tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6753820.post2542735204257389263..comments2023-10-30T04:16:25.917-04:00Comments on Sentient Developments: Avatar: The good, the bad and uglyGeorgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13003484633933455827noreply@blogger.comBlogger14125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6753820.post-83433240857978538732010-01-12T04:34:07.431-05:002010-01-12T04:34:07.431-05:00As far as I am concerned the sci-fi movie of the y...As far as I am concerned the sci-fi movie of the year as a whole, including story, is District 9. The most spectacular is Avatar. Actually, I do not consider Avatar to be a sci-fi movie - it is an adventure movie. As such it is a great, great movie. And for me an adventure movie strength is not its story, as in Avatar, it is the spirit of the movie, although it is taken from Princess Mononoke...alffastarhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11221397759966081882noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6753820.post-11637269989128687872010-01-12T04:20:06.505-05:002010-01-12T04:20:06.505-05:00I agree with this review - my feelings exactly!
I...I agree with this review - my feelings exactly! <br />I tried to support this view here before I read this review:<br />http://messages.movies.yahoo.com/Movies/Films/threadview?m=tm&bn=12172484-hv1809804784f0&tid=545&mid=803&tof=10&rt=2&frt=2&off=1<br /><br />"Cameron also dipped heavily into one of Miyazaki's most famous films, Princess Mononoke. Indeed, one could say that he borrowed perhaps a bit too greedily." - I agree with the bit too greedily part :)alffastarhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11221397759966081882noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6753820.post-79493663584685393552010-01-09T10:45:04.599-05:002010-01-09T10:45:04.599-05:00http://freshmandenial.wordpress.com/2010/01/07/the...http://freshmandenial.wordpress.com/2010/01/07/the-top-5-reasons-people-say-avatar-sucks-and-why-theyre-wrong/#comment-590Maxwell Defiance Landbeckhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10099215332570283439noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6753820.post-27526610866402101072010-01-06T17:01:43.840-05:002010-01-06T17:01:43.840-05:00"And in this sense, the movie is a significan..."And in this sense, the movie is a significant let down. One that I'll gladly watch over and over again."<br /><br />My sentiments as well. Great review!Duffhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08800425116422980923noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6753820.post-43482499042478790232010-01-03T00:16:34.241-05:002010-01-03T00:16:34.241-05:00I thought the movie looked amazing. I really did l...I thought the movie looked amazing. I really did like it despite it's flaws. But wow those flaws were many.<br /><br />We only have one example of an inhabited planet. It may be we're typical. But it seems more likely an alien world wouldn't have so many direct parallels to earth. Pandora had the basic division of plants and animals, predator and prey. PZ Myers said if a planet like this were ever found he would have to start believing in intelligent design. Every species had six limbs and four eyes while the humanoids had four and two. They also kiss and have tear ducts.<br /><br />Another thing that always bothers me is disparity in technology. The humans not only have the ability to find and get to an alien solar system but had to use helicopters once there. They had detailed real-time satellite imagery but had to fight face to face rather than from space. They could combine whatever passes for alien dna with human dna but they couldn't figure out how to breath the air. They could transfer human consciousness but couldn't distribute some kind of nanotech to do the mining. They had interstellar relativistic travel, the ability to profoundly manipulate biology, they had a deep understanding of consciousness including how to transfer it. There's no way the aliens would even be able to detect a civilization that advanced if they didn't want them to.<br /><br />And that's before you get to the simplistic black and white plot. The good guys are always good. The bad guys are always bad. Beauty is good while ugliness is bad. They should have taken a page from District 9. There were just no shades of gray. If the corporate guy had only agonized a little more. If only they were there for some other reason than greed. Like the earth was hit by a comet or something and the human race was struggling to survive on the moon.Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05768758325874526546noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6753820.post-13418263212904044782009-12-30T23:46:42.284-05:002009-12-30T23:46:42.284-05:00With Avatar, a cinematic revolution doesn't be...With Avatar, a cinematic revolution doesn't begin so much as proceed into its next phase. <br /><br /><a href="http://www.kortr4.se" rel="nofollow">r4i software</a>Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13160466725971398930noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6753820.post-79367408727996721422009-12-27T09:51:45.332-05:002009-12-27T09:51:45.332-05:00i don't disagree with any of your points (exce...i don't disagree with any of your points (except for calling what neytiri rides a "wolf") but i would point out that what avatar is cribbing from is more an established genre, the story of the "noble savage" and the "cultured hero" who gets in touch with these spiritualistic roots. there are lots and lots of examples of this genre, the most prominent movie of which have already been named (dances with wolves), but there are many more examples, such as "the last samurai." it's hard to say that any one of these movies or stories is specifically ripping off one another, aside from the basic idea that modern society has somehow lost it's way and that we should turn to earlier, more spiritualistic and "in-tune" societies for answers to this problem. as to how one is going to feel about the story, well... everyone i saw it with was incredibly moved by nearly every facet of the story. we could all agree that cameron's dialogue was sometimes downright awful (the marines in particular. one more "get some" or "let's dance" would have had me tearing out my eardrums) but in general, we all tended to agree with the message so forcefully that we were willing to overlook these weaknesses. we also all recognized that certain types of people would never enjoy this movie. one nearby patron at our showing loudly asked why the marines had to be the bad guys, and it's a valid question. as to what gordon angelino said, above, i agree with your sentiment entirely, but i would be willing to argue that the story is not about throwbacks, but is instead about rampant capitalism gone wrong. the weakness of these stories does tend to be their reliance on "earlier times were better times" mentalities, but what they caution against, the blatant disconnect of modern man from any kind of understanding of balanced living in their daily lives, is a genuine threat.Natehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13339898758999065393noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6753820.post-39168192378987539392009-12-25T12:17:47.669-05:002009-12-25T12:17:47.669-05:00A disaster in all but F/X -- and even that not as ...A disaster in all but F/X -- and even that not as cutting-edge as touted. In short, another case of The Emperor's New Clothes.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.starshipreckless.com/blog/?p=1245" rel="nofollow">Jar Jar Binks Meets Pocahontas</a><br /><br />(also <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/athena-andreadis-phd/camerons-iavatari-jar-jar_b_402576.html" rel="nofollow">at HuffPo</a>, text-only)Athena Andreadishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07650180659001228746noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6753820.post-43086413507150158762009-12-24T01:20:59.270-05:002009-12-24T01:20:59.270-05:00A great movie visually but the man against nature ...A great movie visually but the man against nature theme was simplistic and politically VERY lopsided. The films message is simply garbage. Primitive cultures that simply do not want to advance are just marking time until an environmental discontinuity or more progressive culture wipes them out. <br /><br />For instance had the Americans stayed within the original 13 colonies, the Indians of North America would have been wiped out by the Russians instead! (the Russians holding far fewer regrets and being more heavy handed, about suppressing the Siberian "natives" then the U.S. Government was averaged over the last 300 years.<br /><br />Always remember that Human life is native only to the Claw Rift in Africa and we all colonized the rest, with fur coats and primitive shelters from the extreme cold and heat.<br /><br />Failing to advance is a deep and awful and avoidable failure indeed.Gordon Angelinohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01986905576289699462noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6753820.post-40114472003891874132009-12-23T16:19:15.081-05:002009-12-23T16:19:15.081-05:00@ZarPaulus tx fixed typo@ZarPaulus tx fixed typoGeorgehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13003484633933455827noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6753820.post-39118446904990150432009-12-23T12:06:52.671-05:002009-12-23T12:06:52.671-05:00Why can't someone employ beautiful aesthetics ...Why can't someone employ beautiful aesthetics to draw audiences along the thread of a difficult, sophisticated, challenging story? The trailer was more than sufficient for audiences to recapitulate this tired, worn theme. Heck, Dances With Wolves was probably more fair and more nuanced.<br /><br />In a sense, the whole movie is a travesty.Natohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05273666908715766390noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6753820.post-23441945329399798952009-12-23T11:08:49.530-05:002009-12-23T11:08:49.530-05:00First hour was ok, the rest of it was a cross betw...First hour was ok, the rest of it was a cross between Pocahontas and Dances with Wolves. The story line was really weak... What would have been really crappy was if the "evil corporation" would have realized the error of their ways, and worked in harmony to mine that metal... Kind of sucked really.. The aesthetic was great, and it was a "realistic" portrayal of what an alien world could look like.Aleksandar Matijacahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09534383895444231751noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6753820.post-47689017303848875512009-12-23T10:18:44.208-05:002009-12-23T10:18:44.208-05:00I haven't seen it yet, but I've heard it c...I haven't seen it yet, but I've heard it called "Dances With Wolves Recycled In Space". <br /><br />And I think it's spelled "Gaianism" not "Gainism" (seriously, try pronouncing it).ZarPaulushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10923548883992534673noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6753820.post-78870016730033941452009-12-22T22:21:00.409-05:002009-12-22T22:21:00.409-05:00I also thought of Disney's Pocahontas...a bit ...I also thought of Disney's Pocahontas...a bit on the lamer side but Grandmother Willow was awesome.Briana Francohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16742264507349801248noreply@blogger.com