# Avatar (Pre-release speculation) **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 15, 2009, 8:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/avatar-pre-release-speculation/521336 "2009-12-15T08:56:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![Red\_Barchetta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/da6949/32.png) [@Red\_Barchetta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Red_Barchetta)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2009, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/avatar-pre-release-speculation/521336/101 "2009-12-16T21:57:24Z")
> [@MOIDALIZE](#): > > It does when you indignantly question the disinterest of those who don’t want to see it just because it happens to be your shiny pop culture obsession of the moment. If that’s what you’ve inferred (which doesn’t surprise me, seeing as you made up the fact that I like anime), then you clearly have not understood what I’ve written. I’m not questioning those who are disinterested, hence why I’ve replied to few others aside from you. Instead, I take issue with your blanket statements in an apparent attempt to discredit those who may actually be interested in the film. And obsession? Please…can you please stop making stuff in order to support your argument (if it can even be called that). ---
**Author:** ![MOIDALIZE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e274bd/32.png) [@MOIDALIZE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MOIDALIZE)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2009, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/avatar-pre-release-speculation/521336/102 "2009-12-16T21:58:22Z")
Then what do you call this: > [@Red\_Barchetta](#): > > Nailed it. It’s bizarre, isn’t it? I have no stake in this game–I’ve actually avoided all the trailers, by design, so I have almost no expectations going in (besides it being a James Cameron flick, whose movies I’ve generally enjoyed). > > It seems a lot of people have already formed a verdict of the movie before having even seen it. I’m fine with people not being interested in it, but to parrot the opinions of others without having the film defies logic. ??? ---
**Author:** ![Red\_Barchetta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/da6949/32.png) [@Red\_Barchetta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Red_Barchetta)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2009, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/avatar-pre-release-speculation/521336/103 "2009-12-16T21:58:55Z")
> [@Justin\_Bailey](#): > > Fuck no. That’s drunk posting (or possibly trolling) at its purest. Alien dragons plus walking mecha with massive machine guns times James “Nuke it from orbit” Cameron should be a formula for pure awesome. > > Again, fuck no. My movie tastes run the schlockier the better. I love big dumb action movies. But there’s a line and, like Transformers 2, Avatar looks too dumb. There are legitimate reasons to think Avatar isn’t worth seeing, that’s all I’m saying. Cool, just clarifying 🙂 I was just thrown off by your apparent defense of MOIDALIZE, who’s utilizing some shady “debate” tactics. Especially since I often agree with a lot of what you post. ---
**Author:** ![MOIDALIZE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e274bd/32.png) [@MOIDALIZE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MOIDALIZE)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2009, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/avatar-pre-release-speculation/521336/104 "2009-12-16T21:59:25Z")
“Yeah, I totally have no stake in this, but what the hell is wrong with everyone?!” ---
**Author:** ![Red\_Barchetta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/da6949/32.png) [@Red\_Barchetta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Red_Barchetta)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2009, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/avatar-pre-release-speculation/521336/105 "2009-12-16T22:01:09Z")
> [@MOIDALIZE](#): > > Then what do you call this: > > ??? Are you serious? I mean, really? Did you not read what you just quoted? - **"I’m fine with people not being interested in it** , but to parrot the opinions of others without having the film defies logic."\* (bolded for emphasis…and readability) ---
**Author:** ![Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eyebrows_0f_doom/32/3119_2.png) [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eyebrows_0f_Doom)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2009, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/avatar-pre-release-speculation/521336/106 "2009-12-16T22:02:56Z")
> [@MOIDALIZE](#): > > “Yeah, I totally have no stake in this, but what the hell is wrong with everyone?!” There’s nothing contradictory about that. There are now two separate huge threads on this film when it hasn’t even opened yet, which I think is bizarre. I’m going to see it because I think the effects look cool, but I don’t expect the story to be anything special, and I don’t like how the advertising for it has taken over everything on FOX, even to the point where last week’s episode of \*\*Bones \*\*was basically an hour long promo for the film. ---
**Author:** ![mswas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e99b99/32.png) [@mswas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mswas)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2009, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/avatar-pre-release-speculation/521336/107 "2009-12-16T22:03:56Z")
> [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](#): > > There’s nothing contradictory about that. There are now two separate huge threads on this film when it hasn’t even opened yet, which I think is bizarre. I’m going to see it because I think the effects look cool, but I don’t expect the story to be anything special, and I don’t like how the advertising for it has taken over everything on FOX. Really? Is it pre-empting your favorite commercial? ---
**Author:** ![Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eyebrows_0f_doom/32/3119_2.png) [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eyebrows_0f_Doom)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2009, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/avatar-pre-release-speculation/521336/108 "2009-12-16T22:05:41Z")
> [@mswas](#): > > Really? Is it pre-empting your favorite commercial? Did you see the recent episode of **Bones**? The secondary plot was the squints trying to get tickets to **Avatar** , waiting outside the theater, people in make-up as the Na’vi (!?), etc. They even showed part of the trailer \*within \*the episode as the characters watched it on a big screen TV, and talked about how it was best thing they’ve ever seen and it’s so amazing, etc. ---
**Author:** ![mlees](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba8739/32.png) [@mlees](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mlees)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2009, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/avatar-pre-release-speculation/521336/109 "2009-12-16T22:19:32Z")
I have watched two different trailers, and can only go by the impressions those left in me. I suspect the film is overhyped. I suspect it might be weak (that is to say, simplistic) in the plot department. I may rent it (and seeing it 2D), but going to a movie theatre is usually not my cup of tea. Therefore, if it is deeper than that, I would be pleasantly surprised. Even if it’s not a deep movie, it might be fun to see (just like last May’s Star Trek reboot). I can forgive plot faults if the action is fun to watch. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2009, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/avatar-pre-release-speculation/521336/110 "2009-12-16T23:30:49Z")
> [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](#): > > Did you see the recent episode of **Bones**? I couldn’t stand to watch more than the first few episodes of _Bones_. That _does_ sound like a pretty egregious case of offensive corporate “synergizing,” and is exactly the sort of thing that would dampen my enthusiasm. Just when you thought that the _Bones_ writing staff couldn’t \*possibly \*insult the intelligence of their audience any more… Callow promotion is one thing, though - and the hype surrounding _Avatar_ is a little beyond that. The hype from disinterested parties is justifiable. By which I mean to say that I think that it’ll deliver on the promise of an unprecedented spectacle. I am not much of a theatre-goer - it takes a spectacle to drag me out. I am planning to see _Avatar_ on the opening week-end (Sunday) - ordinarily I would rather pass a kidney stone than brave opening week-end crowds for a movie. Hell, I’ll take a sharp blow to the testicles over going to a theatre on a _regular_ week-end, unless it’s right at the end of a run. I can’t freaking wait for this. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2009, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/avatar-pre-release-speculation/521336/111 "2009-12-16T23:46:29Z")
> [@Red\_Barchetta](#): > > But you said you don’t go to see Pixar movies (besides a few early ones, I’m guessing), so how would you know? I said I don’t GO to see them. I have a magic box in my house that accepts round disks that play the movies on the tv for me right in my living room. The only Pixar movies I haven’t at least attempted to sit through are Cars and Up. ---
**Author:** ![Red\_Barchetta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/da6949/32.png) [@Red\_Barchetta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Red_Barchetta)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2009, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/avatar-pre-release-speculation/521336/112 "2009-12-16T23:48:54Z")
> [@elfkin477](#): > > I said I don’t GO to see them. I have a magic box in my house that accepts round disks that play the movies on the tv for me right in my living room. The only Pixar movies I haven’t at least attempted to sit through are Cars and Up. Sorry, that came across as snakier than I intended. I was just curious, as more recent Pixar films are quite different to their early few. That aside, good call on skipping Cars 😛 ---
**Author:** ![yojimbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yojimbo/32/232_2.png) [@yojimbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yojimbo)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2009, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/avatar-pre-release-speculation/521336/113 "2009-12-17T00:03:33Z")
Just back from a screening. I saw a 3 min HD clip on xboxlive and all the trailers. None of them do it justice. It is the most amazing looking movie I’ve ever seen. There are images in it that just take your breath away. The story is pretty straight forward but it gets the job done and hits the right balance of lighthearted comedy, specticle and tense action. The action is handled expertly as you’d expect from Cameron. There are things I could grumble about but I’d really only be picking nits. The 3D didn’t blow my skirt up all that much but it wasn’t horrible either. I’ll be going to see it in 2D on the biggest screen in the country over the weekend. It will be interesting to see the difference. All in all, I loved it. ---
**Author:** ![yojimbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yojimbo/32/232_2.png) [@yojimbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yojimbo)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2009, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/avatar-pre-release-speculation/521336/114 "2009-12-17T00:06:53Z")
> [@mlees](#): > > I can forgive plot faults if the action is fun to watch. You will forgive the faults then 😉 ---
**Author:** ![An\_Gadai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@An\_Gadai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Gadai)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2009, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/avatar-pre-release-speculation/521336/115 "2009-12-17T00:24:16Z")
**yojimbo** , I would have gone along had I known you were heading to it. Sounds great. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2009, 5:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/avatar-pre-release-speculation/521336/116 "2009-12-17T05:41:29Z")
I just came back from a 3D screening. Holy schamoly, that was amazing! I think a lot of the things many people were anticipating and complaining about are completely unfounded. The 3D is great, the CGI is virtually seamless, and the tree-hugging plot rarely dominates, and is handled as a macguffin. Not that it’s any guarantee you’ll all like it, but if you go in open-minded I expect you’ll be pleasantly surprised. ---
**Author:** ![Equipoise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/equipoise/32/151_2.png) [@Equipoise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Equipoise)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2009, 6:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/avatar-pre-release-speculation/521336/117 "2009-12-17T06:21:14Z")
> [@GuanoLad](#): > > I just came back from a 3D screening. > > Holy schamoly, that was amazing! I think a lot of the things many people were anticipating and complaining about are completely unfounded. The 3D is great, the CGI is virtually seamless, and the tree-hugging plot rarely dominates, and is handled as a macguffin. > > Not that it’s any guarantee you’ll all like it, but if you go in open-minded I expect you’ll be pleasantly surprised. You or **yojimbo** should start another thread, and specify in the OP that the thread is ONLY for those who have seen the film, and point a link to this or the other thread for those who want to act like pouty little girls because some people are excited about and want to see this. ---
**Author:** ![Equipoise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/equipoise/32/151_2.png) [@Equipoise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Equipoise)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2009, 7:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/avatar-pre-release-speculation/521336/118 "2009-12-17T07:58:04Z")
Here’s an [interesting blog](http://blogs.suntimes.com/ebert/2009/12/cameron_is-recrowned_king_of_the_world.html) from Roger Ebert about Avatar. This part mentions the “embargo” but I especially like the last paragraph: > [@](#): > > … > > In the days before the first press screenings of “Avatar,” a sort of frenzy gripped certain web fan sites. Then the great day arrived, 20th Century-Fox issued individual invitations and posted guards at the door, the chosen people filed in, the movie began, silence descended, interest grew, and doubts were dispelled. Cameron had done it. > > Fox made much of a press embargo: No critics were to review the film until Fri. Dec. 18, its opening day. A flaw in this theory was that the movie opened a week sooner in England, and American fans, not witless, were instantly devouring the London reviews. > > Kirk Honeycutt of the Hollywood Reporter broke the U.S, embargo and referred to Cameron’s infamous speech when “Titanic” won as best picture: “A dozen years later, James Cameron has proven his point: He is king of the world.” Todd McCarthy of Variety was also an embargo-breaker: “Cameron delivers again with a film of universal appeal that just about everyone who ever goes to the movies will need to see.” > > You could call those the kinds of reviews Hollywood likes to read, and it’s unlikely Honeycutt or McCarthy will be denied entry to Fox screenings anytime soon. What was the point of an embargo, anyway? Was Fox afraid the reviews would be negative? By Friday afternoon editors at the Sun-Times and Tribune were growing restless as the good news leaked out, and both papers published reviews. Soon a movie that wasn’t supposed to be reviewed was sporting high numbers in the Tomatometer (86% as I write). > > \*\*More sincere praise came from a woman seated not far from me (no, not Chaz), who felt the call of nature, raced out to the facilities, hurried back in, sat down, and 10 minutes later realized she’d forgotten to put her 3-D glasses back on. \*\* > > … For those who are afraid the Na’vi will look too weird, or the 3D will overwhelm the plot… > [@](#): > > … > > Cameron has told a story with comprehensible emotional motivation, physical events that make sense at least within the realities of his imaginary world, and an alien race that exists not as foils for ray guns but an indigenous people living in harmony with their environment. His movie has a Green message and an anti-war message, both effective and organic parts of the plot. > > Those towering blue Na’vi with their long tails look peculiar at first, but it’s strange how quickly they grow on us. You don’t whip up aliens like that with a sketch pad. It takes trial runs and countless hours of testing. And Cameron was equal to the test. **He also overcame the bane of 3-D, which is dimness. His Dolby 3-D seems noticeably brighter. His use of 3-D is restrained;** he doesn’t poke his picture in our eyes, and his editing makes sense of things, unlike Michael Bay’s mixmaster approach. > > … ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2009, 9:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/avatar-pre-release-speculation/521336/119 "2009-12-17T09:31:10Z")
> [@Equipoise](#): > > You or **yojimbo** should start another thread, and specify in the OP that the thread is ONLY for those who have seen the film, and point a link to this or the other thread for those who want to act like pouty little girls because some people are excited about and want to see this. Why are you so combative about the fact that some people think it looks terrible? ---
**Author:** ![ajb867](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f14d63/32.png) [@ajb867](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ajb867)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2009, 10:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/avatar-pre-release-speculation/521336/120 "2009-12-17T10:00:43Z")
> [@Equipoise](#): > > You or **yojimbo** should start another thread, and specify in the OP that the thread is ONLY for those who have seen the film, and point a link to this or the other thread for those who want to act like pouty little girls because some people are excited about and want to see this. Why? I wanted people to discuss their views about the film whether or not they enjoyed it. Just because you don’t agree with someone doesn’t mean it has to be shuffled off away from view were only opinions you agree with are discussed (wouldn’t that be kinda boring? “Looks like we are in agreement then!”). I’m sure there are going to be people who will see the movie and not like it. That’s fine I’m sure its not for everyone but I can’t wait to see it especially after people came straight back to this thread saying it was amazing. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/avatar-pre-release-speculation/521336.md?page=5) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/avatar-pre-release-speculation/521336.md?page=7)