Avatar (by James Cameron)

[Cognitive Gear]

Not that "The Last Airbender" show. An original sci-fi epic by the creator of Terminator, Aliens, The Abyss, and Titanic.

The teaser trailer was just released today.

I'm not sure what to think just yet. I'll have impressions tomorrow night after I get back from the 16 minute preview screening.

[Scarecrow]

Finally!

I have to admit I was hyped up a bit about FINALLY seeing a trailer just cause they kept such a tight lid on it and wouldn't show us hardly anything before hand.

Anyway, it looks fun but I do not think this is really CGI that is gonna revolutionize the way movies are made. It honestly looks/feels more like an extremely well made and animated movie than a live action with uncanny and realistic special effects.

[Cognitive Gear]

Ok, here are some 1080p screenshots that I found:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v291/jettjett/vlcsnap-94153.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v291/jettjett/vlcsnap-97270.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v291/jettjett/vlcsnap-96052.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v291/jettjett/vlcsnap-94887.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v291/jettjett/vlcsnap-96613.jpg

These are some of the more favorable shots, and this shows CGI that is pretty well above and beyond what we've been getting. The problem is that the trailer seems like it isn't consistent with this level of detail/realism.

[bigsleepj]

Heh woah.

[Scarecrow]

Oh I wasn't saying it was bad. I have a hi def monitor and watched the whole thing 1080p but I was just saying it feels more like a cartoon. I think from what I was expecting, it's a lot different (though a lot better than I was expecting as well since I've always preferred cartoons and such to live action anyway... this is like... a realistic cartoon).

For this being touted "the movie that will revolutionize how movies are made" though, it's not like knocking my socks off as far as realism (characters anyway.. the environments look incredible) but maybe were just spoiled now?

[Scarecrow]

How was the 16 minutes? Yea or nea?

[Maledicte]

No matter what it looks like, the movie as a whole still looks exciting, and that's really all I'm asking for.

[mechana2015]

I'm not buying the whole 'revolutionize the VFX industry thing', but maybe I'm just bitter that he's been working on this and not Battle Angel.

The trailer really didn't remind me of a movies so much as a lot of the video game trailers I've been seeing for the more detailed games. Perhaps the slower scenes will be better at showing off CGI. Other than that I looked at it and through it was a Mass Effect game thing. It looks interesting in both story and visuals, but I just don't see the whole 'game changing aspect' that they're preaching all over the place.

[Cognitive Gear]

So, on Friday night I got to see the 3D IMAX preview.

Wow. I was tentatively impressed with the CG work in the trailer, but the trailer really doesn't convey what the real "revolutionary" (I think it's more "evolutionary", but hype is hype) technology can do.

It's really not the quality of the CG. WETA is a great FX company, but they haven't produced anything that we haven't become accustomed to seeing. The tech that they used that really had a very strong impact on me was the motion capture. This goes very, very far to sell the illusion that is CG, and couple this with the actually good 3D tech and you have a whole different experience.

We've had motion capture for a long time, but this new tech is on a new level. The performance given by the actor is preserved. This takes things from "That CG character was voiced by..." to "That character is played by..."

Add to this the new 3D tech, and you have a very convincing and natural feeling movie experience.

[sdzero]

Honestly, I was not that impressed by it. I do not why...I guess none of it really caught my attention. But at least now I know where the Blue Man Group comes from.

[Scarecrow]

Trailer for the video game: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fdE8QL_V2nc&feature=fvhl

Movie video games are usually crap but that actually looks pretty nice (it'll probably still be garbage but anyway).

[Roy Mustang]

The teaser trailer for James Cameron's Avatar underwhelmed the Web at the same time that the preview of about 16 minutes of footage wowed audiences who were lucky enough to screen it in IMAX 3-D on "Avatar Day" last Friday, and star Sam Worthington argues that was the plan all along.

"It's got a heck of a lot of hype," Worthington told a group of reporters in London last Friday. "I read all what was said yesterday about the ... trailer. I can see their point. But, as I said, it wasn't meant to be built for an Apple Mac. It's built for IMAX. It's built for 3-D. That's what [Cameron]'s designed it for. He's designed it to bring people back to the cinema."

Worthington added: "It's interesting that he's released that trailer, that Jim's gone and done that, and then the next day goes and shows it on IMAX. One extreme to the other. We get the criticism, and then we get the rave reviews of what it really looks like in its own formula. That's obviously going to get people to think and go, 'Well, darn right. I'm going to go see this at the cinema.' Jim has always said to me he wants to bring people back to the movies. And he's a smart enough man to ... to be tactical."

Worthington spoke with reporters on "Avatar Day" but had yet to see the footage or trailer himself. "My mates have all gone and seen it," he said. "They say it's a lot better than it is on the teaser. You're meant to see in on the IMAX. I haven't seen it on the IMAX]."

As for the film itself, Worthington said that he did not feel any pressure while playing the role of Jake Sully, an ex-Marine thrust into hostilities on an alien planet filled with exotic life forms. As an "avatar," a human mind in an alien body, he is torn between two worlds in a desperate fight for his own survival and that of the indigenous people. (Avatar opens Dec. 18.)

"I'll tell you, with Avatar, it felt like an Australian film," Worthington said. "That's mainly because Jim closes you off. And Jim protects you. But I'd be stupid to say you don't want to make epic-scale movies when I was growing up. I like doing movies that I would go and see. You know? ... It feels big when you see, say, the set, but when you're doing the scene, and you're in the moment, it doesn't feel like, 'Ooh, isn't this cool? I'm doing such a big movie.' I think as soon as it starts to feel like that, I'm going to call time out, because my head's wrong."

Worthington also argued that the famously dictatorial Cameron was actually very collaborative on set. "Ultimate collaborator," he said. "Ultimate collaborator. He's the boss. He'll have final say. But he'll tell you, 'Give me what you got.' And the first thing I ever said to him, 'I've got nothing to lose, man. I'll give you everything.' So I threw everything at him, every idea, everything, and he'll whittle it down to get what he wants. But ... that's your job, is to offer and offer and offer. If you're, you know, designing one of the plants, one of the spaceships, the guys would give him a hundred, a thousand different designs, and Jim would go take that from that and this from this and put it all together to get Jim Cameron's [version].

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[font="Book Antiqua"][color="Red"]Col. Roy Mustang[/color][/font]

[ShiroiHikari]

I just watched the teaser in HD, and the first time I didn't think much of it, so I watched it again. Honestly, I think this is the best CGI I've ever seen. I just hope the movie has a good story, too.

[Peanut]

Last night, I caught the teaser trailer (I think) at while watching Inglorious B*******. It looked interesting and I have to admit, I want to see this movie now...but yeah...I don't really think it looked that revolutionary. Hopefully it will be good...

[Cognitive Gear]

New, non-teaser style trailer!

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[Cognitive Gear]

So...

I just got back from seeing it in IMAX 3D. Pandora is real, and I can't wait to go back. That's my story, and I'm sticking to it.

Ok, so I should probably note that the movie isn't without it's flaws, but it is a solid James Cameron movie. See it if you can!

[steenajack]

I saw it yesterday in 3-D. X3 Very, VERY well done!!!!!!

[Silent Seraph]

Thats good going to go see it after CHRISTmas YAY!! So don't ruin it for me

[LadyRushia]

It was really pretty and had cool fight scenes, but I felt like I was watching a Miyazaki movie at a lot of points. I didn't feel it offered anything new on the story front, although there was one scene that made me really sad.

[Okami94]

I saw it yesterday in 3D. It was ahmazin! The story was well made. I was worried it was going to be a 2 hour tech demo, but it ended up being my movie of 2009. It is def. a must see!

[Etoh*the*Greato]

Well that bodes well for my still wanting to watch it... Hope I can find the time.

[mechana2015]

I didn't feel it offered anything new on the story front, although there was one scene that made me really sad.

I agree. The graphics really carried the story (and I saw it in 2D) and kept the entertainment level high, despite the typical story structure and plot, and they kept the movie from becoming something dissapointing since the plot elements were presented so well in most cases that they improved the entertainment value of the movie.

[LadyRushia]

What nearly killed it for me was the romance story line. It felt forced and moved too quickly in my opinion.
[SPOILER]I laughed at the makeout/sex scene and at the part where Jake was like "At first I only came here to convince you to move, BUT THEN I FELL IN LOVE" or something along those lines.[/SPOILER]
The ending still surprised me though, even though there was really no other option if you think about it. Also, that chick who helped them out and piloted those helicopter things is awesome.

[mechana2015]

What nearly killed it for me was the romance story line. It felt forced and moved too quickly in my opinion.

The ending still surprised me though, even though there was really no other option if you think about it.

I agree about the fast romance. Theoretically the movie takes place over 3 months, so there's a lot of interaction that's implied, but the time isn't felt in the movie.

I knew about 2/3 of the way through the movie that it had to end that way, and I would have been rather shocked if it hadn't.

[Cognitive Gear]

Yeah, this movie is very formulaic, but I think that, especially in this film's case, it's more about how the story was told. It's a classic tale for a reason.

Apparently there is about 12 minutes of cut footage that may end up in the director's cut. I'm hoping that some of that is dedicated to fleshing out the romance more. It's unfortunate that runtime is the enemy of the studio's bottom line.

[Blitzkrieg1701]

Honestly, Avatar bored me. There wasn't anything about the plot that I hadn't already seen MANY times beforehand, and I didn't really like it much THOSE times, either. I didn't find any of the characters very likable either (aside from the bad guy, weirdly enough) so that didn't help much.

I mean, yeah it's pretty and I'm glad I saw it on a big screen, but whenever things weren't flying or blowing up (and, sometimes, even when they were) I was really wanting to be somewhere else.

[Winry]

I just saw it tonight and really enjoyed it! I thought the storyline was very predictable, but I never got bored. The special effects were amazing. I think I may have to see it again in 3D =)

Wish I had a Banshee to fly me around...

[chibiphonebooth]

i really liked this movie.

I guess it's the artist in me, but i loved the artistic direction in the movie. :3

[Scarecrow]

I just saw it today finally. I thought it was totally awesome. Predictable story line, yes, and had it been done any other way, this would have failed hard. But artistically, it was one of the most amazing movies I've ever seen. I've never sat through a movie with a huge grin on my face the whole movie. I was just in total awe of the visuals. The plants, creatures, the scenery, the colors. And many scenes it felt like you were right there! I wanted to reach out and touch everything.

I've seen a few 3D movies before but nothing like this. Rather than having stuff pop out of the screen, the 3D here was mostly used just to create depth and space. Like looking through a window (and this effect was strengthened anytime there was a camera shot looking out or into a window. I guess the glass enhanced the illusion that you were standing right outside the window looking out/in).

Need to see this again before it leaves theatres. It wont be the same on the small screen or in 2D. Trailer proves that. And watching the creatures and stuff. They weren't that impressive on my computer but, in the theatre? Wow. I haven't felt that much in awe watching a movie since Jurassic Park.

Cameron says he already has a story idea for Avatar 2... now that he has the world created and all set up and fleshed out, hopefully he can work on creating a much more unique and interesting story (though I don't see what the sequel could be)

[LadyRushia]

A sequel? Hmm. One of my thoughts after seeing the movie was that it would work better as a series, but I don't really see where a sequel could come from.