Anybody else not enjoy Avatar?

[javier33]

I did!
Liked it so much, its like a complete 3d movie for me.

[Jonesy]

Oh lord. I don't know where to start with this film. It was like watching a cross between Dances With Wolves, Final Fantasy - Advent Children and the kids' series Dinotopia, but not as good as any of them. The dialogue was truly atrocious, and the stereotypical characterisations an embarrassment, particularly the Colonel. Sully simply either repeated one line expletives like 'Oh crap!' or 'Oh shit!', and when he wasn't expostulating about his uselessness (which was tiresome), he was yelling, 'Oh yeah' and whooping like a six year old.

The narrative was full of awful cliches, and bored me senseless (my eyes began to close about 50 minutes in) and it took all my willpower to make me stay awake the next tedious two hours. There was nothing original in this damn film to hold my interest. Would creatures from a planet in another solar system a billion miles from our own actually show their love by kissing? Would they cry like humans? Would they have the same blood? Jesus, Cameron, have you no bloody imagination at all?

Sure, the images were pretty, and more defined than a Square Enix production, but pretty images are not enough to hold my interest, particularly when I'm watching the equivalent of a cartoon.

I am at a loss as to why this film received so many plaudits from critics and film-goers alike. I've just wasted nearly three hours of my life that I'll never get back. I should have learnt my lesson after Titanic.

[rickyroma316]

Yeah, Avatar is pretty awful. One-dimensional characters, bad writing and boring action doesn't make for a cinematic classic. I was looking at my watch about an hour into it, willing it to end. It's actually quite amazing how such a thin story can sustain such a long film.

And the 3-D didn't impress me that much. It's an expensive diversionary tactic - ooh, maybe if we can wow them with CGI they can forget how awful the film is. But the film didn't convince me for a second. It's kind of a dull Phantom Menace meets Braveheart flick. It's totally derivative - anyone who thinks it's remotely original is obviously blinded by the 3-D.

[Jonesy]

And what's probably the worst thing about it is its hypocrisy. There's Cameron, trying to convey a message about humans ruining nature, and there's him spending over $300 million on the fucking thing. Nice one, Cameron, money well spent. The earth is saved.

[morris]

Originally Posted by fortunesfool

It was actually a revelation watching Avatar on bluray and being able to look at it properly.

..Because you realised without the 3D do-hickery and gimmicry it was actually a mediocre film dressed up in exquisitely pretty colours?

[fortunesfool]

It's all relative Morris. For its faults Avatar is like Lawrence of Arabia compared to the majority of crap we've had to sit through in the last few years.

[morris]

Originally Posted by fortunesfool

It's all relative Morris. For its faults Avatar is like Lawrence of Arabia compared to the majority of crap we've had to sit through in the last few years.

Yes, you've trotted that Lawrence of Arabia analogy out before, FF. It may all be relative but Avatar has the worst goddamn script I've heard since the "horse-shit" of Titanic.
No one is questioning that Cameron is a gifted visualist, but for the love of GOD can't he get someone with some script writing skills to write his next one?? Avatar is slow death by gung ho macho cliches + Pocahontas/Dancing with Wolves for Dummies.

[fortunesfool]

He certainly needs to get a writing partner again. Even as a Cameron apologist I winced on several occasions at the banal exposition. Everything Trudi (Michelle Rodriguez) says makes my teeth rattle.

Still, i'd watch it again in a heart beat over Star Trek. At least there's some great film-making and ideas in Avatar.

[Jonesy]

I can only imagine, fortunes, that Avatar on 3D was exceptional, because whatever you might say, Avatar on blu-ray is decidedly average. I said it on the Avatar thread, watching the film is like sitting through a three hour cartoon. As morris pointed out, it's just a bunch of pretty colours splashed onto the screen, but its composition, something you seem to admire, is ordinary and uninspiring. It offers nothing to the viewer other than a smooth amalgamation of live action and CGI, and sure, that has its place, but I hope to god it's not the future of cinema.

[Jonesy]

Originally Posted by fortunesfool

New The A-Team clip - Flying tank


Wow, does that look awful. Another moronic CG addled bit of drivel, full of impossible shots and unbelievable OTT action scenes. Yay.

* moronic CG addled drivel
* full of impossible shots
* unbelievable OTT action scenes.

Why Fortunes, I do believe you've just described Avatar; again.