Forum Nerds Duke It Out Over Avatar

You probably haven’t heard much about Avatar. It’s just James Cameron’s latest half a billion dollar blockbuster appearing in every movie theater in the world. In IMAX. In 3D. Not to worry. We had our two resident geeks — ok two of them, there are many, many more — check it out. Unfortunately, they came back with conflicting reviews. So in the interest of fairness, and since reading them will still take less time than watching the two and a half hour epic, we figured we’d run both and let you decide who got it right, Carl or Kevin, in the comments. Winner gets dibs on the next alien invasion/love story review and the much-prized title, “Nerd of the Week.”

**Point: Avatar is ridiculous**

By Kevin Burke

Unlike most recent action movies, Avatar has a story and characters — and the story isn’t just a vehicle to show stuff blowing up and the good guy killing bad guys. But when you make the most anticipated movie to come along in years, it’s not simply enough to have a story; you need to have a good story. While Avatar is probably the most beautiful and interactive movie that’s come along in years, the subpar story hindered my enjoyment.

The Disney classic Pocahontas is a facile comparison for James Cameron’s movie, but the better fit (and the one from which almost the entire story is lifted) is Frank Herbert’s science fiction novel Dune. The plot in a nutshell [spoiler alert]: an inhospitable planet contains a resource essential to the Na’vi galaxy; an outsider finds his way among the natives, riding wild animals as initiation and fulfilling the local prophecies, falling in love with a local along the way; the prophet rallies the entire population of natives (who are all really good fighters, by the way), and they expel the outsiders. Unfortunately, Cameron’s changes mean that Avatar’s story is no match for Dune.

The central conflict of the story is that the humans want to mine a stash of valuable unobtainium, located directly below the Na’vi tribe’s giant home tree. Even though unobtainium has no apparent value to the Na’vi, they aren’t cooperating with the plan to chop down the tree, so the humans decide to risk interspecies war and the lives of hundreds of their own men by firebombing the tree and killing the tribe. But there’s a way easier solution, as I’ve shown in the picture:

TUNNEL DIAGONALLY AROUND THE TREE! You’re from the future! If you can figure out how to cryogenically suspend people for six years, you can probably figure out how to build a diagonal tunnel.

The hero of the movie is a white person (almost every human in the movie is white) who, through an avatar, becomes a Na’vi tribesman, and eventually their leader. This opens up the movie to another bit of delicious criticism from Annalee Newitz: “When whites fantasize about becoming other races, it’s only fun if they can blithely ignore the fundamental experience of being an oppressed racial group. Which is that you are oppressed, and nobody will let you be a leader of anything.” Indeed, if history is any guide, this story would have ended in crushing defeat for the Na’vi, as it has for nearly every indigenous society around the world. By ending the movie with the Na’vi triumphant, as the humans fly away, Cameron risks trivializing the horrific experience of every indigenous society that was annihilated at the hands of Europeans.

Furthermore, as New Yorker film critic David Denby points out, the fact that this anti-imperialist, anti-capitalist movie cost over $300 million to make, implements the latest technology and will be shown in almost every theater in the world is sublimely ironic. We may prefer our stories to be about the triumph of indigenous people, but only when they are packaged and sold to us by a global film company.

Avatar is beautiful and the amount of detail that went into creating the world, the plant life, the ship’s technology, and the animals is extraordinary. Cameron and his crew managed to solve the uncanny valley problem that plagued Polar Express and most Pixar movies. The 3D technology looks so good that it will probably be used in every movie in about five years. But everything in film starts with a story, and that’s where Avatar dropped the ball.

Counterpoint: I like pretty colors

By Carl Peaslee

My sister told me, “It’s just a rip off of Pocahontas.” And one of my other friends said, “It’s just The Matrix meets The Last Samuraii.” And I heard it was Brave Heart versus Jurassic Park. I even read one critic who described Avatar as “Our generation’s King Kong.”

…Ok. Um. Sorry, I’m going to stop everyone right now. First of all, our generation’s King Kong was … King Kong — and it made me never want to see a T-Rex fight a giant Gorilla again (thanks a lot, Peter Jackson).

Avatar is not Pocahantas meets The Matrix meets The Last Samuraii meets Jurassic Park meets Brave Heart. Avatar is Avatar. And I’m confident to say that Cameron’s film will be a milestone in cinematic history.

Not because of its story (it was lackluster), or its acting (it was subpar), but because of its production. Up until this weekend, I’ve never been so immersed in a filmmaker’s world. James Cameron’s world, the moon of Pandora, makes real life seem flat and boring. His neon fauna and glowing flora turn Claremont into a landscape drearier that a bowl of oatmeal.

When I first sat down during the previews my thoughts were, “Oh shit, I’m going to get a headache.” As the trailers progressed, Disney 3D animators hurled item after item at the audience. In those four short trailers I saw every single hackneyed 3D gag filmmakers have ever attempted. I seriously thought I was to about to have crap flung at the camera (literally) ad nauseam for the next three hours.

But twenty minutes into Avatar, I forgot that it was a “3D Movie.” The CGI characters and plastic glasses felt completely normal — that is until some speck of ash or pollen would float out from the IMAX screen, and I’d move to brush it away, only to smile at the sheer strength of the illusion.

In a humorous coincidence, I happened to watch Polar Express with my mom minutes before watching Avatar. The difference was mind blowing. James Cameron harnessed the technology that made the lovable Tom Hanks into a creepy Christmas abomination to make a no-name actor into an alien hero I felt I could touch — and an overgrown smurfette into a heroine I strangely wanted to touch.

Avatar is not a “3D Movie.” It is a movie that pushes three dimensional filmmaking beyond petty parlor tricks. I saw a pterodactyl reach through a helicopter and bite a mans head off. I saw two people kiss underneath a willow tree. I watched bullets whiz over my head. Avatar will change the way I watch movies — not just action movies, but all movies. There was deep focus, then there was sound, then there was color, now, there is Avatar.

lolkevin

Hey Kevin, ever heard of root biomass? Trees on earth die from mechanical damage and they’re not part of a planetary internet. Next “plothole”, please?
lolkevin

Hey Kevin, ever heard of root biomass? Trees on earth die from mechanical damage and they’re not part of a planetary internet. Next “plothole”, please?
http://jeremybmerrill.com Jeremy

Kevin, it seemed to me that the unobtainium was connected somehow to the magical upload/download network that the Na’vi use. Removing the unobtainium from beneath Hometree would make it not work anymore, I assumed.

But can we all agree that “unobtainium” is a stupid, stupid name for a pretend element?
http://jeremybmerrill.com Jeremy

Kevin, it seemed to me that the unobtainium was connected somehow to the magical upload/download network that the Na’vi use. Removing the unobtainium from beneath Hometree would make it not work anymore, I assumed.

But can we all agree that “unobtainium” is a stupid, stupid name for a pretend element?
Eric Tetz

The fact that you guys are arguing technical details, as if Avatar was hard scifi, shows that Cameron succeeded in creating a “patina of reality” over his fantasy epic. Perhaps too well.

As you appear lost in the trees, let me smack you in the face with the forest: Avatar features blue people flying dragons around floating rocks. You getting this? Avatar was inspired by A Prince of Mars. Pandora is Cameron’s Barsoom. Sully is his Carter, a soldier who closes his eyes and opens them on a fantastic alien word where he fights 6-legged beasts and wins the heart of the alien princess. And you’re derailed by how the 2-dimensional Evil Corp goes about getting it’s Unobtanium? Wow.

If the blogosphere had existed when Star Wars came out, how many nerds would have been ripping apart it’s plot holes? The Death Star is destroyed before it can reach the rebel’s moon base, because there’s a planet in it’s way. But only minutes before (screen time), it casually blows up a planet as a demonstration.

And “if history is any guide, this story would have ended in crushing defeat for the “, right?

Are you serious? What kind of revenge fantasy would that be?
Eric Tetz

The fact that you guys are arguing technical details, as if Avatar was hard scifi, shows that Cameron succeeded in creating a “patina of reality” over his fantasy epic. Perhaps too well.

As you appear lost in the trees, let me smack you in the face with the forest: Avatar features blue people flying dragons around floating rocks. You getting this? Avatar was inspired by A Prince of Mars. Pandora is Cameron’s Barsoom. Sully is his Carter, a soldier who closes his eyes and opens them on a fantastic alien word where he fights 6-legged beasts and wins the heart of the alien princess. And you’re derailed by how the 2-dimensional Evil Corp goes about getting it’s Unobtanium? Wow.

If the blogosphere had existed when Star Wars came out, how many nerds would have been ripping apart it’s plot holes? The Death Star is destroyed before it can reach the rebel’s moon base, because there’s a planet in it’s way. But only minutes before (screen time), it casually blows up a planet as a demonstration.

And “if history is any guide, this story would have ended in crushing defeat for the “, right?

Are you serious? What kind of revenge fantasy would that be?
Eric Tetz

FIXED: “If history is any guide, this story would have ended in crushing defeat for the Rebels”, right?
Eric Tetz

FIXED: “If history is any guide, this story would have ended in crushing defeat for the Rebels”, right?
Tyler

@Jeremy : I believe that ‘Unubtanium’ was the intended name of the element, in an attempt to mimic the last few elements on the current periodic chart. (e.g. Ununilium). It’s not exactly following the naming conventions, but the ‘tanium’ is meant to imply it’s a metal

The name was also used in Core.

‘Unobtanium’ is a phonetic spelling, and thus seems kinda corny.

The movie was great, and these reviews offer some interesting ideas. Thanks!
Tyler

@Jeremy : I believe that ‘Unubtanium’ was the intended name of the element, in an attempt to mimic the last few elements on the current periodic chart. (e.g. Ununilium). It’s not exactly following the naming conventions, but the ‘tanium’ is meant to imply it’s a metal

The name was also used in Core.

‘Unobtanium’ is a phonetic spelling, and thus seems kinda corny.

The movie was great, and these reviews offer some interesting ideas. Thanks!
Davidwr99

“There was deep focus, then there was sound, then there was color, now, there is Avatar.” I could not agree more. Yes the story was predictable and sub par, but the movie overall was amazing.
Davidwr99

“There was deep focus, then there was sound, then there was color, now, there is Avatar.” I could not agree more. Yes the story was predictable and sub par, but the movie overall was amazing.
dune fanatic

Seriously? Dune has about as much in common with avatar as any story where “a stanger comes to town”–which is, as the saying goes, half the stories ever written. Where’s the bene gesserit? Where’s the noble house intrigue? Where’s the goddamn meditations on space and time? I expect your apology shortly.
dune fanatic

Seriously? Dune has about as much in common with avatar as any story where “a stanger comes to town”–which is, as the saying goes, half the stories ever written. Where’s the bene gesserit? Where’s the noble house intrigue? Where’s the goddamn meditations on space and time? I expect your apology shortly.
Eric Tetz

@Tyler: Unobtanium is a commonly used term in geek culture. Give James some credit. He’s a pretty hardcore geek, it was a deliberate reference not a failure of imagination.
Eric Tetz

@Tyler: Unobtanium is a commonly used term in geek culture. Give James some credit. He’s a pretty hardcore geek, it was a deliberate reference not a failure of imagination.
Tyler

They never spelled it in the movie, did they? I’m not criticizing the movie on that point whatsoever, I was making the point that it would make more sense for people criticizing the movie to term it ‘unubtanium.’

And therefore, in response to people calling it a ‘stupid, stupid name for a pretend element,’ it’s actually quite fitting.
Tyler

They never spelled it in the movie, did they? I’m not criticizing the movie on that point whatsoever, I was making the point that it would make more sense for people criticizing the movie to term it ‘unubtanium.’

And therefore, in response to people calling it a ‘stupid, stupid name for a pretend element,’ it’s actually quite fitting.
Dave

For those not in on the joke “Unobtanium” is a tongue-in-cheek term long used by engineers and physicists (since the 50′s) and picked up by sci-fi for a materiel that satisfies the impossible requirements at hand but does not and could not actually exist. In the case of Avatar it’s the magic element that will save Earth from the doom of having pillaged all of its own vital natural resources. It’s a joke within a joke. Most of you kids are too young to know that.
Dave

For those not in on the joke “Unobtanium” is a tongue-in-cheek term long used by engineers and physicists (since the 50′s) and picked up by sci-fi for a materiel that satisfies the impossible requirements at hand but does not and could not actually exist. In the case of Avatar it’s the magic element that will save Earth from the doom of having pillaged all of its own vital natural resources. It’s a joke within a joke. Most of you kids are too young to know that.
Eric Tetz

One more thing: I need to disagree with Carl that the acting in this movie was “lackluster”. As far as I’m concerned, it made the movie.

Worthington’s Sully conveys a contagious sense of wonder and excitement in his discovery of Pandora, while Saldana’s Neytiri is so passionate and emotional that people are talking about Oscar nominations (despite her costume being computer generated). She makes us fall in love with her, and the chemistry between the leads transcends the technology. If it wasn’t for their performances, I think this really would have been the hollow special effects showcase some accuse it of being, but they give the movie real heart (a lot like Titanic).
Eric Tetz

One more thing: I need to disagree with Carl that the acting in this movie was “lackluster”. As far as I’m concerned, it made the movie.

Worthington’s Sully conveys a contagious sense of wonder and excitement in his discovery of Pandora, while Saldana’s Neytiri is so passionate and emotional that people are talking about Oscar nominations (despite her costume being computer generated). She makes us fall in love with her, and the chemistry between the leads transcends the technology. If it wasn’t for their performances, I think this really would have been the hollow special effects showcase some accuse it of being, but they give the movie real heart (a lot like Titanic).
Nico

Zoe Saldana does NOT deserve an Oscar nod, I know people keep saying that but I could not disagree more. She was so over-the-top, always with the fake kid crying oy, cringe-worthy. I could not stand that stupid character. As for Stephen Lang in his inspired turn as the ‘roided octogenarian villain, well that is a man who deserves an Academy Award.
Nico

Zoe Saldana does NOT deserve an Oscar nod, I know people keep saying that but I could not disagree more. She was so over-the-top, always with the fake kid crying oy, cringe-worthy. I could not stand that stupid character. As for Stephen Lang in his inspired turn as the ‘roided octogenarian villain, well that is a man who deserves an Academy Award.
Drew

http://kotaku.com/384789/the-uncanny-valley-explained-in-terms-of-porn-and-star-wars

More explanation of the uncanny valley.
Drew

http://kotaku.com/384789/the-uncanny-valley-explained-in-terms-of-porn-and-star-wars

More explanation of the uncanny valley.
tlb

I agree with BOTH reviews.

It was stunning to see. Especially in IMAX. It evokes the same kind of ‘wow’ awe that 2001: A Space Odessy, Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, and I imagine Wizard of Oz did when they first came out.

Storywise, never occurred to me to compare to either Dune or Pocohantas (for which my cousin was animation director). I was thinking Lawrence of Arabia, Little Big Man, Dances with Wolves, and yes, Last Samurai with a smattering of Return of the Jedi and Lord of the Rings thrown in. The last battle scene is just the forest battle scene from Jedi with 9 foot tall blue humanoids spliced in for Ewoks.

Way too preachy and self-righteous plot-wise. But jeez, it’s something to see in 3D IMAX.
tlb

I agree with BOTH reviews.

It was stunning to see. Especially in IMAX. It evokes the same kind of ‘wow’ awe that 2001: A Space Odessy, Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, and I imagine Wizard of Oz did when they first came out.

Storywise, never occurred to me to compare to either Dune or Pocohantas (for which my cousin was animation director). I was thinking Lawrence of Arabia, Little Big Man, Dances with Wolves, and yes, Last Samurai with a smattering of Return of the Jedi and Lord of the Rings thrown in. The last battle scene is just the forest battle scene from Jedi with 9 foot tall blue humanoids spliced in for Ewoks.

Way too preachy and self-righteous plot-wise. But jeez, it’s something to see in 3D IMAX.
Matt

I found the movie to totally emirs the audience in the world the James Cameron created. You can definitely tell that he is an underwater enthusiast as there were many underwater references (the whole bioluminescence thing), which makes it hard to relate the movie to one like Dune. So I agree with Dune Fanatic. Yes the story was predictable but come on when you make a movie like this you want to put in a decent story but your main focus is going to be bringing the audience into the movie. Cameron did this with flying colors. No really there were so many colors.
Matt

I found the movie to totally emirs the audience in the world the James Cameron created. You can definitely tell that he is an underwater enthusiast as there were many underwater references (the whole bioluminescence thing), which makes it hard to relate the movie to one like Dune. So I agree with Dune Fanatic. Yes the story was predictable but come on when you make a movie like this you want to put in a decent story but your main focus is going to be bringing the audience into the movie. Cameron did this with flying colors. No really there were so many colors.
cameron

the best film i have seen thats what films a supposed to to take you on a journey amazing !!!
cameron

the best film i have seen thats what films a supposed to to take you on a journey amazing !!!
Ross

Carl definitely got it right! I thought this film was sensational, and all aspects of the movie were covered by Cameron. Even Sam Worthington’s accent is convincing enough to make you feel as if you are in another world. One thing that upset the flow of the film was Jake Sully’s initial willingness to take on the role of a spy for the military, which then turned into a betrayal of the Na’vi. His acceptance by this peace loving race, and consequent disposal by the chief heads is poor. I have to remark that although 3D is not particularly new, it puts you in another dimension on this occasion (the only time to see a movie in 3D apart from the first 5 mins where the movie reel had been accidentally switched with Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs (also in 3d)).

Although Kevin suggests that the American firm drilling for the unobtainable ‘Unobtainium’ could just drill sideways, wouldn’t that just waste audience time by NOT creating an interspecies war, and cool visual effects such as the firebombs and destruction that follows.

The film was in its own right, satisfying.
Ross

Carl definitely got it right! I thought this film was sensational, and all aspects of the movie were covered by Cameron. Even Sam Worthington’s accent is convincing enough to make you feel as if you are in another world. One thing that upset the flow of the film was Jake Sully’s initial willingness to take on the role of a spy for the military, which then turned into a betrayal of the Na’vi. His acceptance by this peace loving race, and consequent disposal by the chief heads is poor. I have to remark that although 3D is not particularly new, it puts you in another dimension on this occasion (the only time to see a movie in 3D apart from the first 5 mins where the movie reel had been accidentally switched with Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs (also in 3d)).

Although Kevin suggests that the American firm drilling for the unobtainable ‘Unobtainium’ could just drill sideways, wouldn’t that just waste audience time by NOT creating an interspecies war, and cool visual effects such as the firebombs and destruction that follows.

The film was in its own right, satisfying.
Brian

OK! I am so excited to see this movie. Me and friends are going to see it at IMAX tommorow. I’m sold on the hype.
Brian

OK! I am so excited to see this movie. Me and friends are going to see it at IMAX tommorow. I’m sold on the hype.
John Rowe

My girlfriend wants to know were the title of the movie came from. What is the signifcance of the name in regards to the movie?
John Rowe

My girlfriend wants to know were the title of the movie came from. What is the signifcance of the name in regards to the movie?
Eric Tetz

@John Rowe

The word comes from Hinduism, where it refers to the physical body that a deity manifests in. It means something similar online: the digital “body” that a person manifest in (like a “forum avatar” is the picture that represents you on a discussion forum; in an video game your avatar might be a 3D model). In the movie, Jake has a biological avatar.
Eric Tetz

@John Rowe

The word comes from Hinduism, where it refers to the physical body that a deity manifests in. It means something similar online: the digital “body” that a person manifest in (like a “forum avatar” is the picture that represents you on a discussion forum; in an video game your avatar might be a 3D model). In the movie, Jake has a biological avatar.
Allen

I enjoyed the movie. Many years ago I read either a book or short story about a planet visited by humans where the natives had a ‘connection’ to their planet not all that dissimilar to Pandora. I remember the author took some time to explain the nature of this connection; he called it ‘emfolding.’

Does anyone happen to recall the title or author?

Thanks.
Allen

I enjoyed the movie. Many years ago I read either a book or short story about a planet visited by humans where the natives had a ‘connection’ to their planet not all that dissimilar to Pandora. I remember the author took some time to explain the nature of this connection; he called it ‘emfolding.’

Does anyone happen to recall the title or author?

Thanks.
bigchris1313

I am skeptical of Burke’s and Peaslee’s geek credentials. Burke inexplicably neglects to mention that Dune’s plot is more complex than that of Avatar by orders of magnitude (well, at least one order of magnitude). This puzzling omission not only misrepresents the nigh barbaric level of simplicity of Avatar in comparison to Dune but also does a grave disservice to Mr. Herbert’s magnum opus for reasons that previous posters have already touched on. Burke also appears to have never heard of unobtainium, which even a casual TV Tropes reader should understand.

Peaslee meanwhile gives the reader little reason to believe he’s a geek, unless casually citing The Matrix and commenting on the subtlety of Cameron’s 3D use qualify as geek currency. Of course, a non-geek critic could do either just as easily, calling these possible criteria into question.

I am going to need evidence more concrete than editorial Word of God if I’m to believe that either Burke or Peaslee qualifies as a geek . Please explain why all my base are belong to these two gentlemen rather than vice versa. Thank you.

Brad Walters

Aww, Chris, I miss you.
http://kburke.org Kevin Burke

Chris, obviously any movie will be simpler than a book. I type on a Dvorak keyboard.

bigchris1313

I am skeptical of Burke’s and Peaslee’s geek credentials. Burke inexplicably neglects to mention that Dune’s plot is more complex than that of Avatar by orders of magnitude (well, at least one order of magnitude). This puzzling omission not only misrepresents the nigh barbaric level of simplicity of Avatar in comparison to Dune but also does a grave disservice to Mr. Herbert’s magnum opus for reasons that previous posters have already touched on. Burke also appears to have never heard of unobtainium, which even a casual TV Tropes reader should understand.

Peaslee meanwhile gives the reader little reason to believe he’s a geek, unless casually citing The Matrix and commenting on the subtlety of Cameron’s 3D use qualify as geek currency. Of course, a non-geek critic could do either just as easily, calling these possible criteria into question.

I am going to need evidence more concrete than editorial Word of God if I’m to believe that either Burke or Peaslee qualifies as a geek . Please explain why all my base are belong to these two gentlemen rather than vice versa. Thank you.

Brad Walters

Aww, Chris, I miss you.
http://kburke.org Kevin Burke

Chris, obviously any movie will be simpler than a book. I type on a Dvorak keyboard.

.

its just Fern Gully on roids
.

its just Fern Gully on roids
Charles C. Johnson

All I have to say is after the Na’vi beat the humans, they would come right back if that unobtainium is as precious as they say it is, and next time, they would gas the little smurfs.

Of course, the movie was really a rip off of Fern Gully.
Charles C. Johnson

All I have to say is after the Na’vi beat the humans, they would come right back if that unobtainium is as precious as they say it is, and next time, they would gas the little smurfs.

Of course, the movie was really a rip off of Fern Gully.
Hayley

“Yes the story was predictable and sub par, but the movie overall was amazing.”

Really? Someone seriously wrote that? Since when is a predictable plotline and acting sub par the ingredients for an overall amazing movie?

Overall amazing movies include: the original star wars trilogy, moulin rouge — heck even the harry potter movies or freakin’ iron man.

it is not enough to make something that is appealing to a singular sense, such as avatar which appeals only to the sense of sight.

we as humans have way too much depth to be drawn in to something so superficial. acting – poor. storyline – poor.

i’m saddened by the reality that America lets crap like this explode into pop culture.
Hayley

“Yes the story was predictable and sub par, but the movie overall was amazing.”

Really? Someone seriously wrote that? Since when is a predictable plotline and acting sub par the ingredients for an overall amazing movie?

Overall amazing movies include: the original star wars trilogy, moulin rouge — heck even the harry potter movies or freakin’ iron man.

it is not enough to make something that is appealing to a singular sense, such as avatar which appeals only to the sense of sight.

we as humans have way too much depth to be drawn in to something so superficial. acting – poor. storyline – poor.

i’m saddened by the reality that America lets crap like this explode into pop culture.
dave

i have just read a story on people that have seen avatar who feel depressed and suicidal after seeing avatar really people GET A GRIP ON YOURSELVES it is a movie pure FANTASY yes it is an idilic scenario but it aint gunna happen !!!!! also there is a certain element that is calling it RACIAL you also need to get a grip on reality NOT everthing is racially motivated i didnt see anbody bitching when WILL SMITH saved the world on INDEPENDANCE DAY come on people maybe we should follow the example set by AVATAR and get on with life as the human race and forget all this other CRAP regardless of whether or not we like it iam sure that there is more important things to concern our selves with
dave

i have just read a story on people that have seen avatar who feel depressed and suicidal after seeing avatar really people GET A GRIP ON YOURSELVES it is a movie pure FANTASY yes it is an idilic scenario but it aint gunna happen !!!!! also there is a certain element that is calling it RACIAL you also need to get a grip on reality NOT everthing is racially motivated i didnt see anbody bitching when WILL SMITH saved the world on INDEPENDANCE DAY come on people maybe we should follow the example set by AVATAR and get on with life as the human race and forget all this other CRAP regardless of whether or not we like it iam sure that there is more important things to concern our selves with
ureallynerd

Carl Peaslee is lame. Ironically, the crappy story is the best thing about Avatar because it frees up uninformed idiots (CP to name one) to gush about the production. Some of the best scenes like the floating islands have been impressively imagined by a legion of anime artists that have come before. We have bought their work and are thankful for it. Similarly, everything in the movie has come before. The large cargo handling bot came from his Aliens. And the landscape was so cheesy – there was nothing in it that suggested a simple realism. There is only so much one can achieve by appealing to the senses – and that is what the production does. You don’t get it? Even the production needs to have an intellectual angle. Some landscapes and scenes will be less interesting. When every frame screams look at me it just feels…wrong. Trying to explain this to a fan of Avatar would be most Quixotic.
ureallynerd

Carl Peaslee is lame. Ironically, the crappy story is the best thing about Avatar because it frees up uninformed idiots (CP to name one) to gush about the production. Some of the best scenes like the floating islands have been impressively imagined by a legion of anime artists that have come before. We have bought their work and are thankful for it. Similarly, everything in the movie has come before. The large cargo handling bot came from his Aliens. And the landscape was so cheesy – there was nothing in it that suggested a simple realism. There is only so much one can achieve by appealing to the senses – and that is what the production does. You don’t get it? Even the production needs to have an intellectual angle. Some landscapes and scenes will be less interesting. When every frame screams look at me it just feels…wrong. Trying to explain this to a fan of Avatar would be most Quixotic.

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