Avatar (the movie) -- What are your thoughts?

Positives:

It's pretty. People like that. The 3D in Imax was mindboggling, if a little annoying at the hour-and-a-half mark- and mind you, that's a bit more than half way.

Problems:

The story is predictable, and the acting (with the exception of one or two of the researchers, who don't even get much screentime) is flat and uninteresting. It's a shame, because for once in his career Cameron wrote a script with discernible themes- there's one point where the big bad guy (who could have been replaced with a cardboard cut-out for all I care- he was horrendous) says, "How does it feel to betray your own race?" I mean, damn, that is heavy philosophy, and he paved right over it in monotone, "I AM THE ANTAGONIST" jarhead grumble. The movie is filled with moments like this- potential for emotional attachment, themes and metaphors that could have been mined and taken further, people killed we could have felt more for, all left out to rot. And the stink is hard to ignore.

Honestly, I think it should've been made like Fantasia, no words, just the visuals. Then the scary images instead of the scary acting would make us cringe.

On second thought, the entire story is essentially a sci-fi Pocahontas, so even the script has already been done.

I didn't like it much.

I kind of loved it more than anything I've ever seen in my entire life.
I thought it was fantastic. The animation was, obviously, ridiculously great. I thought the story line was wonderful and had an extremely powerful message. I liked Sigourney Weaver in her role, haven't seen her in anything in a while.
I saw it twice and both times I was equally amazed.

The only problem I had with it- those glasses are freaking annoying.

Avatar was a good movie, with spectacular animation. I did not have a chance to watch it in 3-d, but it still was great. It may not be as successful as Titanic or other famous James Cameron films, but it will be remembered. The plot line is pretty predictable after you learn where the biggest onoptanium deposit is. I was not completely obsessed with it like some of the people I know, but it was on the top of my mind. The animation was the star of the show, and it still blows my mind.

I think that Avatar is a great movie! It is a bit stereotypical about the humans but otherwise, it's amazing! I thought that when the mother-tree was fell, that was sad. The character design was great and the computer effects were very amazing. I like the idea of how the Navi can connect to other animals. In short, I like that movie!

I saw this movie recently and I thought it was fantastic. The CGI was just spectacular. I love looking at the floating mountains. The plot could've been a bit better explained. I thought that this movie was also extremely creative, with all the unique animals and plants. To sum it up this movie is great.

I also saw this movie and I thought it was wonderful. I wouldn't mind seeing it again. It was confusing in the beginning though. Because I wasn't sure why he was talking about how his brother had his life ended by a drunk driver in the beginning. Because I hadn't even known what the movie was about when I went to see it. But it was really good.
Sophie

I don't like James Cameron. I don't really know the man, so that's my problem more than his, but ever since his unctuous performance upon receiving the Oscar for Titanic (the directors of L.A. Confidential and the >i>Full Monty deserved to, but did NOT, win, I might add... and here's the link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xJp7Wd6Af2A the end is the killer) and the almost sickening accolades for Titanic which I thought was, at best, a B movie (simplistic plot, overwrought acting, manipulative scenes), I have felt annoyed that he, rather than some superb indie directors, has garnered so much attention.

So in my own shallow way, I had planned to boycott the film, much as I have decided that in my lifetime I will not ever, ever try grits and will never ever have another taste of sauerkraut. Part of it was Cameron, but I also have grown weary of computer graphics (CGI) and short takes (please, please give me a movie with no CGI and long takes), but several folks whose opinions to me matter urged me to go, saying the movie really was an experience to behold.

So I went, expecting to be annoyed at the dependence on CGI, at a simplistic plot line and at Cameron's penchant for bludgeoning the obvious.

Well, I was mesmerized. I felt the 3D (annoying glasses aside -- I mean really, do I have to wear TWO pairs of glasses?) brought me into the cinematic experience in ways that I had never felt before and the cumulative effect was to connect me to -- and make me believe in -- a fantasy, a world that does not, cannot exist. It felt real. The visuals were gorgeous. It was, as one critic has said, a beautiful movie.

So the technology got me. The CGI and 3D transfixed me. I was manipulated and didn't care. It drew me in. I found it enjoyable. And all the while I was, in agreement with Geist, very aware of the lack of acting, the simplistic, almost hackneyed plot and the dreary writing within the script.

But I didn't care.

Oh well. It was, simply, a pleasurable, fresh experience at the movies. It was not deep art. It was not great acting. But it was absolutely gorgeous, alluring and enjoyable. Much like a can of Red Bull on a foggy morning or a scoop of Cherry Garcia in a chocolate-dipped waffle cone on a hot summer day.

I commit to you now, though, I shall not watch the Oscars.
gg

Avatar was the best movie I have EVER seen. I thought that i was going to hate this movie because it looked really dumb but now it is my favorite movie ever.

wow. james camerons avatar is the movie epic I thought it would be when I first heard about it a year ago. Wow, just wow

ps try to see it in imax, breathtaking

Out of interest, since a lot of people are calling this the best movie ever-

what movies would you rank as your personal favorites?

I completely and utterly agree with Geist. Avatar was pretty to look at. I saw it in 3D and was blown away by the CGI. Well done, Cameron, on making the most expensive movie of all time.

But that's just all it was. Expensive and pretty. The story was one of the least original I'd ever witnessed (ever seen the crappy cartoon Atlantis ? Well if you have, don't bother with Avatar. It's identical.) and the characters were either ripped off (the girl alien=blue Pocahontas) or completely undeveloped (the main character. I had no understanding of who he was, what he wanted or what he cared about, and frankly I didn't care.). This movie was hyped up for being a revolution in filmmaking, but all I saw was some nice icing on the same drab hollywood fluff I've seen a million times before. It was very pretty fluff, but fluff all the same.

Granted , perhaps I am not the one to trust on this matter because I made it only as far as the big dramatic showdown at the end of the movie and actually fell asleep in the theatre, so maybe there were twists or characters or something worth noticing in the last half hour or so. But the fact is, what I saw was not one of the greatest movies I'd ever seen, but one of the worst. Unlike many bad movies I've sat through before, this one was pretentious, and was simply begging the audience to check out how shiny and colorful it was, as if that is the only factor in great cinematic art.

I personally enjoyed the film, as a whole I felt that, while it wasn't anything groundbreaking (in terms of storytelling), it wasn't a terrible movie either, there were redeeming qualities in the visuals and in the faith of the indigenous people. What Avatar did most for me was to give optimism and excitement for the future of computer generated graphics. Many of the techniques being pioneered in Avatar will find their way into other films (and perhaps not be used as a crutch in those films; I felt Cameron wanted too badly to show us how pretty he could make a film instead of how deep), and I feel this is a good thing, as immersion within your entertainment media is one of the keys to enjoying it.

If Avatar does nothing but show how we can immerse individuals within a completely fictitious world through visuals alone then we have hope: there are plenty of directors and writers who can give us a compelling story, now they can give us everything else too.

Noble House... good points.
(P.S. Have you read Shogun?)
gg

Well, being the occasionally prejudiced person I am, I walked into the theater (after waiting one and a half hours in line--ridiculous!) in utter despair, assuming the movie would be the worst one I've ever seen. Three hours later (much too long, don't you think?) I thought this would officially be my new favorite movie. The graphics were beautiful, the storyline amazing, and I didn't really mind the acting. There were parts that made me flinch (I'm more of the romantic sappy movie type) but I doubt I've ever been so engrossed in a movie. I didn't realize that James Cameron directed both this and Titanic (which is my favorite movie), and I guess that made it so much better!

I liked it, for the most part.
The glasses are awful. They're not made for people who already wear glasses, and I didn't feel like it was 3D enough for it to be worth wearing the glasses for three or so hours. Every once in awhile there'd be a tree seed floating unnaturally close, but I didn't think the 3D stuff was really great.
I liked the subtle political commentary in the plotline. That sort of made me think.
I felt like the movie went too fast at the end. Neytiri went through quite a few love/hate feelings flips towards Jake Sully in the last half hour. I don't think anyone was expecting the tree to fall down, though. I certainly wasn't.
I was sort of disappointed that they didn't spend more time on what it was like to turn into an avatar... It took less than ten seconds to completely defy all of human evolution by turning your body into a seven-foot tall blue person, and they hardly said anything about it. And also I thought the scene where he runs away from the hospital after he's an avatar was a little misplaced. There was nothing at all mentioned about his dangerous, blatant disobedience later, and it seemed more than a bit out of character.
The Unobtanium thing was sort of clever, but I think it must have been hard to say the line about the large deposit of Unobtainium right under their tree with a straight face.
It was beautiful, though. The floating mountains were brilliant. (Yes, the mountains were my favorite part.) The forest and all the outside Pandora scenes, for that matter, were beautiful.

I loved this movie, I didn't expect it to be so good. The preview was sort of off-putting to me but i thought that the movie itself was a pleasant surprise. I thought it was really cool how they made the natives of Pandora so life-like and how they had both them and the real-life people in the same parts together. I found the special effects incredible and I thoroughly enjoyed watching it. Also, I didn't see it in 3-D thank goodness, because they make me have a headache and not enjoy watching the movie.

This movie was incredible. I have seen it twice in 3D and I’m very excited to see it again. So much effort went into creating this movie, and making it one of the greatest movies of all time. I will be at the premier of the sequel and I can't wait for that day. The characters that were chosen in the movie fit perfectly. My favorite part of the movie was seeing how the Avatars connected with their habitat. This was amazing, and I can’t wait to see the next one.

I watched this movie in 2D and then in 3D and for me, it carried the same meaning. I feel a lot of people liked this movie because it was in 3D and I don't feel that way. It was good in 3D and 2D.

While watching this I think the writer was thinking of WWII and the destruction of the Native American tribes. I think this movie could be a message that different cultures like the Native Americans are important.

This movie was much like MJ's This Is It as I was filled with joy, happiness, and at the same time a sadness (especially when the film ended).

Avatar is going on my favorites list.

I am responding to oliverames' idea that it had a connection WWII. Unless your refering to the fact that america came out of nowhere to win the war, I'm thinkin jamestown/plymoth. I made the Native American conection insantly

So Avatar just won two Golden Globes and is expected to go on to win big at the Oscars.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/8464700.stm

Thoughts?

I have yet to hear anything about the plot. I can sort of guess that it's about somebody being put in a newly engineered body, but other than that... Nothing comprehensible. And I'm not even sure about that in the first place.

I've noticed people comparing it to Pocahontas; yep, I see that. Anybody seen the movie Dances With Wolves? We watched it in history class and I went "WOAH! It's the Avatar storyline!" And then I was corrected, and informed that the Avatar storyline was, in fact, the Dances With Wolves storyline.

It was pretty. It was very pretty. I liked that it was pretty.

So overall, plot=meh and already-done, visuals=OHMYGOD incredible.

This is what I think.