Avatar (2009)

[Xero]

It just looks bad. Doesn't have to do with the film genre. If they can't even make a trailer that doesn't bore me halfway through then theres no way I could take a 2 1/2 hour movie. I'd consider downloading a bootleg version but even thats a waste of bandwidth. Plus his last was Titanic.. ****in shoot me in the head so I can forget like wolverine.

[gigapixels Veteran]

This is going down as one of my favorite movies of all time. It was visually stunning, and I personally thought the story was fantastic (and definitely realistic at its core... humans destroying an indigenous people for greed). I'm not sure why anybody's complaining about the story. Even after 2 and a half hours I wanted it to continue.

Anyway, I'm terrible at articulating my thoughts, but all I can say is I cannot recommend people to go see this enough.

EDIT: The only thing that bothered me was Michelle Rodriguez and her cheesy lines. It's like the wrote that character just for her... which was a shame.

Edited December 19, 2009 by gigapixels

[SuperJediMedia]

I love Sci-Fi and Fantasy but have no interest in this movie

Then, go see the movie before you judge it not interesting, man! Seriously!

Give it A CHANCE!!!

You are willing to give 100s of bad movies a chance but not this?

Edited December 19, 2009 by JediXAngel

[SuperJediMedia]

If they can't even make a trailer that doesn't bore me halfway through then theres no way I could take a 2 1/2 hour movie.

Really? I thought the trailer was absolutely EPIC!

Did you watch this one, right?

[jonhapimp]

For the first time ever i agree with Jedi go see the freakin movie before you tear down like that

[Xero]

I'm sure a lot of people liked lord of the rings, I thought they were boring. And about 2:20 Jedi, thats when I had enough ;) There's a little too much fantasy in that sci-fi cocktail.

[yxz]

I'm sure a lot of people liked lord of the rings, I thought they were boring. And about 2:20 Jedi, thats when I had enough ;) There's a little too much fantasy in that sci-fi cocktail.

ooooooOOOOOO

[Dashel]

Yawn, its Dancing with Smurfs. Cameron has become an emperor with no clothes.

[_neutrino Veteran]

I saw this movie and i have to say it is actually really really good. wrote up a small NO spoiler review on my blog here at Neowin.

[Schwa83]

Went to see this movie last night in 3D.

Wow! What a thrill. Just like many others have said already, the visuals are superb. Visceral, immersive, and gorgeous. The characters were superb, very believable and fully of emotion. I can understand the critique towards the story, however I thought that it is still an important one. While watching the movie I was very sad for the Na'Vi, and afterwards it made me sad to think how our own history is not much different then what was portrayed in the movie. So while the story may be familiar, it's still an important one and still resonates.

I was very pleased that the romantic part of the movie was not overblown or melodramatic. It was a nice touch and again, very beautiful.

The level of detail they put into this movie was astounding. I truly hope it does really well because I want to see the two sequels that James Cameron has ideas for.

Overall, best movie I've seen this year. 9/10.

[SuperJediMedia]

It's not about sequels, to me it's about justice and deserving and I think this movie totally deserves generating Double money it costed to make.

[Phantom Helix]

It's not about sequels, to me it's about justice and deserving and I think this movie totally deserves generating Double money it costed to make.

if it only makes double than it is not a very successful film

[Kev1n]

I watched this two days ago. I woke up today with Avatar still in my mind. I'm not sure if this is a masterpiece just yet, but Cameron surely has done something quite spectacular with this. And I'm not just talking about the technical aspects of the film. The storytelling and pacing here are unmatched by any other movie I've seen this year. Jim Cameron is back people, and it's like he never left. Yes the story is conventional. Yes the characters are very black and white. And despite all that the result is a terrifically entertaining movie of the highest order.

What I truly like about the movie, is what made people like Star Wars in the first place. A simple story told extraordinarily. A world that sweeps you away and sucks you in. The world of Pandora is actually original. It's very mythic, and normally I dont like mythic, but this time it really worked for me. All the little details, like the floating jellyfish-like tree seed and the way the Na'vi and the creatures bond, all add to the richness of Pandora and the story. .Movies about good vs evil like this need not be in any way complicated, it just needs to be told correctly, it just needs to nudge you into unequivocally picking the good side, it just needs you to fully get behind the main character, it just needs to make you feel like punching the air when Jake shouts "This is our land!", it just needs to make you want the main character to live and not die. And in my opinion Cameron delivers. And maybe 'just' is the wrong word I'm using, because I can't remember the last time an epic movie like this managed all that.

The visuals and 3D effects are impressive, but I'm still not totally convinced it's the medium of the future. Cameron knows how to use it, but others might not, and not every movie will have a $300 million budget greenlit. Plus I don't think he really went for photo-realism. It isn't photo-realistic, it's more fantasy-realistic if you get what I mean. A lot of it has to do with the colour pallete, but in any case I must say the foliage and water and fire look breathtaking. What this movie managed was take a step forward, but it's hard to see when the next step will occur, or what 10 steps ahead will look like, so yes, I'm not totally convinced.

Horror-action, sci-fi action, comedy-action, and romance-action... and now fantasy-action, Cameron has done them all.

[+Warwagon MVC]

Just got back from the film. Went to go see it with my parents. At the end of the movie my mom clapped, she actually clapped. She never claps. Plus she gave it an A+ , she RARELY gives out A's to movies. yes it was that good. This is the kind of movie that should be experienced in the theater.

[JonathanVP]

I just saw the movie too and my wife and I liked it very much! Looks a seqel be a comming (afterall, the humans don't like their arses kicked!!)

[+Warwagon MVC]

In the movie I got the feeling that the Corporal Lyle Wainfleet was entirely CG. Was he?

[Electric Jolt]

This is going down as one of my favorite movies of all time. It was visually stunning, and I personally thought the story was fantastic (and definitely realistic at its core... humans destroying an indigenous people for greed). I'm not sure why anybody's complaining about the story. Even after 2 and a half hours I wanted it to continue.

Anyway, I'm terrible at articulating my thoughts, but all I can say is I cannot recommend people to go see this enough.

EDIT: The only thing that bothered me was Michelle Rodriguez and her cheesy lines. It's like the wrote that character just for her... which was a shame.

On Wikipedia, it says Cameron wanted to work with her since Girlfight. I thought she did a good part.

I think this movie is great as far as graphics and 3D go, but it's just sad. Not as sad as Titanic, but it's just sad seeing their land being taken like that. I mean, hello, doesn't anybody remember germans killing jews? This is just like that, they are taking what they want in this movie and you see the natives so emotional, it makes me feel bad. I think it is terrible what the humans are doing, for once you see the good guys being the bad guys. I had never thought aliens would be the good guys, but in this they are.

I think the way of life is so much more advanced, I wish I was one of them lol. I believe in God, but imagining a world where praying can be done by syncing your DNA with a tree sounds so much more insuring the souls heard you. When the animals are synced with the DNA of the people, they can control them. I just can't get over the fact of their networking, it's more advanced than our social networking like Facebook and Twitter.

:D

[gigapixels Veteran]

On Wikipedia, it says Cameron wanted to work with her since Girlfight. I thought she did a good part.

Eh, I saw it again (just got back) and she wasn't as bad as I first though, but still... none of her lines seemed sincere to me. I think her part could have been played better, but it's not that big of a deal when you look at the movie as a whole.

[SuperJediMedia]

Good review, Kev1n :D

And Michelle is actually cute with the Warpaint! :)

[KZWings]

I saw it in IMAX 3D. Really good movie. Not sure if i'll have time to see it again in the theater, but i'll definitely be purchasing it on blu-ray.

I'm not sure a lot of people will agree with me on this, but the only problem i had with the movie is that i wish it was longer. Or, this should have been 'Avatar: Part II', or a sequel.

There could have been so much more of a story that was told. Who are the Na'vi? How did humans find them? How did we get there? The Na'vi seem like such a fascinating race, they could have their own movie. Or i wanted to learn more about the main characters. The movie started and we're already on their planet with no back-story.

But...with the majority of today's "movie audience" the way it is, most wouldn't have liked it if it was slower, or added "too much" story. After all, Hollywood is out to just make money.

But anyway, awesome movie and it was definitely worth the money and time spent to see it. Recommended ;)

Edited December 20, 2009 by KZWings

[Spacce]

Loved the movie, saw it last night...

I honestly wish it was longer, I don't know if it was 3d effects or the story but the movie did stand out alot.

I don't know if I am correct or I was just being delusional but did anyone notice that Sigourney Weaver had like 1 or 2 lines like she did in her alien movies? I can't remember the lines on the top of my head but when she said a couple lines it just reminded me of Alien and Aliens

[Snowl]

This movie is great. I watched it in 3D but didn't see the effects :( (i think) but I still loved it. I am so buying this on blu-ray :)

[John Freeman]

Maybe in few months or years ill feel different, but those years waiting for this were well worth it. Movies like this are the tent poles of the decade. With Matrix (including it’s not so bright sequels) and Lord of the Rings trilogy at one end and Avatar at other. Its the experience that makes you love cinema, a huge celebration for why we love cinema as place of escapism, both in thematic terms and visually. It just doesn’t align in to any traditional criteria. Yes, its the same old story we all know, yes, it is predictable in many ways, BUT THAT DOESN’T MATTER. No. It’s all so well executed – from little details to huge action scenes, you just lack words to express it. Probably if you’d look up explanation of word “Awesome” its that. Feeling of awe. I know word “awesome” is overused to no end, but its that. There’s not a single shot there wouldn’t be something to gaze at it. At times I felt just like Jeff from Totally Rad Show, just getting misty eyed just from the pure visual triumph of what has been achieved. It’s more vivid than your most colorful dreams. From start to finish, when Cameron seems to bump it all to 11 with indeed mind blowing scenes both visually and action wise (see everything after destruction of Hometree) and really satisfying ending which went almost to hand to hand fight (in some way equally satisfying as Inglourious Basterds ending with Hitler’s face being tenderized with bullets, it let you feel the anger). Oh, yes, and while we are at it – Stephen Lang’s Quaritch – hes the definition of badass.

As the impression still havent settled in my head (and i dont expect them to do so for some time) ill just try to answer the big question – is this the game changer everyone’s been talking about? Well, partially. From digital film-making process it definitely is – Volume, Simulcam (or whatever you call it), Fusion 3D cameras and whatnot. That’s just mindblowing, and I sure do hope thers tens of hours of extras whenever Bluray comes out. Also youve never seen anything like this. But from regular viewer standpoint its just better. Better CG, better 3D, better everything, but not really new. As when your this close to perfection you have to push harder and harder and the results are less and less noticeable.

As you may see it i enjoyed it thoroughly. And am definitely going to see few more times after Christmas. Where does this stand in my this years top? Nowhere, this has a place in before mentioned decades big movie top.

Edited December 21, 2009 by John Freeman

[+Anarkii Subscriber²]

So with the first reviews here over-doing it with the romance side of things, and the past couple of days more real reviews came in, specially a great one from Harry from Aintitcoolnews - and what he said made me go and see this movie.

I brought my IMAX 3D ticket, and sat down expecting a 3 hour snore fest, thinking back to the steaming pile of poo that is Titanic. Then as the movie started, I think it was 10 mins in I was fully engrossed with this Jake character.

Not going into any spoilers, but the 3D, the CGI and IMAX really make for a jaw-dropping experience. I definately will be getting this on BluRay.

Story - 8/10 - done countless times before, but this time, was done correctly and originally.

Acting - 9/10 - the only person to 'spoil' this was Michelle Rodrigez. It wasn't so much her acting, it was just that she over acted her scenes and her lines were very corny - eg: "you're not the only one with guns, bitch'

CGI - 10/10 - This movie is the new standard in movie special effects. It really is as simple as that.

Giving it a over all score of 9/10

If we put the blame on Uwe Boll for the direction of Titanic (lets face it, Titanic was THAT bad), then James Cameron has his grove back.

[azz0r_wugg]

Love, love, love this film.