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[ENIGMA]

Channel 10 just showed a extended prieview of this movie.

What an amazing looking movie, the story looks like it should deliver too.

I will be seeing this one.

[JohnA]

looks great doesn't it

may even go to the movies to see this one

[ENIGMA]

Special preview on channel 9 at 9:30pm this Sat night (Melbourne) of this movie

[RichardN]

Might be national, it's on in Syd also.

[ENIGMA]

Only a couple more days for the movie. 5 years & $300m to make, getting rave reviews, i hope it isn't dissapointing.

I got the bluray game version yesterday (PS3), it is in HD and great to play if you like the usual commando type of stuff.

Excellent visually, detail/action, but i'm not normally a game person so you may need to get a review from a hard core gamer.

I expected a bit more wow factor/opening introduction than what it actually had. The characters are not life like looking (still appears as a game) although they have been done very well.

Worth a go, but i suggest wait for the price to drop a bit first.

GT Prologue in comparison is far more spectacular visually.

[RichardN]

Off to see it at the Entertainment Quarter tomorrow night with some friends. Going to see it in 3D although not sure how good that's going to be as I found Monsters vs Aliens, Up and Cloudy with a chance of meatballs hard going and had to take the glasses off every 20 - 30min.

[JohnA]

with all the hype and high expectations, there is the fear that this may dissapoint big time.

Either way, it will do great things at the box office.

Me, i'll wait till its released on blu ray.

After the last visit to the movies, i refuse to go

[holdencaulfield2007]

with all the hype and high expectations, there is the fear that this may dissapoint big time.

Either way, it will do great things at the box office.

Me, i'll wait till its released on blu ray.

After the last visit to the movies, i refuse to go

Do you mean grumpy moaning children, mobile phones ringing, loud chatter etc.?

[JohnA]

Do you mean grumpy moaning children, mobile phones ringing, loud chatter etc.?

and then some

[Keith_W]

I just read Jim Schembri's review in The Age - here.

James Cameron was responsible for the Titanic, one of the most irritating films ever made IMO. My favourite scene was watching a frozen Leonardo di Caprio sink into the ocean. If I could capture that as an animated GIF for my avatar, I would Can someone watch this and tell me whether it is the same as Titanic - i.e. 90 minutes of sheer pain followed by a golden moment where the annoying protagonist dies in a most horrible manner?

[JohnA]

I just read Jim Schembri's review in The Age - here.

James Cameron was responsible for the Titanic, one of the most irritating films ever made IMO. My favourite scene was watching a frozen Leonardo di Caprio sink into the ocean. If I could capture that as an animated GIF for my avatar, I would Can someone watch this and tell me whether it is the same as Titanic - i.e. 90 minutes of sheer pain followed by a golden moment where the annoying protagonist dies in a most horrible manner?

ROFL @ this

an aggressive race known as the Na'vi, who look like giant Smurfs that have spent too long at the gym.

[obiwan]

Hey, I fell for Titanic hook line and sinker. Cried and cried, went back a second time with other friends and family to see it again, bought the soundtrack, bought the DVD.

I wouldn't tell many of my real life friends that, but I feel secure knowing that my "virtual" internet SNA friends wouldn't ridicule me or attack my masculinity. :-)

[LuckyDog]

Hey, I fell for Titanic hook line and sinker. Cried and cried, went back a second time with other friends and family to see it again, bought the soundtrack, bought the DVD.

I wouldn't tell many of my real life friends that, but I feel secure knowing that my "virtual" internet SNA friends wouldn't ridicule me or attack my masculinity. :-)

Ya big girl!

[cableconnoisseur]

Hey, I fell for Titanic hook line and sinker. Cried and cried, went back a second time with other friends and family to see it again, bought the soundtrack, bought the DVD.

I wouldn't tell many of my real life friends that, but I feel secure knowing that my "virtual" internet SNA friends wouldn't ridicule me or attack my masculinity. :-)

Don't worry about 'outing' yourself as somebody that enjoyed it.

I did too.

Except, I stopped short of buying the soundtrack..........

Russ.

[rob323]

Russ, the Titanic soundtrack is waaaay better than the movie, there is some nice rumbling bass in certain parts, one of the tracks made it onto my subwoofer test disc.
Back to Avatar, my wife and I are hanging out for this movie as we like this sort of eye candy.

[shanedudddy2]

Terminator 2 >>>>> Titanic , so there is hope

[andythiing]

Keith thanks for the link on the review - too was not a bg titanic fan - good to take the Mrs too to waste a few hours at a pinch.

The review was great and baased on that alone I d say this moview is NOT for you! I might go just to see the "effects" but the trory line is already making me want to vomit.

Hey if you have not done so go back and read the comments now posted against his review and his very funny responses to them - worth the read and you will get a laugh

eg

Very-Hard-To-Get-To-But-Will-Sell-For-A-Lot-Back-On-Earth-ium

and

Interesting thoughts... how did your review of the storyline of 'The Castle' go Jim?
Schembri note: It is still quoted back to me by psychiatrists.

and

Jim Schembri - go watch Play School you fool, or learn to appreciate a movie for what it is.
Schembri note: I've tried watching Play School. Can never follow the plots on that show. Please let us know what you think of Avatar once you've checked it out. But your review is what we're interested in, not your invective.

and I loved this one

Schembri note: Always happy to applaud the boundary-pusher, so long as they finish their screenplay first.

[soundandpictures]

Unobtainium ?

Cameron's writing falls to new depths of banality.

[hired goon]

G'day,

Just saw "Avatar" in 3D. F'n spectacular. I will be seeing this again.

The depiction and realization of the alien world is amazing. Planets, moons, bizarre flora and fauna, waterfalls and floating mountains ... rendered perfectly.

Battle scenes that outdo anything in "Return Of The King" (as you expect, given that Weta did both movies and had a heap of time and money for this one).

Essentially, this is a cowboys vs indians story, kinda like "Dances With Wolves" in space. The cowboy lives amongst the indigenous peoples, goes native, falls in love, etc etc. And fights against his colonial comrades. So sorta like "The Last Samurai". And there's the bit about humans lying in pods and experiencing an alternate reality. So sorta like "The Matrix". So no points for originality. But this mix of stories is set against a world where there is no limit to the imagination ... plants that light up when touched; forests and animals that glow and teem with colour; etc.

The film zips along for its 160 mins, although I do wish the final battle scenes were longer. And the 3D effects were the best I have seen, expertly used (e.g. falling particles that swirl around) but not overtly in your face (except for one obligatory "ball coming straight at you" scene). I think the film can be enjoyed in 2D, especially on the big screen, but see it in 3D if you can.

Of course, there are plotholes and flaws, and the dialogue is not as memorable as Cameron's other films such as "Terminator" and "Aliens". In fact, there were scenes that could have used "Aliens" dialogue in situ: "I say we nuke it from orbit, it's the only way to be sure"; "We just got our asses kicked"; "Game over, man! Game over!", etc. I doubt that there will be any such catchphrases seeping into popular consciousness from this movie.

There are some contemporary references to world politics that could have been left out ("shock and awe", "pre-emptive war", etc).

I read the Schembri review and that dude with his "green propaganda" whinge. I call shenanigans on that. Sure there's a lot of "tree-hugging hippy crap", as Cartman would say, but it's necessary to provide the narrative force of the story, to provide a motivation for the why the characters act as they do. Anyone taking offense at this is probably the sort of person that enjoys turning on every light in the house during Earth Hour; such childishness can be ignored.

Overall, two thumbs up from me.

--Geoff

[wolster]

Thanks for your thoughts, Geoff. You have accomplished a rare thing - actually motivating me to go and see a movie.

Cheers
wolster

[soundfan]

Thanks HG for that review. I might check it out soon as well.

Chris

[RichardN]

Nice one Geoff, far better than I could have put it.

The 3D is very subtle and you often need to take the glasses off then on again to appreciate how good it really is. When someone walks in front of the screen it really does look like some of the "hanging tree lights" are between you and the walker.

This movie had everything, love story, fight scenes, humour, special fx galore, Sigourny Weaver who was strangely attractive in her Avatar form as was the main leading lady! and more, enough to keep me enthralled for the entire movie. For me it had a just the right pace too, not to fast, not too slow.

Anyway, extremely enjoyable movie and will enjoy seeing it again with the wife.

If I had to sum it up in one word, "Epic" springs to mind (in a good way, not a Titanic way!)

[hired goon]

G'day,

I was thinking about this again last night ... the way the planet is imagined and shown on screen, with the colours and lights and trees etc ... it really is one of the most aesthetically beautiful movies I have seen in a long time. I was in awe of some of the scenes (e.g. the floating mountains). SFX money well spent IMHO.

--Geoff

[DRC]

G'day,

I was thinking about this again last night ... the way the planet is imagined and shown on screen, with the colours and lights and trees etc ... it really is one of the most aesthetically beautiful movies I have seen in a long time. I was in awe of some of the scenes (e.g. the floating mountains). SFX money well spent IMHO.

--Geoff

Agreed, watched in 3D last night. A visual masterpiece, but with not alot of scipt beyond a Saturday morning cartoon. That said, a must see on the big screen in 3D.

[proftournesol]

I read the Schembri review and that dude with his "green propaganda" whinge. I call shenanigans on that.

a bad Jim Schembri review is always the best and most reliable indicator that it is a good film that is worth seeing.