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Tue Aug 11, 2009 5:12 am

Avatar @ Wikipedia
James Cameron Previews 24 Minutes of Avatar
Cameron/Weaver Interview @ ComiCon
Cameron Interview about Avatar the video game
Avatar @ IMDb

Fri Aug 21, 2009 11:23 pm

New Avatar Trailer

I have to admit...it's not quite, (sigh), it just doesn't look as stunning as I thought it would...

Post by **Kevin164** » Sat Aug 22, 2009 12:58 am

I wasn't impressed by the Marine battle armor. Hasn't Cameron seen any anime mecha for inspiration.

Sat Aug 22, 2009 1:59 am

I think he wanted to keep our attention on the natives and the landscape.

Post by **Kevin164** » Sat Aug 22, 2009 2:06 am

Then that's a terrible way of doing it. By creating an interesting opponent rather than a stunty looking toddler mech you add to the drama rather than slowing it down by forcing this blocky robot on the audience's eye. It sorta demeans the power of the sinuous design of the natives and the jungle of Pandora.

Post by **Montresor** » Sat Aug 22, 2009 2:11 am

jacob Raver, sinTempter wrote:New Avatar Trailer

I have to admit...it's not quite, (sigh), it just doesn't look as stunning as I thought it would...

That's the impression I just had too. I don't really want to watch an entire film that looks like the intro movie for a computer game, and the trailer is giving me a strong impression of that. I'm even less likely to think otherwise now that I've heard they are doing the computer game tie in as well.

Sat Aug 22, 2009 2:12 am

I watched it again knowing that it was CG and that it would look CG, and then I saw how amazing it is...for a CG film. I just thought...it was going to transcend CG into a psuedo-realism-something dreamed of, done so soon.

I'm truly disappointed.

Post by **Montresor** » Sat Aug 22, 2009 2:14 am

jacob Raver, sinTempter wrote:I watched it again knowing that it was CG and that it would look CG, and then I saw how amazing it is...for a CG film. I just thought...oh, well.

The CG is fantastic in some of the shots for the humans, but not so convincing for the aliens I think. I'm not all that impressed that the aliens look like us either . . . Cameron can do better than that. I'll give it a chance, but I'll probably wait until after it's theatrical release.

Post by **Worm of Despite** » Sat Aug 22, 2009 4:37 am

They had all this time to get it right and it looks like rubbery CGI from The Phantom Menace!? Seriously, that was my first, gut impression. Totally unreal-looking, but the scenes until they showed the "Avatar" in action were well done. Jesus Christ Cameron! Maybe it'll look better on the big screen. God I hope!

I'm writing a story called Red right now that has cooler crap than this, and it's only take me 3 months, not nearly a decade...

Post by **Rigel** » Sat Aug 22, 2009 7:44 pm

I don't understand where the hype for this came from, to begin with.

Anyway, we saw the trailer last night at Basterds, and... there's just something about blue people with pointy ears.

I immediately knew what it was, but I had to convince everyone I was with that, no, it was NOT a WoW flick.

Post by **Worm of Despite** » Sat Aug 22, 2009 8:26 pm

For the record, green men (Hulk) or blue cat-people (especially cat-people) are the WORST THING TO MAKE ENTIRELY CGI. WTF. Millions of dollars, Hollywood, and you make green people and blue rubbery CGI. I'm glad to know where creativity is evolving: the shitter.

Post by **Cagliostro** » Sat Aug 22, 2009 8:47 pm

Well, if the story is good, I can suspend my disbelief for anything. Unless I'm too removed from it by the stupidity in my eyes.
Truth be told, this kinda works in reverse as well. See Legend as an example of how a bad story can be subverted by a good soundtrack and interesting visuals. I'm not saying Legend is a good movie, but it does hold a special place for me.

Sat Aug 22, 2009 8:57 pm

Damn right. Legend is beautiful. That's all I can say good about it though.

Post by **Rigel** » Sun Aug 23, 2009 3:39 am

Hey, what's wrong with Legend? I thought it was extremely well done!

It's unique, of course, and not what I'd call a blockbuster... but it was definitely a good flick

Post by **Orlion** » Sun Aug 23, 2009 4:36 am

At first, I was thinking, huh...then I saw the aliens and thought, this looks like the animation they have for that Clone Wars series... then I saw aliens on natural animals fighting the industrial humans and thought, quite loudly, LAME!!!

Post by **Kevin164** » Sun Aug 23, 2009 5:03 am

Rigel wrote:I don't understand where the hype for this came from, to begin with.

I think it came mainly from Ain't Cool News. The critics there couldn't shut up about it. Mostly it lent itself to a glimmer of hope against the backdrop of those overly criticized sci-fi films like Transformers 2 and Terminator 4.

Avatar became a life raft on a cinematic year of let downs.

So far, for me only District 9 has delivered to a certain extent of satisfaction.

With Avatar I kinda feel like I'm watching Disney's all CGI Dinosaur crossed with a Pochontas in space from the current trailer.

Post by **Loredoctor** » Sun Aug 23, 2009 5:03 am

The designs are very average. I'm sick of humanoid aliens.

Post by **Orlion** » Sun Aug 23, 2009 5:21 am

Loremaster wrote:The designs are very average. I'm sick of humanoid aliens.

"But, Loremaster," the apologetic might say, "how can the audience sympathize with the aliens if they can't relate to them?"

To which, if I were you, I'd reply with a big punch in the face! Then I may give these reasons:

1)Aliens should be just that, alien. These are much more endearing(and intriguing) to the populace at large, in my opinion.

2) The strength of the writer should be to get the audience to sympathize with the unfamiliar, not the other way around.

Whew! Just letting off some steam...

Post by **Loredoctor** » Sun Aug 23, 2009 5:29 am

You took the words right out of my mouth

Sun Aug 23, 2009 5:33 am

Umm...do you guys understand the plot?

These are alien/human hybrids that were introduced in the trailer.

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