Not sure if I’m the last person on the planet to see it, but I finally watched it last night. I played it on my flat screen at home and paid attention to the story…I’m thinking the real focus was meant to be on the 3D. Some neat special effects to be sure, but I’ve clearly missed the hype. I’m not being contrary for the sake of it, I happen to like a lot of pop culture from anything Pixar makes to anything NIKE makes, but for me Avatar never rose above the special effects. It was clearly all about the visual. I think I’ll try it again at a theater in 3D and see if my opinion changes.
Have you heard about this film called Avatar?
August 06, 2010
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You may very well be the last one… and I’m sad to hear that you didn’t fall in love with it. I, of course, loved the visuals, but what I loved even more was the love story. This could be just because I’m a mushy lovey-dovey girl; however, I like to think it’s because the story was well written .
It does sound like you’re afflicted with the mushy lovey-dovey girl gene. The schoolyard warning to avoid girls lest you catch cooties appears to have been referring to this 🙂 I think I’m immune after watching The Godfather movies and playing hockey.
Well, the general consensus was that the story was pretty generic and the only reason to watch it was for the visuals. As opposed to Toy Story 3, which is probably the best 90 minutes I’ve spent in a movie theater.
I loved the first two Toy Story movies and definitely plan on seeing the third. Now I need to get it even sooner.
I’m assuming the James Cameron, “Dances With Catpeople” one, yes?
And Poccacatus as well.
You arent alone for neither my wife or I have seen it. Just dont care. Think I am getting old and cranky.
Before you know it you’ll be yelling at kids to get off your lawn 🙂 I do that now and I don’t even have a lawn.
Interesting! I saw it in the theater when it came out, and had a different reaction. The visual images of Pandora were so beautiful and so seamless I fell in love with the world on the spot, which meant the story sucked me in without me even thinking about it, because I was immersed and ready to go there myself and protect the place. Avatar worked for me on every level in the theater, and yes, a huge part of that was the support of the visuals. It was one of the most satisfactory movie theater experiences I’ve ever had, one that was also so unique that I actually don’t expect to ever feel that way again, and that’s… odd.
As a side note, I tried to watch this film on DVD, and I had to turn it off. It wasn’t the lack of 3D, it was the lack of size. I wasn’t *there* anymore. I wasn’t in the movie. I was in my living room watching it, and I hated that distance. It just doesn’t work on the small screen.
That could very well be it. I do think that if I saw it in a theater on a huge screen and in 3D I would find the visual aspect stunning and as a result not focus as much on the story which of course parallels Dances with Wolves among others. It’s a bit like frozen pizza vs. delivery. Both are pizza, but they are nothing alike.
Also, one of the neatest things about seeing it in the theater, was that in a packed theater, there was no talking during the entire film! There was appropriate cheering or gasping or reaction sounds, but the audience was so absorbed, in the quiet moments, you could hear that proverbial pin drop. I sat next to some younger kids on one viewing and was thinking, oh no. But nope, they sat there engrossed and didn’t budge or anything. It was quite amazing. When do you ever run into an audience so entranced by a movie nowadays? I saw the film more than once, and that was my experience every time. Trippy.
That is amazing, and I really do think you’ve delineated the difference. It seems to be a movie that needs to be experienced in a certain way. 2D at home just flattens it out too much.
I wouldn’t have ever seen the movie had a relative of mine not invited me over for a movie night not long after it came out on DVD (previews didn’t really make it pop for me, so I had no intention of seeing it because I am stingy with my money). And after seeing it? Well, my reaction was “OK. Now I’ve seen this movie.” The story didn’t really grab me, and it seems special effects don’t equal a good movie to me (oh, dear). But I still enjoyed watching it once, since the people I was watching it with made it extraordinarily amusing.
This is quite fascinating. There appears to be a clear divide between those who saw it in a theater in 3D and those that watched it at home in 2D. My earlier pizza comparison wasn’t perhaps as apt as it could have been. Maybe it’s closer to a rollercoaster – it’s thrilling to be on it, but boring to watch…er, ok, maybe that’s not quite right either. Ah, home movies. If you were on the trip then it was amazing, but if you’re a relative forced to watch the movie of your trip you want to suffer a seizure, fake or real.
I had a half and half experience compared to the rest of these comments- I saw it in a theater- in 2D. The fact is, I’m legally blind in one eye, so I don’t have binocular vision. For me to buy a ticket to a 3D movie is a waste because I CAN’T SEE in 3D!
And despite the 2D, I still thought it was a fantastic movie- I liked the plot, and the world- the visuals and effects were still amazing, but maybe some of that had to do with the size more than the 2D or 3D. Even my husband thought it was a great movie, and he has the capacity for 3D- So I think it was more the size and atmosphere of the movie instead of the 3D effects. I’ve actually read a lot of reviews of others who saw it in both and thought it was better in 2D and that 2D had more vibrant colors.
Interesting. I really will have to see it in 3D at some point for a comparison. I did notice that it had a very vivid color palette, but it wasn’t enough to capture me.
Avatar
Seamless graphics beautiful visuals poor story and thin plot.
I am so glad to know i am not the only one who wasn’t saying its a great movie. as for the love story really could have done better to get romance novelists to write those Yes I am a hopeless romantic as evidenced by my contributing to the increase in sales.
I was the one who talked my friend into watching it she loved it i didn’t and watched it in 3d which i didn’t seem to get i hate 3d glasses r annoying after an hour.
But based on comments here will try it again in 2d
Donna
Re: Avatar
I’m not sure seeing it in 2D will improve your experience, but I’m curious to hear about it. I am going to try it in the theaters in 3D when it re-releases later this year and see if my ambivalence changes.
I’m far from accomplished when it comes to writing romances, but even I could see the one in Avatar was by the numbers. Maybe the 3D will distract me from that this time around.