Avatar?

[aways]

Originally Posted by aways

left-wing propaganda tarted-up with special effects. I think I'll pass.

Originally Posted by aigel

Did you see the film?

George

No. Like I said, I think I'll pass. I'm sure it has amazing special effects, but computer animation isn't really enough on its own. I prefer films with some intellectual depth. And by all accounts I've read, this one is just another shallow Hollywood drive-by taking cheap shots at corporate America. The eye-candy is just the lure to pass along their political views. Even if one agrees with their leftist viewpoint, it's a shame that no one in Hollywood is able to walk and chew gum at the same time: How refreshing it would be if they could make a serious film with a novel plot that ALSO included amazing special effects... but apparently they can't, or don't think it's worth the trouble. Political views/motives aside, special effects should enhance a film, not be the reason for the film.

[m21sniper]

Even Star Wars was a tired old rehashed plot that "pushed politics."

[Burnin' oil]

Originally Posted by flatbutt

dunno if that was supposed to be green but 3D was pretty amazing.

No, I am serious. I can get you any theater movie on DVD from the taco truck. I assume that the quality will be poor and include the backs of people's head and the soundtrack will include people eating popcorn. It is also possible that the movies are dubbed in Espanol. Let me know if you want a copy. I was going to take a picture of the selection but didn't want no trouble.

[porsche4life]

Burnin' knows some enterprising Mexicans I see....


You should get one sometime just to test the quality....

[Burnin' oil]

Originally Posted by porsche4life

Burnin' knows some enterprising Mexicans I see....


You should get one sometime just to test the quality....

I can see it now: Just as I pay Jose for the DVD, the feds swoop in, with lights a'blazin' and guns drawn and I go down on a federal piracy rap. Or worse, Pedro pegs me for an undercover cop and drills a hole between my eyes.

[gr8fl4porsche]

Originally Posted by aways

No. Like I said, I think I'll pass. I'm sure it has amazing special effects, but computer animation isn't really enough on its own. I prefer films with some intellectual depth. And by all accounts I've read, this one is just another shallow Hollywood drive-by taking cheap shots at corporate America. The eye-candy is just the lure to pass along their political views. Even if one agrees with their leftist viewpoint, it's a shame that no one in Hollywood is able to walk and chew gum at the same time: How refreshing it would be if they could make a serious film with a novel plot that ALSO included amazing special effects... but apparently they can't, or don't think it's worth the trouble. Political views/motives aside, special effects should enhance a film, not be the reason for the film.

Wow. You are going to miss the coolest movie Hollywood has pumped out in decades (in my opinion as well as most people who watched the movie).
This is a movie that is made for 3D on a big screen.

Despite the curiously odd opinions of the tough crowd on this board, the movie is awesome.
The animation is so good, you forget you are watching a partial cartoon. The story is similar to others but with some cool twists.

This movie set the bar for the next gen sci-fi genre.

Bravo, Mr. Cameron.

[m21sniper]

Originally Posted by gr8fl4porsche

This is a movie that is made for 3D on a big screen.

This is the key. Forget the politics, this movie has to be seen on the big screen in 3D. Any fan of sci fi owes it to themself.

[herr_oberst]

Originally Posted by gr8fl4porsche

The animation is so good, you forget you are watching a partial cartoon. The story is similar to others but with some cool twists.

Oddly enough, the whole thing seemed like a cartoon after a while, even the live acting. I think that might have been the 3D component.

What cool twists? Did I miss something?

[m21sniper]

Him riding the big-ass bird was a cool twist.

[flatbutt]

Originally Posted by herr_oberst

Oddly enough, the whole thing seemed like a cartoon after a while, even the live acting. I think that might have been the 3D component.

What cool twists? Did I miss something?

a paraplegic man being able to run through his avatar for one

[herr_oberst]

I guess when I think of a twist, I think of a plot twist, where the audience is following a line of reasoning, but then something happens to throw that line into disarray.

Listen, this movie has artistic creativity dripping out it's pores, and the visuals were absolutely spectacular, but the plot was as predictable as a sunrise.

Just my opinion

[krystar]

loved the movie. but still found this funny

[gr8fl4porsche]

You're right about my usage of the word 'twist'. Bad choice of words. I meant 'enhancements' to the same old story.

Being able to sync with each other, the dragon birds and nature using their tails was a very cool enhancement to the classic alien telepathy power.

[AFC-911]

Originally Posted by m21sniper

'Avatar' could top overseas record today
Source: The Hollywood Reporter
Sat Jan 23, 2010, 8:00 am EST

James Cameron's "Avatar" is likely today to eclipse the foreign boxoffice record set 13 years ago by James Cameron's "Titanic."

"We expect 'Avatar' to pass 'Titanic' at the international box office (on Saturday)," predicted Craig Dehmel, Fox International's senior vp of sales and strategic planning. Distributor 20th Century Fox won't report Friday and Saturday gross numbers until Sunday morning.

Originally Posted by AFC-911

Avatar has the advantage of higher ticket pricing not only for the regular showings, but for the IMAX 3D showings as well.

It's really not fair to compare $ to $. It's better to compare ticket sales to ticket sales...

Originally Posted by m21sniper

Well that's not how they do it.

"In the U.S., "Avatar" has grossed $555 million making it the second highest grossing domestic (as opposed to worldwide) film of all time. Titanic is temporarily still in the lead here with $600.8 million.

But adjusting for ticket price for inflation, Avatar ranks as the 26th highest grossing film in the U.S., according to Box Office Mojo. Number one? "Gone With The Wind" with $1.5 billion adjusted gross in the U.S. "Star Wars" ranks second with $1.3 billion.

Cameron's "Titanic" ranks sixth (just behind "The Ten Commandments") with an adjusted $943 million take in the U.S.

Movies are released very differently today then they were in 1939 when "Gone With the Wind" premiered. The film showed originally in 156 theaters in the U.S. "Avatar" premiered on 3,452 screens. "Gone With the Wind" was re-released in 1947, 1954 and 1961. In 1967 it was shown in 70 mm. With as many as 600 films being released per year, these days few films get a second shot in theaters.

Of course movie now can sometimes double their box office with DVD and television sales. Here we're only looking at box office.

Even some modern films beat "Avatar" when looked at through a price-adjusted prism. "Forrest Gump" (1994) ranks 22nd with an adjusted $623 million box office. "Star Wars: Episode 1 -- The Phantom Menace," which was released in 1999, ranks 19th with an adjusted $623 million domestic gross."

source: Forbes.com: Is Avatar Really King Of The Box Office?

[m21sniper]

Some of those films have decades of VCR and DVD sales bolstering their figures.

Avatar will -at least- double it's take, and i believe it's still #1 at the box office innit?

20 years from now it could very well be #1 of all time. Who knows.

Of course you're right about inflation though...i paid $13.50 per ticket to see it on IMAX.
When we saw star wars at the drive ins back in 1977 i was a little kid, i think my dad paid $5 for the whole car full of us.

[AFC-911]

Originally Posted by m21sniper

Some of those films have decades of VCR and DVD sales bolstering their figures.

The article states that they did not factor in DVD & VHS sales, just the box office. The only difference is the adjustment for inflation.

[m21sniper]

"Of course movie now can sometimes double their box office with DVD and television sales. Here we're only looking at box office."

Somehow i missed the 2nd half of the text above.

Of course one can also make the argument that movie makers had a FAR more captive audience back then, when films like gone with the wind were made.

Today a movie has to compete against the INTERNET, theater, and 10,000 channels of cable and satellite TV and blah, blah, blah.

Back when Gone with the Wind was made they were just competing with radio and stage shows. From that perspective, today's films are at a huge disadvantage compared to films of the past.

[rattlsnak]

Just came back from seeing it 3-D. It was simply SPECTACULAR...!! Some of you guys dig way to deep into all this crap about political and social inuendos, etc.

IT'S A MOVIE!! and a DAMN good one!

[HarryD]

The movie was visually spectacular but the story is a retread of the hollywood love story (boy finds girl, boy loses girl, boy gets girl) and a lot of don't screw with mother nature/we are one with the universe stuff thrown in for good measure.

I particulary liked that the 3d effects were not in your face but were used to surround you with the rich imagery of an alien world.

The movie was fun to watch and frankly, I can see why people go back. ... it is fun!

[skinnerd]

Important to note when considering how much this movie has made vs inflation vs all time moneymakers....

This movie has only been showing one and one half months and on limited number of screens worldwide.
Give it a full year and then lets add up the receipts.
Pretty astonishing to pay back the original investment in just a matter of weeks.
All Hollywood movies should be so lucky