Hah, I thought it was Dances with Wolves, but that seems even closer.
Movie Reviews 2.0
- Thread starter Dresden
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Hah, I thought it was Dances with Wolves, but that seems even closer.
I agree to a certain extent and it is sad. It sucks the life out of things as you are exposed to more of the same
.Still that was funny IMO
OpenGL guy
Veteran
My big complaint about the movie:
If you have spaceships, why would conduct a ground war? Bombs from space, people! Bombs from space!
It was a private corporation under UN regulations, they only had a security force and not an army.
Besides, transporting anything to the planet is very expensive (which is why they tried to convince the navi with the avatar program to work for them at the start) - so all their weaponry is manufactured on site, from what they can mine and into what they can build with limited capabilities.
Orbital weapons might not even exist in that future as there probably isn't much need for them (who to bomb on Earth?). And the massive magnetic fields between the planet and the gas giant it orbits are probably going to mess up anything trying to fall from space anyway
Besides, transporting anything to the planet is very expensive (which is why they tried to convince the navi with the avatar program to work for them at the start) - so all their weaponry is manufactured on site, from what they can mine and into what they can build with limited capabilities.
Orbital weapons might not even exist in that future as there probably isn't much need for them (who to bomb on Earth?). And the massive magnetic fields between the planet and the gas giant it orbits are probably going to mess up anything trying to fall from space anyway
I suggest you try to grab the 1997 script, it's a lot more detailed with added explanations and characterization, and even has some extra plot lines and characters. Would have made a five hour movie that would have tanked because of being too hardcore sci-fi... So I like think of it as the novel the movie's based on
I agree to a certain extent and it is sad. It sucks the life out of things as you are exposed to more of the same
We've been listening to such stories for thousands of years and liked them, it's in our blood or something. It's just that with the near unlimited access to media today, you get to see a LOT of it, instead of listening to the elders telling a tale at the campfire every night after you're done with all the hard work...
It was a private corporation under UN regulations, they only had a security force and not an army.
Besides, transporting anything to the planet is very expensive (which is why they tried to convince the navi with the avatar program to work for them at the start) - so all their weaponry is manufactured on site, from what they can mine and into what they can build with limited capabilities.
Orbital weapons might not even exist in that future as there probably isn't much need for them (who to bomb on Earth?). And the massive magnetic fields between the planet and the gas giant it orbits are probably going to mess up anything trying to fall from space anyway
I suggest you try to grab the 1997 script, it's a lot more detailed with added explanations and characterization, and even has some extra plot lines and characters. Would have made a five hour movie that would have tanked because of being too hardcore sci-fi... So I like think of it as the novel the movie's based on
I agree with you.
Avatar:
- visuals, special effects: 9/10, pretty amazing. The stereoscopic production seemed to have some weird issues particularly with the live-shot footage, I thought the stereo on the CGI worked better
- plot: 5/10, meh. Put the soap-box back in the broom cupboard please, and haven't we had enough boy-meets-nine-foot-semi-naked-blue-girl-in-a-forest-falls-in-love-despite-being-from-the-wrong-background plot lines already?
- visuals, special effects: 9/10, pretty amazing. The stereoscopic production seemed to have some weird issues particularly with the live-shot footage, I thought the stereo on the CGI worked better
- plot: 5/10, meh. Put the soap-box back in the broom cupboard please, and haven't we had enough boy-meets-nine-foot-semi-naked-blue-girl-in-a-forest-falls-in-love-despite-being-from-the-wrong-background plot lines already?
We've been listening to such stories for thousands of years and liked them, it's in our blood or something. It's just that with the near unlimited access to media today, you get to see a LOT of it, instead of listening to the elders telling a tale at the campfire every night after you're done with all the hard work...
We were done with work earlier, remember we worked way less then, than we do now. Of course we had less to show for it to in terms of material possessions.
There might be a few basic plots, but with plot twists and stories within stories you can create hybrids ... combinatorial explosion takes care of the rest. Unless you act oblivious to what people did before you. But as I said, I don't mind the predictability so much as the jarring inconsistencies (or in my roleplaying nerd terms, it lacked verisimilitude).
OpenGL guy
Veteran
It was a private corporation under UN regulations, they only had a security force and not an army.
Besides, transporting anything to the planet is very expensive (which is why they tried to convince the navi with the avatar program to work for them at the start) - so all their weaponry is manufactured on site, from what they can mine and into what they can build with limited capabilities.
Orbital weapons might not even exist in that future as there probably isn't much need for them (who to bomb on Earth?). And the massive magnetic fields between the planet and the gas giant it orbits are probably going to mess up anything trying to fall from space anyway
You can just drop an asteroid on them. No manufacturing required!
Heh, true. The fictional background even says that they fuel the ship for the return trip by mining some deuterium on site. But I don't know if it'd be possible to use their ship to go asteroid hunting and then if they have any method to catch and move one.
I guess it could be explained if they wanted to, but why would the corporation want to make it even harder to mine the planet? An asteroid would only make it even more hostile to human existence. And just for revenge it's a pretty expensive and risky undertaking... but I guess we'll see what happens in the sequels.
I guess it could be explained if they wanted to, but why would the corporation want to make it even harder to mine the planet? An asteroid would only make it even more hostile to human existence. And just for revenge it's a pretty expensive and risky undertaking... but I guess we'll see what happens in the sequels.
Bouncing Zabaglione Bros.
Legend
They'd just chuck kinetic harpoons from orbit. Cheap, simple, nuke-out the population and local flora/fauna without leaving any radiation, and instant open-cast mines in the process.
I suggest you try to grab the 1997 script, it's a lot more detailed with added explanations and characterization, and even has some extra plot lines and characters. Would have made a five hour movie that would have tanked because of being too hardcore sci-fi... So I like think of it as the novel the movie's based on
A little more added explanation and characterisation, certainly, but still a pretty thin storyline if you ask me. Adding a tiny bit of colour (not blue!) wouldn't have done anything for the otherwise thin plot.
Why does Hollywood never employ, I dunno, actual SF authors to write their storylines? Are they worried that they might come up with a storyline both intelligent and coherent? Probably. Such a movie would no doubt be doomed at the box office!
The only serious SF author I can think of who has 'contributed' to movies is David Brin and he's always moaning that his plotlines have either been dumbed down or stolen then dumbed down!
I suppose the problem is that most intelligent and complex SF stories would be too long for a movie. Some could be made into good TV shows but unfortunately, they never seem to be. Probably not dumbed down enough, I suppose. (I don't class Battlestar Galactica as either intelligent or complex, incidentally! Just my opinion which isn't going to change!)
Similarly, I was disappointed with the way the LoTR trilogy was filmed. This would have been much better spread out over a longer TV series, IMO. In many respects, I'm pleased to see that The Hobbit is being produced as two films. I realise that this is as much a money-making ploy as anything else but this should hopefully give the opportunity to tell the story on screen more completely and effectively.
Well, it's a question of what you're comparing it to. Revenge of the Fallen or 2001?
SF doesn't have massmarket appeal. Avatar isn't SF either, just an action-adventure movie in an SF setting with more then average thought behind its elements.
Same for Philip K. Dick, how many of his novels were adopted? Electric sheep, Impostor, Paycheck, Minority Report, Remember it for you wholesale, Second Variety, Scanner Darkly. Granted he hasn't written any of the scripts, but I think it still makes him the most adapted SF writer in Hollywood. And just how many of those movies turned out to be any good?
And in addition, the story would be too complex for most of the audience. Which is why I'm both excited and terrified about the new Dune.
Or how about Forever War, particularly now that Iraq and Afghanistan are making it as actual as it was after Vietnam? And Ridley Scott is talking about doing it... for you it'd probably end up being a disappointment as well...
(By the way what's your opinion on Blade Runner and Alien?)
A TV series would never had the budget to do the battle scenes or Gollum any justice. Maybe in 10-15 years time, but even then it'd be inferior to the state of the art in visual effects. Guy in a suit just wouldn't work with Tolkien's imagination...
OpenGL guy
Veteran
Both were excellent. I really felt Blade Runner was ahead of its time.
So, we saw Avatar too just now. This time it was one of those Real3D type theatres and the quality was very clearly not as good as the Dolby 3D that I've seen in Belgium (just about all 3D theatres in the Netherlands use Real3D atm). It was only because we wanted to schedule it so that we'd leave with our kid sleeping when we left and when we came back, and in Belgium it was either too late or too early, mostly because this is such a long movie. But next time we'll definitely go to Belgium again (it's about the same distance away anyway, but with free parking, THX sound, better 3D, much nicer seats, etc.)
Anyway, we both really liked the experience. I can't say much about it that hasn't been said here before though!
Many, many times I also felt like I was watching cutscenes from a new Final Fantasy ... and of course couldn't help but be amused that Avatar and Uncharted 2 share blue folk.
Anyway, we both really liked the experience. I can't say much about it that hasn't been said here before though!
I loved little things like how well the 3D worked when showing the Cell they were being kept captive in, and I rather disliked most of the military stuff - too cartoony, as if we were watching scenes from something like Ironman or the Hulk. They did a great job creating a world that was scary at first but gradually becomes a paradise (much like, say, a certain elven forest in a certain book) although the animals in it seems a little too derivative. I liked symphatizing with the flying raptors and thinking about how we should probably see a new Jurassic Park in 3D. I disliked how little effort was made to actually tell the Na'vi what was at stake and what was likely to happen - but this goes into most of my criticism here. I also didn't like that the mining guy was allowed to go back. Keep your enemies closer, I say, and teach him.
Many, many times I also felt like I was watching cutscenes from a new Final Fantasy ... and of course couldn't help but be amused that Avatar and Uncharted 2 share blue folk.
In Bruges (Blu-Ray): 8/10 - Haven't been so thoroughly entertained in a long while. Score and cinematography deserving of an Oscar nod.
Avatar (2D): 6.5/10 : - Essentially a children's movie, a simple yet immersive fairy tale by a different name, very escapist, best CG by a mile, motion-capturing was flaky at times, though. Good: Theater was nearly empty so we could enjoy it for what it was worth. Might have to catch it in 3D some time but the nearest screening is a 4 hour ride (that's Europe's largest economy for you :O)
Where the Wild Things Are: 7/10 - Not being the biggest fan of Jonze I was reluctant to go, but ended up pleasantly surprised, especially by the writing :S. Kids got bored towards the end, though.
500 Days of Summer: 0/10 - Got dragged into this and all I can objectively say is ... WTF.
Låt den rätte komma in (Blu-Ray) : 6/10 - Only saw this because Kermode was gushing about it in his blog. Generally I don't 'get' vampire/horror/slasher etc. movies, but I liked this one well enough because it was nicely executed and had me thinking about it afterwards, probably because of the problems with the script. I really, really liked the setting and production - took me right back to the quiet dreariness of my childhood. Oh and Secret Service FTW!
Avatar (2D): 6.5/10 : - Essentially a children's movie, a simple yet immersive fairy tale by a different name, very escapist, best CG by a mile, motion-capturing was flaky at times, though. Good: Theater was nearly empty so we could enjoy it for what it was worth. Might have to catch it in 3D some time but the nearest screening is a 4 hour ride (that's Europe's largest economy for you :O)
Where the Wild Things Are: 7/10 - Not being the biggest fan of Jonze I was reluctant to go, but ended up pleasantly surprised, especially by the writing :S. Kids got bored towards the end, though.
500 Days of Summer: 0/10 - Got dragged into this and all I can objectively say is ... WTF.
Låt den rätte komma in (Blu-Ray) : 6/10 - Only saw this because Kermode was gushing about it in his blog. Generally I don't 'get' vampire/horror/slasher etc. movies, but I liked this one well enough because it was nicely executed and had me thinking about it afterwards, probably because of the problems with the script. I really, really liked the setting and production - took me right back to the quiet dreariness of my childhood. Oh and Secret Service FTW!
Not all circular polarization systems are RealD ... the one I went to (Beverwijk) uses a Barco designed system using a "simple" filter wheel for polarization (4K RPM rotating mechanisms are never really simple). A filter wheel in some ways is actually better than the LCD based approach RealD uses, much better contrast (LCDs have a hard time getting a full 90 degree polarization twist with at the speeds required ... you can stack them but then you are going to pay for it in brightness).
RealD's system despite it's popularity seems the weakest.
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