why I'm not rushing out to see Avatar

[calimac]

a review of Dave's review and the comments.

Third runner-up, Descriptions Least Likely to Make Me Want to See Avatar: "Worth watching for the effects, but don't expect much from the story." I've already seen that movie; I don't want to see it again.

Second runner-up, Descriptions Least Likely to Make Me Want to See Avatar: "Dune in the jungle." Oh boy, I've seen that movie too. The book was better, but as the defenders of Hollywood trashings are always telling us, a book is not a movie.

First runner-up, Descriptions Least Likely to Make Me Want to See Avatar: "Heinlein meets McCaffrey." I've read those books.

And the winner, The Description Least Likely to Make Me Want to See Avatar is: "Dances with Wolves on another planet."

Comments

[sartorias.livejournal.com]

Bingo--four holes in one.

[rozk.livejournal.com]

Actually, you'll be missing a decent movie if you avoid it. The McCaffrey element is there, sure, as is the Heinlein, but it's also 'The Word for World is Forest', 'Call Me Joe', and 'Deathworld'. There's even an important element from 'A Case of Conscience'. In other words, it is a movie which mixes and matches sf elements - like the best sf does.

I think Dave's review gets some important points wrong and misses some others - the aliens' interest in Jake as a warrior is because contact by scientists so clearly hasn't worked, and for another reason that I think amazingly important to the extent of being a spoiler.

It is an oddly idealistic movie in its profoundly compromised way and as such is vulnerable to cynicism, if you let it be.

[benjd.livejournal.com]

I saw it last night (only because my date was particularly interested in James Cameron films). Your instincts are right on target. The 3D effects were impressive, and the story was tolerable, nothing more. Some of the same story elements and character types that Cameron used in Aliens 20 years ago recurred in Avatar, but this time the character portrayals were not as good or amusing. All in all, a thoroughly mediocre film.

[surliminal.livejournal.com]

Heinlein meets McCaffrey in fact DEad Right. But I liked both of those (for "juveniles" and "first 2 dragon books") so for me it was like a nostalgic dream come true.

[wordweaverlynn.livejournal.com]

This is a great critique of the buzz -- thanks.