Avatar (2009)

[Wojo 2,453]

The love story seems hopelessly over-complicated from the get go.

You got that from a 90 second teaser with 3 words of dialogue?

Partially. Wikipedia helped.

Zoe Saldana's female Na’vi falls in love with the main character, Sam Worthington. Only that isn't entirely him that she falls in love with. He's telepathically linked to the genetically engineered "Avatar" so that he can walk around in the Pandora atmosphere, which is a big step for him considering he's in a wheelchair and the native air is toxic to humans (meaning ours is probably toxic to Na’vi). She's not in love with Sam Worthington, she's in love with an otherwise braindead Na’vi that he just happens to be parading around in. Unless he somehow breaks that very fact to her, and she says "Oh I love you anyways," in that slinky sexy blue catlike alien kind of way, "now rub my tail."

No, I don't know exactly *how* the telepathic uplink works based on a 90 second teaser with 3 words of dialogue. If somebody at Mission Control pulls the plug on the uplink, does Worthington die on the bed Matrix-style? Does his Avatar go into a coma out there in the field, with Zoe's Na’vi holding his lifeless body until they reconnect the link? Does the Avatar have a redundant consciousness as a backup, so that it starts walking around on its own? This would be a bizarre "Invasion of the Bodysnatchers" style plot, where the humans are the bodysnatchers. Can an Avatar breed with a native-born Na’vi, and if so, will the offspring be sentient or be a blank waiting for a human uplink?

We don't *know* the answers to those questions. But based on the questions, yes, the "love story" seems doomed to fail. If it can be made to work, that's probably why the movie's being made, and is why I will go see it, because I don't think Cameron's the kind of guy to spend a decade on a failure. Some directors do, but Cameron won't.

[John Crichton 4]

It's an interesting concept, actually. Not just the love story, but the whole thing.

[Quintus 5,399]

It was only ever a matter of time.

Check out the frankly awesome blink at you miss it dig at Lucas, which can surely be nothing less than deliberate.

[Wojo 2,453]

I picked up on at least four digs.

[A24 4,326]

It was only ever a matter of time.

Check out the frankly awesome blink at you miss it dig at Lucas, which can surely be nothing less than deliberate.

Stalin? Anyway, my stomach hurts from laughing.

[Quintus 5,399]

Stalin

[Wojo 2,453]

Ok, I heard the Stalin reference the second time through. Watching it frame by frame...did not help.

I preferred the Hollywood opiate of technology before story, surrounded by yes men. If that's not Lucas, nothing is.

[Luke Skywalker 1,792]

Ok, I heard the Stalin reference the second time through. Watching it frame by frame...did not help.

I preferred the Hollywood opiate of technology before story, surrounded by yes men. If that's not Lucas, nothing is.

cameron seem to have his lot of yesmen too.

if not he forces them to

[A24 4,326]

James Cameron: I want the aliens to have ... pointy ears ... like Mr. Spock. Okay?

FX men: Brilliant thinking, Mr. Cameron.

[Wojo 2,453]

Ok, I heard the Stalin reference the second time through. Watching it frame by frame...did not help.

I preferred the Hollywood opiate of technology before story, surrounded by yes men. If that's not Lucas, nothing is.

cameron seem to have his lot of yesmen too.

if not he forces them to

And Lucas has Rick McCallum.

Pointy ears like Mr. Spock? And blue fur and tails, too? I think the pointy ears just go with the blue jungle cat approach.

[A24 4,326]

Pointy ears like Mr. Spock? And blue fur and tails, too? I think the pointy ears just go with the blue jungle cat approach.

Humanoids with blue fur, tails and pointy ears ... so brilliant!

[Wojo 2,453]

Pointy ears like Mr. Spock? And blue fur and tails, too? I think the pointy ears just go with the blue jungle cat approach.

Humanoids with blue fur, tails and pointy ears ... so brilliant!

Kinda like The Littles painted blue like Smurfs.

[pixie_twinkle 48]

Just saw the preview at the screening of Inglourious Basterds. It looks good, but very cartoony! I hope James Cameron was going for an animated look as opposed to a more realistic one. It almost looked like Pixar from the preview.

[Luke Skywalker 1,792]

Ok, I heard the Stalin reference the second time through. Watching it frame by frame...did not help.

I preferred the Hollywood opiate of technology before story, surrounded by yes men. If that's not Lucas, nothing is.

cameron seem to have his lot of yesmen too.

if not he forces them to

And Lucas has Rick McCallum.

but he is like that, he hasnt been forced... that was the joke...

I hope James Cameron was going for an animated look as opposed to a more realistic one. It almost looked like Pixar from the preview.

you didnt read/heard Cameron saying they had achieved CGI photorealism?

Epic fail, i suppose...

[A24 4,326]

Even if Cameron says, "Don't be so harsh on us, we were going for an animated look", I wouldn't believe it. You can see and feel that their intention was 'photorealism'.

Alex

[pixie_twinkle 48]

you didnt read/heard Cameron saying they had achieved CGI photorealism?

Epic fail, i suppose...

Oops

[Luke Skywalker 1,792]

man he has been saying that two years now...by the least

[Ollie 1,059]

Saw this link over at FSM concerning the score:

http://moviescoremagazine.com/2009/10/avatar-score-will-be-epic-hugely-cinematic/

Nothing important but the hype is high.

[Luke Skywalker 1,792]

I cant believe williams gets hardly any hype (outside these forums) and horner does, while he is an living autopilot.

maybe he will deliver this time. about time, really.

[publicist 4,643]

I cant believe williams gets hardly any hype (outside these forums) and horner does, while he is an living autopilot.

Yes, i vividly remember all the hype Horner got for doing 'Boy in the Striped Pyjama', 'Life before her Eyes' and dozens of other low profile films...it's just the movie, man!

[Ollie 1,059]

I cannot believe anyone would suggest Williams has not gotten his share of hype, plus it seems his recording sessions are a bit more guarded. At the time of KOTCS it was reported that the scoring sessions were locked down to only those involved in the production. So some of the sites that report on stuff like this were unable to get inside.

Of course people fail to realize that outside this forum other composers exist. John Williams gets plenty of hype, when he's actually scoring a film, which hasn't happened too much as of late.

But people must not read the main page of this website because plenty of articles exist and get posted by Ricard pertaining to Williams and scores.

[Charlie Brigden 7]

I cannot believe anyone would suggest Williams has not gotten his share of hype, plus it seems his recording sessions are a bit more guarded. At the time of KOTCS it was reported that the scoring sessions were locked down to only those involved in the production. So some of the sites that report on stuff like this were unable to get inside.

Of course people fail to realize that outside this forum other composers exist. John Williams gets plenty of hype, when he's actually scoring a film, which hasn't happened too much as of late.

But people must not read the main page of this website because plenty of articles exist and get posted by Ricard pertaining to Williams and scores.

Yeah, I mean it's not as if there wasn't ridiculous hype concerning KOTCS. AVATAR has one thread, KOTCS had like fifteen before it came out.

[John Crichton 4]

Williams gets no hype? Have we already forgotten the prequels?

[Luke Skywalker 1,792]

I cannot believe anyone would suggest Williams has not gotten his share of hype, plus it seems his recording sessions are a bit more guarded. At the time of KOTCS it was reported that the scoring sessions were locked down to only those involved in the production. So some of the sites that report on stuff like this were unable to get inside.

Of course people fail to realize that outside this forum other composers exist. John Williams gets plenty of hype, when he's actually scoring a film, which hasn't happened too much as of late.

But people must not read the main page of this website because plenty of articles exist and get posted by Ricard pertaining to Williams and scores.

Yeah, I mean it's not as if there wasn't ridiculous hype concerning KOTCS. AVATAR has one thread, KOTCS had like fifteen before it came out.

what àrt of 'outside these forums' you did noy read?

And the prequels...well, TPM got hype. The other two just got Anti-hype...

[TownerFan 4,983]

On the revamped official site of the movie, you can hear snippets of James Horner's score.

As I predicted... it's shakuhachi/panpipes hell!

BTW, the new trailer looks HUGE.

[Luke Skywalker 1,792]

On the revamped official site of the movie, you can hear snippets of James Horner's score.

As I predicted... it's shakuhachi/panpipes hell!

BTW, the new trailer looks HUGE.

there was one snipped that sounded like Lion kings simba and nala (younglings) music.

Propper for the cartoon film, rather strange for an epic film...

It doesnt sound 'sourcy' it sounds childish

[Neimoidian 14]

Frankly, the trailer didn't excite me at all. Not to mention that the music used in it was horrible.

As for the fragments of Horner's score, they sound like any other Horner's already generic "Indian" music. Nothing I didn't expect.

[John Crichton 4]

*sigh* I suppose it was too much to ask an old, lazy dog to pick up some new tricks. Or the ones he did so well 25 or so years ago.

[A24 4,326]

"Creative peaks usally occur during the start of a career." - Alex Cremers

[publicist 4,643]

Let's not forget that Horner is a hired hand. When Cameron demands Apocalypto meets Mighty Joe Young, he will get it.

[TownerFan 4,983]

I think Horner is now such a successful film composer that he should be much more than a mere hired hand. Let's put aside all the nonsensical hype the movie is surrounded with: Horner has a great occasion here because he's writing the music to an original, sci-fi/fantasy piece, where he can create not just a musical underscore, but a huge musical landscape. Sure, he has to answer to his director and satisfy his requests (as all film composers have to), but he's in a position where he can mantain a lot of his own ideas into his scores.

[Neimoidian 14]

I think Horner is now such a successful film composer that he should be much more than a mere hired hand. Let's put aside all the nonsensical hype the movie is surrounded with: Horner has a great occasion here because he's writing the music to an original, sci-fi/fantasy piece, where he can create not just a musical underscore, but a huge musical landscape. Sure, he has to answer to his director and satisfy his requests (as all film composers have to), but he's in a position where he can mantain a lot of his own ideas into his scores.

He can, but in his case it means he just regurgitates his own, already old ideas.

[TownerFan 4,983]

That's the problem with Horner.

[publicist 4,643]

That's the problem with Horner.

Just let's wait until we haver heard the whole thing before we start nailing the coffin, he?

[TownerFan 4,983]

Of course. I'm quite curious to hear the whole score.

[Koray Savas 2,251]

This movie looks fucking awesome! I was already sold but now I'm highly anticipating this. Looks great.

[Kevin 22]

What's the big deal about the movies anyway?

[Wojo 2,453]

The only thing this movie has going for it is the visual effects. From this trailer, the story looks even more like direct rips of other allegorical tales.

A diplomat or soldier is ordered to relocate or subjugate a weaker party for economic gain, but turns against his own people and takes up arms with "the other side," placing ethics above bloodlines, sex above career.

Didn't we have a sci-fi movie with this same plot about ten years ago?

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120844/

[Koray Savas 2,251]

Yes, the story isn't anything new, but the context is, and honestly, that's what matters.

[Josh500 1,615]

I think this is going to be very successful, although not as successful as Titanic (of course).

Many moviegoers will be curious, just because it's James Cameron.

[John Crichton 4]

That's the problem with Horner.

Just let's wait until we haver heard the whole thing before we start nailing the coffin, he?

Hammer, nails, and coffin measurements on standby.

[Quintus 5,399]

I'm sold. Film looks like a rollicking sci-fi spectacular for Christmas, which is exactly what I was hoping for. Hopefully it will be more Star Wars and less AotC, but lets face it - Cameron is a director with talent, so I'm confident he knows what he's doing, unlike Lucas.

Nice to hear Jablonsky's The Island at the beginning of the trailer. Rest of music used was typical trailer fair, as to be expected...duh.

And for those who can't stand bombastic sci-fi movies like Cameron's latest, well I'm sure there will be a little independent cinema nearby which is playing 2001: A Space Odyssey again, on Christmas Eve. Failing that, Moon will be released on dvd pretty soon. Either way, everyone's a winner!

[A24 4,326]

Yes, the story isn't anything new, but the context is, and honestly, that's what matters.

The context being it's in 3-D?

[Koray Savas 2,251]

No, the context is everything besides the "guy experiences the other side, joins them and fights for them" scenario.

[Charlie Brigden 7]

Hmm. New trailer... laughed quite a few times. The effects look better, but the general vein just makes it sound horribly cheesy. The music certainly didn't help, but even the action shots just seemed dull. Felt like an inspirational army video at the beginning, maybe that was Cameron's point. I'll see it, but I'm not necessarily enthused. And if we're making Lucas comparisons, his movies have much better trailers.

[A24 4,326]

Bad trailer, good movie?

Anyway, I fail to see how Avatar is going to be anything more than just another ride at the fair.

Alex

[Charlie Brigden 7]

Bad trailer, good movie?

That was the opposite for most of the prequels, so let's hope it's reversed here. Then again, the art of trailer making seems to have been lost lately save for people like Pixar. I haven't really been excited for a film through its trailer since KOTCS, and we all know how that turned out.

[AI 0]

The trailer is heavily accented on action and visual effects.

But this is a James Cameron film, so it will no doubt have a lot of humor and a great story.

I trust that it will be an awesome movie.

[John Crichton 4]

Anyway, I fail to see how Avatar is going to be anything more than just another ride at the fair.

Maybe I'm getting really cynical in my old age, but I can't help but feel this too. A very overhyped one, at that. Hope I'm wrong, though.

[JoeinAR 1,949]

Bad trailer, good movie?

Anyway, I fail to see how Avatar is going to be anything more than just another ride at the fair.

Alex

'

and rides at the fair are beneath Alex?