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[Chlidonias]

I'm surprised that nobody here's been discussing the wildlife on Pandora, which I quite enjoyed relating to modern plants and animals during the film (e.g. hyena/fossa-like predators, giant Christmas tree worm-like flowers and 'seeds' resembling Cnidarian medusae...) Anyone else?

are you being sarcastic? I thought the wildlife of Pandora just showed how totally lacking in imagination the movie's creators were. Everything is like an almost-antelope, almost-lemur, almost-brontothere, almost-pterodactyl...etc etc

 

[Chlidonias]

also here's a funny video I found on youtube

 

[PAT]

Funny the week after I saw Avatar, I saw Sherlock Holmes and thought this a fantastic and original piece of cinema (despite the fact that it is a remake of a remake of a remake.....and characters are obviously already familiar).

I saw Sherlock Holmes just after Avatar too but I didn't like it at all. It's the first time I've been waiting for a movie to finish because it was so lacking. I can usually watch any movie but Sherlock Holmes didn't do it for me.

 

[redpanda]

It's funny because the people I saw Avatar with all seemed to really enjoy it. In my opinion, it was the only film where I've been more impressed by the adverts before it began than the film itself - Avatar 3D what a joke. Whilst in Shrek 4, Alice in Wonderland and Battle for Terra there were things running about all over the auditorium, the only things coming out the screen in Avatar were a few floating seeds and the subtitles, great new technology there Mr Cameron! Sure, the special effects were, on the whole, good but without any sort of plot I fail to see how this can ever be seen as a great (or, in fact, even an average) film. Overall, although I thought bits of it were good I left the cinema much the same as after Mr Cameron's other blockbuster Titanic - with a sinking feeling.

 

[Johnny]

I agree the story is quite simplistic and predictable, but I was stunned by the CG effects. It was a feast for the eyes, but they really should not have done the 3-d thing, this added nothing to the movie. Perhaps if they had expanded the range of the 3-d effect it would have more use.

I don't understan why people find the name pandora simplistic. Ok, unobtanium was a ridiculous name, but a lot of planets and moons in our own solar system have been named after roman gods, and a lot of moons have been named after greek gods or mythological figures. So the name panora certainly fits, especially when you consider the fact it's a paradise, but a very lethal one if you don't pay attention.

I thought the technological level displayed in the movie seemed like a very realistic attempt to portray 22nd century technology, as far as that's possible off course. The only thing I find unrealistic is the fact that all of the military equipment is vulnerable to arrows. You might expect all of it would be armoured and therefore bulletproof, so certainly should be arrowproof.

 

[Chlidonias]

Avatar won just three Oscars at the awards: for Best Visual Effects, Best Cinematography, and Best Art Direction.

It had been nominated for nine: Best Art Direction, Best Cinematography, Best Directing, Best Film Editing, Best Original Score, Best Picture, Best Sound Editing, Best Sound Mixing and Best Visual Effects.

 

[snowleopard]

Thank goodness "The Hurt Locker" won Best Picture and a total of 6 Academy awards, as it is a FAR superior film in comparison with the money-maker "Avatar". I'm actually a major film buff and have currently seen 9 out of the 10 Best Picture nominees, and "The Hurt Locker" is easily my favourite of the movies nominated.

 

[Chlidonias]

will the madness never end!?
"Avatar" makers consider sequel, other 3D projects - Yahoo!Xtra Movies

Hollywood producer Jon Landau said on Sunday he and director James Cameron were considering a sequel to 3D blockbuster "Avatar" among several new projects.

"This is the first week we are not thinking about 'Avatar'," Landau told reporters at a conference sponsored by the Israeli technology firm Matrix a week after the movie lost out to the Iraq war drama "The Hurt Locker" for best picture and director at the Oscars.

"We are talking about an 'Avatar' sequel as well as a small love story called 'The Dive' and a movie called 'Fantastic Voyage'."

Another project planned by the duo was "Battle Angel Alita," based on a Japanese novel set in the future and centering on a young female cyborg's quest for self-discovery.

Landau said a decision on which project they would pursue first would be taken within six months.

"We always said if the movie (Avatar) was successful we would do an 'Avatar 2' but we have to find the right story. Jim Cameron has done sequels before ... He will only do one if he believes it will be as good as the first," said Landau.

One thing is fairly certain about the next movie the pair make -- it will be in 3D.

"I don't think we will ever make another 2D film. Why would we make a movie in black and white if we have color?" Landau said. "I think ultimately all movies are going to be in 3D."

With global ticket sales of $2.6 billion, "Avatar" is the highest-grossing film ever, eclipsing Cameron's Oscar-winning blockbuster "Titanic," also produced by Landau.

Landau said he was not disappointed that "Avatar," which won three Oscars in technical categories, failed to net the major prizes.

"We made 'Avatar' to communicate to the masses, not to please 6,000 Academy members," he said.

Landau said he believed all screens would move to 3D, including mobile devices, computer screens and televisions, adding that he recently met officials from Internet telephony firm Skype, who were interested in 3D technology.

He said he foresaw a future in which the audience would determine what path a film followed.

"Imagine going to the same movie three times and having three different experiences because the audience you are with takes a different path," he said.

some comments at bottom of article include

"The Hurt Locker" is a complete loser... compared to Avatar, how can it win the award - must be because it is a she director..... they always ask for equal right .... this is what they call equal right..... by steeling something they do not deserved...

ah the genius of movie-going audiences!