New Movie: Avatar (morphed into discussion of James Cameron and Terminator)

[bjornolf]

Am I just late to the party and everybody already knows about this movie? They're showing a trailer at the link below, and it looks amazing. Wonder if Jason can get into James Cameron's sneak peak and report back to us.

http://movies.yahoo.com/feature/buzz...r-trailer.html

They're calling it the future of movie effects.

[moonpie23]

better have a great story backing up all that cgi

[JasonEvans]

better have a great story backing up all that cgi

From Wiki, here is the story synopsis:

Jake Sully (Sam Worthington), is a former Marine who was wounded and paralyzed from the waist down in combat on Earth. Jake is selected to participate in the Avatar program, which will enable him to walk. Jake travels to Pandora, a lush jungle-covered extraterrestrial moon filled with incredible life forms, some beautiful, many terrifying. Pandora is also home to the Na’vi, a sentient humanoid race that humans consider primitive, yet are more physically capable than humans. Standing three meters tall, with tails and sparkling blue skin, the Na’vi live in harmony with their unspoiled world. As humans encroach deeper into Pandora's forests in search of valuable minerals, the Na’vi unleash their formidable warrior abilities to defend their threatened existence.

Jake has unwittingly been recruited to become part of this encroachment. Since humans are unable to breathe the air on Pandora, they have created genetically-bred human-Na’vi hybrids known as Avatars. The Avatars are living, breathing bodies that are controlled by a human "driver" through a technology that links the driver's mind to their Avatar body. On Pandora, through his Avatar body, Jake can be whole once again. Sent deep into Pandora's jungles as a scout for the soldiers that will follow, Jake encounters many of Pandora's beauties and dangers. There he meets a young Na’vi female, Neytiri, whose beauty is only matched by her ferocity in battle.

Over time, Jake integrates himself into Neytiri's clan, and begins to fall in love with her. As a result, Jake finds himself caught between the military-industrial forces of Earth, and the Na’vi, forcing him to choose sides in an epic battle that will decide the fate of an entire world.

Cameron say the 3D effects are going to be unlike anything ever seen but I think he may be over-hyping this thing. I did not go to Avatar Day myself (Aug 21st-when Cameron screened 15 minutes of footage for free on screens across the country) but I know folks who did and I have read several reviews on line. Most of the reviews think it was good, but not great and not revolutionary. Here is the review from EW which is fairly typical, maybe a bit more optimistic than others.

--Jason "this film is not to be confused with the upcoming film Avatar: The Last Airbender by M Night Shyamalan" Evans

[bjornolf]

That synopsis you gave was basically exactly what I got from watching the preview on the website. Except I didn't know he was specifically a marine, or how he got injured.

[weezie]

My son went and although my eyes were glazed over by the time he stopped talking, the general impression was that it is a weak plot, rather ridiculous, effects were fair but kind of flat (not good 3D,) hoping for huge improvement by the time the thing finally comes out. But, he's never forgiven Cameron for the deterioration of the Terminator. I mean this son of mine really was seriously bummed about that at the time.
Son also said he needs to buy Imax glasses? Are they a different type of 3D?
Maybe I should get them as a stocking stuffer for Christmas?
But he did say "Bastards" was great fun.

[JasonEvans]

he's never forgiven Cameron for the deterioration of the Terminator. I mean this son of mine really was seriously bummed about that at the time.

Wait, are you saying he blames James Cameron for the deterioration of the quality of the Terminator films or that he blames him for destroying the Arnold Terminator at the end of T2?

If the former, I think he is sorely mistaken as Cameron had nothing to do with the mostly lame T3 and T4 films.

Which is better the original Terminator film or T2?

--Jason "that's like Star Wars vs. Empire... a really tough call" Evans

[bjornolf]

Maybe he's angry at Cameron for leaving the franchise, thus allowing lesser talents to take over and drive it into the ground.

[bird]

Which is better the original Terminator film or T2?

--Jason "that's like Star Wars vs. Empire... a really tough call" Evans

Man, that's easy: T2 with a bullet. Linda Hamilton, soundtrack, action sequences in first half, and certain individual images (overnight watch by the Terminator made a memory) were awesome. A bit preachy and slow in the last third, but Terminator had its own problems in the last third. My only big problem with T2 is that I have watched it something like a dozen times (literally), and it is getting a bit worn out for me.

[bjornolf]

Um, Linda Hamilton is in the first one, too.

[bird]

Um, Linda Hamilton is in the first one, too.

Not the RIPPED Linda Hamilton.

[weezie]

Maybe he's angry at Cameron for leaving the franchise, thus allowing lesser talents to take over and drive it into the ground.

Exactly!
Thanks bjornolf! I'm not that good at describing the moods of a movie nutcase.

As I recall, I think son thought T2 was the bestest ever. We do have an absolutely huge original poster of the movie in our basement, I'd say it's about 6' square and framed. I wonder if he'll ever find a nice girl who would allow this lonely poster to hang in THEIR basement?

[bjornolf]

Probably. My friend has a 30 foot long media room with a 120" screen. He has all his old, framed movie posters, and some of mine, in there. Encourage your son to do well in school so he'll make enough money to get a house with a basement media room where he'll be able to hang it. Good motivation.

[JasonEvans]

Also worth noting that the effects in T2 are light years ahead of T1. There are several moments in T1 where the clunky effects of the time really stick out.

1) When The Terminator is removing its wounded eye and looking in the mirror. The robotic model head they used for that scene moves somewhat jerky and, frankly, does not look enough like Arnold.

2) When Linda is being chased by the shiny metal Terminator at the end, it sometimes looks like stop-motion visual effects -- I almost expected Sinbad to jump out and fight the bad guy at that point

I choose T2, which had stunning visual effects that created such enduring images.

1) When the T2 is walking through the prison bars and his non-liquid metal gun gets caught for a second. So coooool!

2) When Arnold throws the T2 face-first into a huge piece of machinery, and the T2 just reverses the side of its body upon which the face is located. That's some seriously awesome effects.

3) The freezing, gunshot splintering, and then reformation of the T2. One of the great scenes in sci-fi history if you ask me.

Oh, and this scene was pretty cool too ----v


--Jason "James Cameron, at his finest" Evans

[Lord Ash]

I recently got the wife to watch T1 and T2, and I have to say that T2 was NOT as good as I remembered... it had more cheesy humor than I had remembered. Still, fantastically crafted movie.

[weezie]

Also worth noting that the effects in T2 are light years ahead of T1. There are several moments in T1 where the clunky effects of the time really stick out.

1) When The Terminator is removing its wounded eye and looking in the mirror. The robotic model head they used for that scene moves somewhat jerky and, frankly, does not look enough like Arnold.

2) When Linda is being chased by the shiny metal Terminator at the end, it sometimes looks like stop-motion visual effects -- I almost expected Sinbad to jump out and fight the bad guy at that point

I choose T2, which had stunning visual effects that created such enduring images.

1) When the T2 is walking through the prison bars and his non-liquid metal gun gets caught for a second. So coooool!

2) When Arnold throws the T2 face-first into a huge piece of machinery, and the T2 just reverses the side of its body upon which the face is located. That's some seriously awesome effects.

3) The freezing, gunshot splintering, and then reformation of the T2. One of the great scenes in sci-fi history if you ask me.


--Jason "James Cameron, at his finest" Evans

Say, Jason, have you got a younger sister that might like to date my son? I think we might have a match made in heaven.

[JasonEvans]

Say, Jason, have you got a younger sister that might like to date my son? I think we might have a match made in heaven.

No such luck-- 2 boys, 12 and 10.

--Jason "they do love Terminator though" Evans

[davekay1971]

I'm going to put in my geezer-like plug for the original Terminator (though T2 was a great movie)...

My reasons:
1) T2 had better special effects by a mile, but I can forgive Terminator's inferior special effects because of the time lag between 1 and 2 and the massively different budgets
2) Linda Hamilton, Ahnuld, and Michael Beihn vs. Linda Hamilton, Ahnuld, and annoying kid
3) Linda Hamilton's painful narration in T2
4) The police station scene in Terminator
5) The night club scene in Terminator
6) The ending of Terminator with the ominous storm clouds and the conclusion that the apocalypse was still coming
7) Lance Henrickson and Paul Winfield, baby

[Tommac]

I agree, other than the special effects, T1 had a far better story than T2. I did see T4 this summer and I actually liked it as one of my favorite summer movies. I saw District 9 recently, and I liked T4 far more.

[moonpie23]

i cut T1 slack because it was awesome for the TIME...when you go back, yeah, certain things stick out....but at the time. T1 had the wallet from pulp fiction.


T2 stepped up on effects, but had some less-than-compelling story parts AND the gosh-awful narration by linda. i thought ahnuld's "termination" at the end of T2 was kind of cheesy.

I really enjoyed T3 and felt that it did bring the story to the "beginning" .


i haven't seen T4 yet...waiting on the blu-ray..