AVATAR

[guessingo]

They expanded to 10 best picture nominations. They did this so films could advertise to push DVD sales.

[ryos]

FINALLY saw this. It's about time.

The visuals really were off the charts. I like spectacle films, so I would have enjoyed it even if it had had a Jackie Chan plot. The best and most original (non-visual) part of the film was the networked, mentally aware biosphere. That was just awesome. As for the plot, well, I expected to have to turn my brain off to enjoy it (like most dumb action/spectacle films), but I didn't. Even if it was very predictable, I still had a great time.

I didn't really get the humans' thinking. First of all, I would expect a lot more than three scientists to be on an alien world with sentient life. I would expect people to actually listen to them. I don't know why a people who had developed interstellar travel had to resort to strip mining, and why they were so tied to that one spot. It felt like the writers were trying to force the "evil alien conquerors" theme without making it deep enough to stick.

Still, great flick.

[Bookstore Guy]

I don't know why a people who had developed interstellar travel had to resort to strip mining, and why they were so tied to that one spot. It felt like the writers were trying to force the "evil alien conquerors" theme without making it deep enough to stick.

Pandora was the only place with that mineral, and earth is becoming a toxic wasteland (visuals of earth are in the Director's Cut).

[Recovering_Cynic]

I think the spot ryos was referring to was the ore deposit under the Navi home-tree, and I have to agree that it seemed awfully contrived that they couldn't find another place or another way to get the ore.

[Bookstore Guy]

They talked about this.  The richest deposit was under the tree.  There is ore elsewhere on the planet, but the richest deposit was under what could be considered the oldest tree.  Since we don't know how the mineral is formed, who is to say that there wasn't a logical reason in the original script explaining why it is there (just like there are explanations as to why the mountains float, or why the air is poisonous).  I'm just saying, it really wasn't contrived.  The richest deposit under one of the oldest areas of the planet?  Doesn't sound like a stretch to me.

[mtbikemom]

   Has anyone yet mentioned the only cringe moment for me in Avatar?  The name of the mineral: unobtainium.  I think that was it.  Oh, brother.

   Other than that, I liked the movie in a slightly-detached manner.  Mostly because of the tiresome anti-big business, anti-military themes.  And the voodoo-like religious thing.  But I cried at least twice and thereby increased my younger kids' enjoyment incrementally.  Someone had warned me about the long, long ending battle scene and that it was, for her, "Fern Gully on steroids" so my expectations were mercifully low. 

[Jexral]

Interesting,,, I thought AVATAR was really pretty terrible.

It had superb visuals, some decent acting, and a plot that could have been mildly interesting, but... Man... the dialog was SOOOO bad.  I basically think of it of a film with the budget of an epic along the lines of Gone with the Wind and Ben-Hur, but the script of a Lifetime flick.  For me, gorgeous visuals are simply not enough, though I would still recommend people to see it, to see how far CGI has really come.

Honestly, if this film hadn't had such gorgeous CG, it would have been a colossal failure.  It seems that they spent so much money on the visuals, that they didn't have enough to actually pay someone to edit the script. 

Also, Mtbikemom, in what way was it anti- big business?  Maybe anti-"Military-industrial complex".  Very anti-government.  But not so much big business... unless you're only referring to the military-industrial complex.

[Miyabi]

Because they weren't technically military, they were mercenaries hired by a large corporation.

[mtbikemom]

Jexral, the plot was so forgettable, I hardly remember.  Wasn't there a profit motive behind obtaining (ugh) unobtainium?  And if so, the military would not logically profit.  I thought the militaristic thugs were hired mercenaries, but like I said, I hardly remember.  That kinda says it all.

Oh, Miyabi posted only seconds before this.  Guess my memory is not completely gone yet.    Tx!

[Patriotic Kaz]

It comes out on DVD EARTH DAY!!!

[Bookstore Guy]

I never really understood why people complained about the term unobtainium.  It's been used term since the 1950s.  It's not like they just made it up for the movie.  It may sound a tad silly, but it is an actual term.

That said, I think I'll wait until a nifty extended edition is released on blu ray to pick it up.

[Miyabi]

@BookstoreGuy - I really want to see that too.  I wonder what they left out.

[Eerongal]

@BookstoreGuy - I really want to see that too.  I wonder what they left out.

The rest of the movie, obviously. It will now take over 24 hours to watch from beginning to end!

also: This scene (slightly NSFW, but all hilarious)