Avatar and why I like it!

[Ghel]

I very much enjoyed Avatar. I just watched it tonight for the first time.

Yes, the plot is very simple and obvious. Plotwise, there's no major surprises. From what we all know of the movie industry, we can tell the entire plot from the previews.

Yes, it's very pretty. We all know that. That's one of the selling points of the movie. But it's incidental next to

The Science! Oh, yes, the science. (Ok, it's mostly science fiction, but still...) Grace is, by far, my favorite character in the movie. She may also be my favorite portrayal of a scientist in any movie (but I'll have to think on that one for a bit). It isn't simply that all life forms are interconnected. It's that the life forms have similar structures (for instance, all the "mammals" we see in the movie have two sets of forelegs, except for the Na'vi, for some reason). It's that Grace wanted to get samples of everything, even when mortally wounded. It's that the floating mountains seemed to be balanced between the gravity wells of Pandora and the neighboring planet. It's that when the tribe captured Jake the first time, they held a knife up to his "ponytail." These were the details that made the movie worth watching.

[jackfaire]

I am a mass

I am a pretentious dick.


There are obscure movies with depth and great storytelling that I love. There are movies that are shallow let's see how much stuff we can blow up that I love.

I don't judge people for liking either. There are movies I do not and cannot connect with their are other movies that touch me deeply.

There are movies that are considered deep but seem more about "see the two pretty boys make out" but doesn't really get anyone talking about the issues. Just the way it is. I don't think there is such a thing as dumbing down art.

[Lace Neil Singer]

I've seen Avatar, but not at the cinema. I have to say, I really don't see what all the hype is about. The story is cliched for one; for another, I have an aversion about movies being "Let's throw in some super special effects and then no-one will notice that the plot is cack!", tho I will watch a movie just so no-one can act as tho I don't have a right to bitch. However, I will not fork out for cinema tickets or pay in any way to see it.

[AdminAssistant]

... Not really. They still reliving trama.

Not every actor does it that way, of course. Many do extensive character work, or are in control of their body enough that they can turn tears on and off like a spigot. "Sense memory" and "emotion memory" are extremely dangerous, IMO. As Laurence Olivier said to Dustin Hoffman on the set of Marathon Man, "Try acting, it's much easier."

I didn't see the Hurt Locker because to me it just looked like another straight to DVD war movie (was it even in theaters? I don't remember seeing it there). I don't like war movies, therefore I didn't watch it. I could care less about what movie wins what awards, I watch based on my interest, and yes, I Enjoyed Avatar because it was good entertainment, I could escape my life for a few hours. I don't see what's wrong with that.

The Hurt Locker had a fairly limited initial release. It wasn't until awards season geared up that the movie began to get a lot of attention.

One of the primary purposes of film (theatre, television, music) is to entertain. Obviously, if you don't like war films The Hurt Locker isn't for you. I don't like effects-heavy movies with no substance, so Avatar isn't for me.

Scenes in movies are rarely done in one take. They do it multiple times, "Oh, you blinked, oh the light isn't right..." etc. 'Touching up' a scene in a movie isn't a product of CGI.

Yes, that's called editing. Manipulating an actor's features through computer animation is slightly different.

[Plaidman]

None of my friends are dull. We're all very unique and special. None of us were ever in a mold. Well, cept J, but that's a whole different ballpark of hatred. S is nuts. I mean that in the clincil term of both seeing/hearing things that he is on about fifty different meds and must live in a group home. Most of the time he so out of his mind that he just drools. A shame, seeing such a brilliant person turn into that. He was by far the smartest person I knew, could speak several lanages, had advance learnings in several fields. But his mental state just ... went. During the few times I can get a straight converstation out of him, its not... straight. T is about as normal as you can get. Married man. Good job. Own home. two kids. Yay. Theredheadofdoom is exdrug dealer/user. Dropped out of school. Has a kid. Married. Several medical problems at the tender age of 22. Was in jail for assult charges for a while, but the person he beat totally deserved it, so he served time with a smile. I can count on him for anything.

John did see that movie, along with the a gaggle of woman he tries to sleep with but they know the loser that is he. T saw it with family. Thereadhead saw it. I don't think S saw it, because that would be... bad.

My friends aren't dull. They are all strange, and adnormal by the masses of our stupid city. But I still love them, and would die for any of them, (and nearly had few times).

[Hobbs]

... Not really. They still reliving trama. Its not an act. If I think on my rape, i'll cry. I still feel the hanger. I still remember having guns shoved in my face because the robber wanted a pack of fucking newports. I still remember seeing my family slammed into the hard cement with blood splattering, police everywhere, neighbors prying and pointing, because my mom let my uncle in not knowing he just sold a bunch of meth. Those memories are still PAINFUL. Not something to turn off.

Yes, you have a right to cry about that, and I don't fault you. But the motivation of an actor/actress to cry is for one simple reason, they're getting paid.

There nothing wrong with that. I just hated that, not a single person I knew who saw it, could even give me a name. Let alone what happened in the movie. Nothing, They go blank. But they just say its pretty. I like movies with plot to catch my intrest. I don't go to movies that are just glamer. Had I even gotten someone who could tell me something about the movie? I might have gone. As said, no. No-one could even give me a name, an event. Nothing. Just "So pretty...".


As for the motion capture: It may be the actors doing the beginning, but just like cover of magazines, they can easily (Or easier since its all cgi) change and move it, make imperfects, get in the right smile or growl they want to. With no say from actor.

Scenes in movies are rarely done in one take. They do it multiple times, "Oh, you blinked, oh the light isn't right..." etc. 'Touching up' a scene in a movie isn't a product of CGI.

No offense Plaid, but your friends seem very dull. Everytime my friends and I went to see Avatar we had extensive conversations about it. One of my friends could even speak Navi.

[Plaidman]

There nothing wrong with that. I just hated that, not a single person I knew who saw it, could even give me a name. Let alone what happened in the movie. Nothing, They go blank. But they just say its pretty. I like movies with plot to catch my intrest. I don't go to movies that are just glamer. Had I even gotten someone who could tell me something about the movie? I might have gone. As said, no. No-one could even give me a name, an event. Nothing. Just "So pretty...".


As for the motion capture: It may be the actors doing the beginning, but just like cover of magazines, they can easily (Or easier since its all cgi) change and move it, make imperfects, get in the right smile or growl they want to. With no say from actor.

[muses_nightmare]

Uhm, weren't the facial movements of the actors replicated for the CGI? Essentially that's the same thing as the actual actors.

Also I'd just like to say that I loved Avatar. If you aren't going to see it because fantasy/sci-fi movies don't interest you, fine. But if you're refusing to see it because it's a big budget movie, you're being pretentious.

Frankly, it's just a movie. and in the end I don't give a rat's rear end whether you've seen it or not. Or whether you think it's "worthy" of whatever awards. I didn't see the Hurt Locker because to me it just looked like another straight to DVD war movie (was it even in theaters? I don't remember seeing it there). I don't like war movies, therefore I didn't watch it. I could care less about what movie wins what awards, I watch based on my interest, and yes, I Enjoyed Avatar because it was good entertainment, I could escape my life for a few hours. I don't see what's wrong with that.

[Plaidman]

THey're still not crying because of what's happening. It's still crocodile tears...

... Not really. They still reliving trama. Its not an act. If I think on my rape, i'll cry. I still feel the hanger. I still remember having guns shoved in my face because the robber wanted a pack of fucking newports. I still remember seeing my family slammed into the hard cement with blood splattering, police everywhere, neighbors prying and pointing, because my mom let my uncle in not knowing he just sold a bunch of meth. Those memories are still PAINFUL. Not something to turn off.

[Hobbs]

THey're still not crying because of what's happening. It's still crocodile tears...

[AdminAssistant]

No, I mean facial expressions are all fake in movies. They're not really crying, ya know. That doesn't make them any better/worse than a CGI reproducing the same expression.

Usually, they are. Sometimes they will use eye drops or other techniques, but more often than not an actor is actually crying real tears. How said actor gets to that place is a matter of debate; method actors usually use "sense memory" or a different memory device to recall an event where they cried and then re-experience that in their bodies. (Said method actors also tend to have psychological issues from constantly recalling traumatic events.)

[Hobbs]

Pardon my French, but what the hell does that even mean? Plastic surgery is acting?

I missed this:


Ah, yes, my agenda for equal rights and opportunities regardless of gender (or any other reason).

Exactly. It's not "who made the better movie" but "she's a woman, and a woman's never got it, so that makes it better!"

No, I mean facial expressions are all fake in movies. They're not really crying, ya know. That doesn't make them any better/worse than a CGI reproducing the same expression.

[AdminAssistant]

Faces are really common. Doesn't mean they can't be fudged or altered...oh wait...that's acting isn't it?

Pardon my French, but what the hell does that even mean? Plastic surgery is acting?

I missed this:

Progress is great and all, but it's still fitting your agenda and doesn't have anything to do with the movies.

Ah, yes, my agenda for equal rights and opportunities regardless of gender (or any other reason).

[Hobbs]

Actually, I did know about that; motion capture is really common. Doesn't mean it can't be fudged or altered.

Faces are really common. Doesn't mean they can't be fudged or altered...oh wait...that's acting isn't it?

[AdminAssistant]

Clearly someone doesn't read entertainment weekly (which I only read because it is at work and I get bored ). They actually did have live actors perform the roles with cameras focused on their faces then copied that into the computer. The facial expressions etc that you see on the Navi are real expressions, not computer trickery. So there was actual acting involved.

Actually, I did know about that; motion capture is really common. Doesn't mean it can't be fudged or altered.