed. He said it was the greatest thrill ride he had ever been on and he didn't want it to end. There were only five people watching it on the big screen, but it was so incredible and so worth it. It was and still is one of those brilliant movies that I could never tire of.

[ctc]

>The more refined your tastes, the more refined a movie you're prone to appreciate.

I dunno if I'd call it refined though. A lot of what I like is absolute rubbish; but it's DIFFERENT. Show me something I've never seen before, no matter how bad, and I'm happy.

Don C.

[megoapesnut]

The last two movies Cameron has made, have been pretty predictable, but the point I'm making is that he's such a talented writer and filmmaker, that even though you know how "Titanic" and "Avatar" are going to end, HOW he gets the audience to that ending is where the magic of his work, truly lies.

My thoughts exactly. The HOW he gets to the ending part is what made Avatar. I saw it 4 times in the theater. I haven't seen a movie in the theater more than once since I was a kid and rode my bike 10 miles to the theater to see Flash Gordon multiple times. I took my wife and daughter to see it the second time (neither care for Sci-Fi AT ALL) and they were mad at me by about halfway through. By the time the end rolled around, they wanted to go see it again.

[megoscott]

For me, the absolute orginality of the story is secondary if it's executed in a new and innovative way. The Star Wars hero's journey is famously a version of a story that's been told a thousand times, right? Avatar may be recycling certain themes and even storylines but it's one of the central themes of our history along with slavery--the exploitation of nature and native peoples at the service of greed and progress is a big story that is movingly and effectively told in Avatar. And the storytelling device of the white man infiltrating the native culture and coming to fight for the underdog, that's a very effective way of bringing the audience into the drama. I was very drawn into the story and emotionally involved with the characters. I've sat through a lot of special effects spectacles that have no idea of how to tell a story or connect with an audience. Cameron did a masterful job.

[boynightwing]

What Avatar did accomplish was that it got people to come to a Sci Fi movie who would normally never do so. I saw old ladies, soccer moms, all kinds of people in line. I kept thinking "why are they here?". But its good. Maybe they liked it and will give other Sci Fi movies a try in the future.

Cameron makes Event movies. That's how the numbers get so high. (That and his movies are quality either in visual or story or in the case of Terminator 2 both) People want to be part of the event that was Avatar so they came out in crazy numbers. What sucked is that most theaters only have one or two screens capable of digital 3D so we were limited with our seating. My theater at the time it came out had one screen that was digital. It could seat about 300 people. It wasn't enough to meet demand. We had a 2D print on 35 mm film in our biggest house but nobody wanted to see it in 2D. This was another factor in creating a demand for the show because it ALWAYS sold out. People started showing up 3 hours before their show started. We had no place to put them where they wouldn't be a potential fire hazard. From my point of view, it was a little nerve wracking on a daily basis which is why I harbor a small resentment for the movie. Just like I do for Lord of the Rings.

There was one day towards the end of the theatrical run at my theater that sticks out in my mind. We have a Birthday Party package that we offer and someone wanted to have an Avatar party. Since it was already out for like 3 months at this point we decided it would be ok to do so. Part of the package is reserved seating for the BDay kids. There was a small line up. Not the typical huge one we were used to. But this guy in line completely lost his mind because we held 7 seats for a birthday. Not even great seats, just off to the side a few rows up. We ended up having to kick this guy out because his anger, language and behavior were over the top. He was screaming at this poor party at the top of his lungs! The movie wasn't even sold out. He had the whole rest of the theater to get seats from. I think the demand for the movie must have agitated him and he showed up super early when he didn't have to and got all stressed out over seating. I doubt he would have even been able to relax and enjoy the show even if the party had not been there. From my point of view, Avatar isn't worth getting kicked out of a theater for. It wasn't THAT good. Good yes, but not good enough to incite violence.