Avatar

[Brats]

There's a lot about Avatar that reminds me of Titanic. Not in story or setting, but in what makes both films good and bad:

New standard in special effects - Check
Unlikeable, one dimensional characters (apart from the female lead) - Check
Horrible, cheesey ballad over end credits - Check
Action scenes being the best bit - Check
Pretensions to be something more worthy than it is - Check
Massively predictable plot - Check
Laughably bad love scene - Check

I suspect that like Titanic, the critical opinion of Avatar will drop like a stone over the next few years and it'll fill bargain shelves in every supermarket.

[elaniel]

Avatar will smash Titanic's all-time box office record tonight, says The Hollywood Reporter.

James Cameron's 3D science fiction blockbuster currently sits at $1.841 billion in worldwide ticket sales, close behind the final total for his last film Titanic's $1.843 billion haul. The movie is expected to cross Titanic's gross when tonight's tallies are calculated.

Doesn't look to be a flop then.

[MJ]

How to look like Neytiri:

[Neon Ignition]

Big numbers for it now, eyes seem to be moving to see how it fares for final takings as if you adjust for inflation it's hovering around the 25th highest grossing film of all time marker but has a steady pace behind it still so will likely get quite close to the top.

[Sam The Man]

The plot in particular was the most obvious, predictable story I've seen for ages. I saw Sherlock Holmes last week and whilst not brilliant, it at least had parts where I thought 'I didn't expect that' but I never had that with Avatar.

Aliens had one of the most Obvious predictable plots and yet is a brilliant action film and one of the best of the 80s. An Unpredictable plot does not necessarily make a great film.

[Brats]

It sure as hell helps though.

Aliens' setup was unique at the time. Soldiers descend onto a foreign land thinking they will brush any threat aside and get their arses kicked by the 'primitive' invaders. Avatar's by comparison is as old as the hills and features in many a Western.

Plus the signposting in Avatar made it much worse. Aliens may have been predictable if you took time out to think about it, but Avatar gave away so much in the script that it was hard not to. If Aliens had been written by Cameron today, we probably would have heard the marines talking about the ceiling of the control tower and how it was a possible weak point.

The fact that Aliens is an out and out action film also means that a predictable plot is less of an issue. Avatar tries to be something more and needs something more orginal and suprising. On that aspect, it fails.

[Sam The Man]

Well it may of failed in not offering the most unpredictable plot there has been but it succeded in everything else. The world of Pandora was fantastically realised and you really felt like you were a part of that world. The Navi also were fantastic particularly Neytiri. Ok they didnt go into too much detail with alot of the Navi but that will be for the sequel. The main bad guy Colnel Quaritich was an excellent character and the creatures that inhabited the world of Pandora were also incredible looking and unique.

At the end of the day there are lots of films that are entirely predictable even more so than Avatar but are great films. If you read the L.O.T.R books then the films would be the most predictable ever for you but does that make them bad films?

Avatar is a great movie that people are paying to see more than once and sometimes more than twice and is now the highest grossing film of all time.

[Brats]

If you read my first post properly, you'd have seen that the predictable plot wasn't the only thing I thought was under par. The script and the characters (except Neytiri) were not good, so I disagree that it 'succeeded in everything else'.

The script in particular is a major negative. If you can quote me some fantastic lines from Avatar I'd be interested to read them, because I certainly didn't hear them when i watched the film.

And highest grossing film means bugger all when it comes to quality. It's a showpiece film and for many it's the first 3D film many people have ever seen. So from that point of view it's become a must see. But once 3D becomes established and Avatar is viewed under the cold light of time, I doubt it will be viewed as a classic, very much like Titanic which was the best seling film before it.

[MJ]

If you can quote me some fantastic lines from Avatar I'd be interested to read them

"My Jake!"

[nakamura]

Well it may of failed in not offering the most unpredictable plot there has been but it succeded in everything else. The world of Pandora was fantastically realised and you really felt like you were a part of that world. The Navi also were fantastic particularly Neytiri. Ok they didnt go into too much detail with alot of the Navi but that will be for the sequel. The main bad guy Colnel Quaritich was an excellent character and the creatures that inhabited the world of Pandora were also incredible looking and unique.

At the end of the day there are lots of films that are entirely predictable even more so than Avatar but are great films. If you read the L.O.T.R books then the films would be the most predictable ever for you but does that make them bad films?

Avatar is a great movie that people are paying to see more than once and sometimes more than twice and is now the highest grossing film of all time.

Virtually everything you mention in the top paragraph is about the 'world' of Pandora which basically means the graphics. Thats what this movie is about.
The fact that this movie is 3D is its main selling point and the reason people are paying to see it again as pointed out by Brats.

Also to say the LotR books make the films predictable, well, thats rather a silly statement isn't it?
There is nothing wrong with a predictable movie, it just depends how blatantly it is pointed out and really the quality of the script to back it up.

[dataDave]

I'm going to see this with my workmates again on Tuesday, which is fine, but then I feel sorry for my mum so I'm taking her to see it on Thursday. Then when I visit Malaysia next week the Mrs. wants to see it too.

Two times is alright, but four times is going to take the pissock.

[Matt]

If you read the L.O.T.R books then the films would be the most predictable ever for you....

That could be the most stupid thing ever written on the internet

Seriously, that's comedy gold right there

I wish this place allowed signatures. Come on Charles, can we?

[Sam The Man]

Well all you have to look at is its the highest grossing film of all time. The characters are great, the plot is great, the set pieces are great, and the world and atmosphere is great. Almost all the critics praised it and almost everyone iv spoken to who's seen it loved it (except the haters on here). So to say a film isn't worth seeing because its predictable is foolish.

And Martin (Nakamura) one of your fave films is Battle Royale so your not in a position to criticise especially when you havn't seen Avatar and call the Star Wars films silly pantomime. Although i did laugh alot when you said after viewing clips of Avatar that the Navi looked like they were from a low budget PS2 RPG!

And as for the 3d its something i never cared for. I enjoyed it more when i saw it the 2nd time in 2d.

[Brats]

For the record:

1) I'm not a hater. I'm glad I saw the film, but I did think it had problems in some key areas that meant it wasn't anything like as good as it could have been. Just because I don't think it's amazing like you, doesn't make me a 'hater' (come on - we're not in pre-school).
2) I never said it wasn't worth seeing because it had a predictable plot. You're making things up.

And just saying 'the characters are great' isn't an argument. If you don't back up your points, then you're not really in a position to argue an alternative opinion.

[Sam The Man]

Well the thing is i never said it was an amazing film i just think it deserves all the success it gets and on a scale of 1 - 10 with 10 being a Godfather Part 2 or Terminator 2 id give it a solid 8 and think its definitely worth watching. I think the relationship between Jake and Neytiri was great and the way it unfolded via Jake reporting his progress on his relations with her and the Navi race in his video diary was also great. I agree with the fact that the plot and characters were underdeveloped but i dont agree with it being totally predictable.

And as for the 3d its ironic because it was the 1 thing i didnt care for and thought it was a bit of a gimmick. I went to see it in Imax though so i cant comment on the other 3d that its available in.

Im now hoping that James Camerons next film which i hear will be Battle Angel is going to offer all the visual thrills that Avatar did as well as an imaginary world and a deeper plot to boot.