Do yourself a favor and go see Avatar.

[patrice]

State of the art CGI, seamless; even though the imagery is absolutely stunning, you forget that it's CGI. Excellent, really excellent music. Worthwhile story. Well developed characters.

I hope they make more of these.

[parasim]

1. I'm really looking forward to seeing it.

Heard nothing but good things about it and the trailers look awesome.

[cliffordu]

2. I bought tickets online tonight to see it

NEW YEARS DAY THREE D IMAX, BABEEEEE!!!!!!\\

me and the little woman and 8 of my deadbeat relatives.

[onehandle]

3. It's wonderful. I posted about it after seeing it on Saturday. --->

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x7277346

[leftofcool]

4. Had it planned, got snowed in

[EmeraldCityGrl]

5. That's our Christmas Day movie pick.

We open presents Christmas Eve then have a big brunch the next day and go to a great movie.

[glowing]

6. My son is been waiting on this movie for the longest

[Fumesucker]

7. Here's a link that has a video on how they made Avatar..

It's kind of interesting, Cameron wrote the script and shelved it for quite a while because he couldn't make the movie at the time with the technology at the time..

http://www.gizmag.com/avatar-movie-james-cameron-technology/13628/?utm_source=Gizmag+Subscribers&utm_campaign=8a9cce5f2f-UA-2235360-4&utm_medium=email

[Ildem09]

8. Special effects were amazing

plus it had a really good progressive message

[yurbud]

9. I just saw it in 3D--it's a game changing movie. The first time CGI characters were believeable

It's probably the best movie of the decade.

[patrice]

12. That's what surprised me the most about it. I don't usually care about CGI, I enjoy it on a

superficial level, but they got something about the body-language (?) right this time and you forget they are CGI.

[shadowknows69]

14. Describes it personally.

Only once or twice did they intentionally kind of "Break the fourth wall" and really kind of intentionally do an old school 3-D trick that was obvious (golf anyone?), but I think that was more of a nod to those older movies. This is not your father's 3D. Mostly it just put you right into the scene like I've never experienced before. Amazing.

[proteus_lives]

10. Meh, it was pretty dreck.

The visuals are awesome but they don't cover the sub-standard plot, bad characters and dialogue.

No subtlety left in mainstream hollywood.

Edit: Avatar in five panels. LOL!

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=105x9176944

[Blasphemer]

11. Thanks, it didn't remotely appeal to me but with all the raves I wondered if I was missing something

I now see that I am not. Definitely not my cup of tea!

[shadowknows69]

15. Were you expecting a grand tale of intrigue really?

Cameron really isn't too many steps above Lucas as a screenwriter, but man does that dude know how to film..um er..create in a computer, some action sequences.

[shadowknows69]

13. Just went last night. Yeah, Cameron has a hit a new high for digital realism that's a fact.

*******SPOLERS*********





nice message of "don't live in harmony with nature and nature might beat you down" too. Although I think Cameron could have gone further to make sure the Navi weren't complete Native American stereotypes. We get the allegory without having to be hit over the head with it Jim.

[CBGLuthier]

16. Until three days ago, from everything I had seen

I thought this movie was animated.

Some of the characters look like they could have been in Toy Story.

[Silver Gaia]

17. My daughter and I have tickets to go see it at the IMAX in 3D

next Monday (the 28th)! We're really looking forward to it!

I'm not expecting great literature here. I'm looking at it more as a fairy tale/mythic sort of story and that's fine by me. That sort of story should be simple and straightforward, full of metaphor and even hit-you-over-the-head messages, so that's what I expect to see.

What I want to see it for is visual art, and the fantastic, revolutionary new 3D technology Cameron developed and used to film this movie. I am hoping to be blown away by a masterful combination of these things: art and technology. The story is secondary for me, really.

Can hardly wait! :D

[Occulus]

20. Then you'll be happy.

I went to see it tonight, and while I don't think it's The Single Greatest Movie of the Decade- the story has been told before and some of the dialogue seems a bit canned- the technical accomplishments behind the film are really very impressive. This is the very first time I've been totally convinced that the humanoid CG character is actually real.

It occurs to me that this technology could put a lot of actors out of business. The characters in Avatar are that well-done.

[Silver Gaia]

18. Just returned from the theater a little while ago.

I'm still trying to catch my breath! :D

One thing I want to say is that I think the storyline is just fine the way it is. A deeper storyline would've detracted from the beauty of this film, not enhanced it, IMHO. The emphasis is on the visuals and sensory input. A really complicated plot would've taken you 'out' of the film too much. It's not a film you want to think your way through; it's a film to feel your way through. Just be there and experience it. That's all that's necessary. It isn't trying to be anything more than it is, story-wise, and shouldn't be anything more than it is. It's overwhelming enough as it is. No need for anything more. I loved it! :)

[daggahead]

19. I just got home from seeing the 3D Imax version.

The movie was beautifully animated and the story line, I thought, was good. Sure, it was a bit in your face as far as the reach of corporate greed, military brutality and the attempted genocide of an entire race of people, but the visual appeal was great. If you can do it, see it in 3D.

The screenplay could have excluded a lot of tired bad-ass movie type cliches, but I suppose the "Lex Luther" needed to be a real a-hole.

[AlphaZero]

21. Yeah

I thought the plot was pretty good. Some republicans are getting pissed off at the anti-corporation/capitalism message of the movie. Kind of funny, actually.

[daggahead]

22. Something disturbing from the movie last night ...

We took our seats in the theater about 20 minutes before the movie started.

During the pre-movie commercials (remember when they didn't have that shit before movies?), one of the 3 or 4 Wal-Mart Ads they played was in praise of our soldiers. I have no problem with that, in and of itself, but what the voice over said was something to the effect of, "Thanks to our soldiers for keeping us safe and helping us live better."

I was a bit put off by that. Helping us live better? Really?

40 million Americans without health insurance? Better?
Nearly 50 million Americans going hungry? Better?
1 in nearly 130 homes in America in foreclosure? Better?

Really?

[Onceuponalife]

23. Truly a jaw dropping experience.

This is the first CGI I've ever seen that wasn't fake looking. AT ALL. It looked as real as anything that was actually real. And the tableaux were GORGEOUS. I want to get the blu-ray of this and just freeze frame it every 10 seconds and just stare in wonder at the beauty of it. And you have to see it in 3-D. The scene near the beginning where the scientists and soldiers are getting out of their sleep "coffins" puts the "awe" in awesome. I'm still trying to scrape my jaw off the floor. The only drawback, really, in this film is the cliched script and plot that is totally by-the-numbers action flick style. And I loved Michelle Rodriguez, Sigourney Weaver and Giovanni Ribisi.

[shadowknows69]

24. k