The problem of those two movie franchises isn’t “simple” vs. “complex” so much as “sticking too rigidly to standard Sci-fi tropes” vs. ‘overly pretentious and nonsensical’ - which are not exactly dilemma-like opposites.
“Simple” and “complex” can both be good - if done well - and they can both be bad if done badly.
For the record I enjoyed both Avatar and the Matrix, but neither are top-flight in terms of plot; both contain truly groan-worthy elements that have to be overlooked in order to enjoy. For Avatar, enough has been said above; for the Matrix, stuff like “human batteries”.
Not exactly. They had FTL drives in Alien and Aliens, but both movies took place in the 22nd century (Avatar’s set in 2154 with no FTL) 57 years apart. Avatar clearly has alot of homages to the Alien films, but I don’t think they’re meant to take place in the same continuity.
… though it would make an awesome sequel idea: the evil company needed the Alien from Aliens specifically to drop on the blue folks from Avatar on the sly, to genocide them while making it look like an ‘alien’ invasion - thus clearing the way for mining without PR troubles.
[True, they’d have a pesky planet full of hungry Aliens to contend with; but they can nuke them from orbit – guilt-free! Also, the Company clearly isn’t the sharpest knife in the drawer when it comes to scheming evil]
Odd that the evil company is evil for wanting to destroy aliens in Avatar, while the evil company in Aliens is evil for NOT wanting to destroy the aliens.
Heh. How “odd”? One is blue cute gaia-lovin’ tree-hippie-noble-savages; the other, acid-blooded killing machines that use people the way certain species of wasps use caterpillars.
It’s not that they simply don’t want to kill the Alien aliens that makes them bad - it’s the fact that they want to endanger people to get some so they can research them and sell them as a bio weapon. That sounds pretty evil in my book.
Why assume that? Sure, it’s not the “Galactic Center in three days” of Star Trek, but if Aliens is any guide, a combination of FTL and suspended animation exists in this universe.
Alpha Centauri is only 4.3 light years from Earth, but it took them 6 years (actually a little less for those onboard) to get there. That works out to just over 2/3rds the speed of light.
So a couple days ago I went to see Avatar at 3:30PM. But when I got to the theater there were like 100 people waiting in line on the sidewalk. I can’t remember the last time that happened here (southside Indianapolis). Maybe Titanic. Not LOTR. Not Episode 1. Crazy. I had to go the next day at 11AM instead and it was still absolutely packed.
I saw it on IMAX in 3D. So sexy. I wonder how it would hold up on normal 2D or even at home. But it’s quite the experience. I haven’t seen an audience so focused in quite awhile. No one was talking, no cell phone ringing, no one was texting, no one was even eating their popcorn. The quiet parts in this movie were really quiet.
For me there was some suspense on whether the smurfs would get wiped out or not, until maybe the foreshadowing when Sully is praying to the tree for help. But really, how many of these noble savage movies ends up with the natives winning? Maybe I haven’t seen enough, but I thought it usually ends up with them dying in an fruitless battle for honor but you know, it’s poignant and you’re supposed to reflect on the brutality of man, or something like that.
The blowing the tree scene up was good. I was kinda waiting for the 9/11 style smoke plume but it never happened.
A post observation I should have made earlier. I was near the back of the theater and because of the 3D effect I was painfully aware of the screen. Instead of drawing me in further it created an outside-looking-in effect. I doubt it matters in an Imax theater but I would recommend sitting much closer in a regular sized theater so that the screen over-fills your field of vision.
They did however have all the ash from the tree blowing around afterwards and Sully woke up in a blizzard of the stuff. It definitely made me think “that looks like the aftermath of 9/11”.
Loved and hated the 3D. Thought it was visually stunning but 3D makes me feel slightly nauseated, which kind of impedes full enjoyment.
I really enjoyed the movie overall. The concept of bonding with an Avatar was interesting. Pandora was beautiful and interesting.
What I didn’t like was the simplistic characters:
The wise father who spoke with an American Indian accent and his shaman wife
The Pocahantas-like daughter who defends the stranger against the wrath of her father and eventually falls in love with him.
The spurned warrior rival
The ex-Marine with no soul…
Other things that took me out of the movie:
Casting Michelle Rodriguez and Sigourney Weaver, the former because she’s an unlikeable bad ass, the latter because she’s the Alien chick and the chimp scientist and how much more sterotyped can we get?
To me the biggest cop-out was the ability to hop from the human body to his/her Avatar. How terribly convenient.
Finally, I hated that once again the indigenous people were saved by the noble white American embracing their culture and leading them to battle against his own savage people. Last Samurai anyone? Just once I’d like to see the American take a backseat to the natives, who use their own craftiness and inside knowledge to kick some ass.
Also, some other culture uses the term “I see you” because I distinctly remember an actress (Angelie Jolie??) discussing the greeting on some talk show.
