Avatar (2009)

[ktabic]

As so far as the movie itself goes, I don't think he undergoes genetic enhancement, my understanding was that his consciousness is transferred into a cloned replica of the aliens. Perhaps to act as a fifth column and undermine the enemy from within.

Think you are right about the consciousness transfer thing. But from the clip, I think they are doing it to make soldiers who can operate better in that environment, rather than infiltrators.
The normal humans all wear breathing gear. And after he has been put in the alien body, you see him moving around in what looks like a flak jacket and with a rifle, which isn't going to be very covert.

Needs to be judged on the final film though as trailers can be very misleading.

Yes, the final product is what needs to be judged. Although I will point out, that was just a teaser, not a trailer.

 

[Winters_Sorrow]

Winters Sorrow - Have you heard of the "Uncanny Valley"? Its a term that describes 3D animated characters that don't look quite real when they move and talk, just look at Beowulf and Final Fantasy - Spirits Within and other show like the Mummy 2 when the Skorpion King turns into a CG skorpion. Cameron has apparently found a way to bridge that uncanny valley and make the characters look and move like they would in the real world. That is a massive feat on its own.

No I haven't come across that term before Biodroid. Of course the 3 films you refer to all involve trying to create a CGI human which I actually think is harder than creating aliens - after all we all know what humans look like so it's easier to see the flaws. If you say that Cameron's movie has managed to 'bridge the Uncanny Valley' in your words then great. I just wasn't convinced by the trailers I saw - the aliens and vegetation still looked superimposed, which is the major drawback on CGI to me - it's hard to convince the viewer that what you're seeing is really there with what it's interacting with. As much as the shark in Jaws was crappy and the creatures in Alien & Predator were people in rubber costumes, they were physically real and it was easier for me to buy into the fact that they were whatever they were dressed up to be. Until CGI manages to convince me that something which isn't there when the camera rolls is there, then it'll always be a failure to me.

Think you are right about the consciousness transfer thing. But from the clip, I think they are doing it to make soldiers who can operate better in that environment, rather than infiltrators.
The normal humans all wear breathing gear. And after he has been put in the alien body, you see him moving around in what looks like a flak jacket and with a rifle, which isn't going to be very covert.

Oh, interesting. But then how are they going to tell the enemy from other Avatars then? Friendly fire is hard enough when the enemy is dressed differently, must be a near certainty when everyone looks the same!

 

[Rodders]

I'll go and see it. I like James Cameron and it should be an enjoyable romp and i think that this will be one of those films that just has to be seen at the cinema.

There are a few of this sort of film coming out now. As well as Avatar, there's a new Bruce Willis film call Surrogates (i think) and one called Gamer.

 

[Urien]

When I was a child I went into the uncanny valley. There were flooded railways and sabre toothed dogs, hunting horses and wild cars, the wreckage of cities and a lost stairwell.

Ambitious fantasy/sf takes you back there.

 

[clovis-man]

While you wait for the film premiere, you could do worse than to read "Call Me Joe" by Poul Anderson, a short story from 50 years ago which explores the same theme. Don't know if Cameron intentionally made the connection, but it's too close to ignore IMHO. Hate to rely on Wiki for info, but:

Call me Joe - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is available in a collection of Anderson's short fiction with the short story title also being the title of the book.

 

[CBellenis]

The idea behind Avatar

I've just watched this trailer and it seems to be based pretty firmly on Ursula Le Guin's The word for World is Forest. Does anyone know if this acknowledged anywhere?

 

[biodroid]

Re: The idea behind Avatar

I know that Cameron had to add to the credits for using some SF author story in the Terminator. i think it was Harlan Ellison and royalties had to be paid or something like that. It would not surprise me if JC used another book as he said he has read so many of them that is why he got into movies.

 

[dustinzgirl]

Re: The idea behind Avatar

Actually its very based on Hinduism and in my humble opinion has nothing to do with Ursula's The word for World is Forest.

Avatar: The Last Airbender - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Avatar is a family favorite around here and I really enjoyed it. Its also pretty original, but reminiscent more of The Golden Child than anything else.

 

[biodroid]

Re: The idea behind Avatar

Actually its very based on Hinduism and in my humble opinion has nothing to do with Ursula's The word for World is Forest.

Avatar: The Last Airbender - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Avatar is a family favorite around here and I really enjoyed it. Its also pretty original, but reminiscent more of The Golden Child than anything else.

I think you got the wrong Avatar, the one mentioned is from a James Cameron movie Avatar (2009)

 

[CBellenis]

Re: The idea behind Avatar

Sorry - I should have been more specific with the reference!

 

[jojajihisc]

Re: The idea behind Avatar

Sorry - I should have been more specific with the reference!

No, you really didn't need to. You did mention trailer which means it is a movie and not a kids show and someone else mentioned Cameron.

 

[Overread]

Re: The idea behind Avatar

Except that Avatar: The Last Airbender also has a new live action movie being released soon as well so there are trailers out for both.

and isn't there like 2 or 3 films coming out similar to this? I think Disney is making one similar in full CGI (as opposed to half and half). Must say the overall look of hte film here looks good - at least the CGI is fitting into the look of the real world actors.

 

[Culhwch]

Re: The idea behind Avatar

There was a bit of a buzz going around the interwebs that it looked very similar to an animated film of the last year or so - so much so that it was suggested there might have been a little bit of, erm, creative borrowing going on. I can't recall the film at the moment, but I'll see if I can track it down...

EDIT: That movie would be 2008's Delgo:

The 7 Eeriest Parallels Between Avatar and Delgo | Movieline

 

[biodroid]

Re: The idea behind Avatar

I think the kiddies Avatar is done by M. Knight Shyamalamamaanamaa (joke on name) and I think it's just called the Last Airbender.

 

[Rodders]

So, it now seems that the final toll for this could be nearer the half Billion dollar mark. WOW!!! I appreciate that most of that has gone into developing the new 3D technology, but crikey, this had better be one hell of a life changing movie.

 

[Culhwch]

That's a lot of money for a movie that's going to sink like the Titanic...

 

[Connavar]

Whose trailer made me laugh at how cool it looked.... if it was 2000 and a Final Fantasy video sequence.


Its beyond silly that a generic story and decent effects cost that much to make.

Its hollywood and James Cameron history of hit films that made it expensive. No one else would get that much money on a movie like this.

 

[Thadlerian]

Having seen the trailer a couple of times, I don't feel any particular need to watch this movie. The trailer scenes, coupled with what I've seen in similar movies, gives me the feeling that I can tell to a detail exactly what is going to happen.

While you wait for the film premiere, you could do worse than to read "Call Me Joe" by Poul Anderson, a short story from 50 years ago which explores the same theme. Don't know if Cameron intentionally made the connection, but it's too close to ignore IMHO. Hate to rely on Wiki for info, but:

Call me Joe - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is available in a collection of Anderson's short fiction with the short story title also being the title of the book.

Interesting. I don't think there's much else in this movie that could have been original.

 

[clovis-man]

Apparently I'm not the only one to notice the resemblance of the Avatar story to the Poul Anderson work from the 1950s.

Is James Cameron’s AVATAR a Ripoff of Writer Poul Anderson | GeekTyrant

The illustration of the magazine containing the Anderson story (looks like Kelly Freas work) is the one I had when I first read it in my early teens.

I know I won't be able to not see this movie, whether it lives up to its hype or not.

 

[Dave]

I don't know what the obsession with 3D movies is either, because they are generally not very good. Having said that, the experience of an IMAX was good, and a film actually and specifically made to be shown in that format should work well. It is a pity the BFI IMAX is showing it at such odd hours. There is a little more on the plot and some images here:
Avatar - An IMAX 3D Experience (12A) | BFI