• @Gigan@lemmy.world
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    8 months ago

    It made $2 billion but I don’t know anyone that saw it. Or if they did, they didn’t talk about it.

    • @deus@lemmy.world
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      8 months ago

      I saw it. I enjoyed it a lot. Pandora’s seas look even more stunning than the forest did in the first movie. Loved meeting the Omatikaya clan and Jake’s new family (Spider and Kiri too, of course). Also, Quaritch being reborn as a Na’vi made him a much scarier and more interesting antagonist than he was. Can’t wait to see what Cameron has in store for us in the sequels.

    • @angrymouse@lemmy.world
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      8 months ago

      I saw it, it was shit, specially because I remember the first. The plot of the 2 is horrible, even comparing with first that was generic.

      The story moves around the fact that humans want to get rid of blue ppl from a place to explore mineral resources, the leadr of the blues go away, instead of massacre the blue ppl they go for the leader in another place (???)

      And half of the movie is just kids doing shit to help the plot show the water, this movie was a long and slow torture.

      • @1simpletailer
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        8 months ago

        Holy shit do these movies need to edited down. Watched the latest one a few weeks ago and man was it 90 minutes of plot stretched into a 3 hour film. Felt like I was just watching James Cameron fellate himself on screen. Oh yeah Jimmy, such a beautiful and imaginative world. Shame it’s wasted on the blandest characters and most simplistic themes imaginable.

        • @angrymouse@lemmy.world
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          128 months ago

          I believe if was 80 minutes I would remember it as a good movie and a visual masterpiece, but now I remember as a slugg story that destroyed a technical achievement.

        • @angrymouse@lemmy.world
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          78 months ago

          I saw 3D as well and It was undisputable beautiful, but half of the movie I didn’t see, I was rolling my eyes. I Just can’t accept how a movie so expensive was unable to create a plot aligned with the Idea of a visual masterpiece.

          • @FrostyTheDoo@lemmy.world
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            28 months ago

            Yeah, my friend was over it as soon as he saw humans sent the same exact general who got his ass kicked the first time back to try to do the exact same thing. Obviously it can’t be 100% realistic but if there was any suspension of disbelief at all it could have been so much better

      • JackbyDev
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        28 months ago

        If I remember correctly, Sarge (no idea wtf his name is) had a vendetta and the folks not in his direct circle of troops were hesitant to allow his pursuit of Jake.

        Don’t mistake this as some defense of perfect writing, it wasn’t my favorite or anything, but I do think that was talked about.

        • @angrymouse@lemmy.world
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          18 months ago

          But iirc the general also sent soldiers after Sarge (I also don’t remember his name) to kill Jake, it was not just the vendetta guy

          • JackbyDev
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            18 months ago

            Yeah, like once Sarge convinced them they were on board but I could’ve sworn there was at least hesitancy. His argument was something like Jake is a symbol? Idk.

        • @afraid_of_zombies@lemmy.world
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          08 months ago

          Yeah you don’t remember his name. Action and horror movies depend almost solely on the strength of the villain. So when no one can remember even the name of the villain what does it say about the movie?

          • JackbyDev
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            08 months ago

            I don’t remember characters’ names from movies I love either though. I’m very bad with people’s names as well.

              • JackbyDev
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                18 months ago

                Of course I do, I’m just saying it’s very common for me to forget. I loved Scream but I can only remember Tatum. Matthew Lillard I kept calling Shaggy. I recently saw Insidious again and I remember like, Elaine? And that’s it. My memory of characters’ names doesn’t seem to correlate very strongly with the quality of the movie.

      • @Tavarin@lemmy.ca
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        -18 months ago

        Well if you only watch it on a small screen that makes sense. In Imax 3D it was stunning, and very engrossing.

        • @lightnsfw@reddthat.com
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          58 months ago

          The special effects were beautiful it was the plot that was the problem. Pretty much the same as the first one.

          • @Tavarin@lemmy.ca
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            08 months ago

            And that’s a problem?

            I still enjoyed the story, but being so drawn in by the world is what certainly helped make it more enjoyable.

            • @wombatula@lemm.ee
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              18 months ago

              Once it leaves theatres, of course that is a problem lmao. Where can I go see it in imax 3d? Spend half a million dollars on a home cinema?

              I watch most movies at home, as do most people (especially since covid), if I can’t even buy tickets to the theme park then what interest is it to me?

    • @Tavarin@lemmy.ca
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      58 months ago

      I saw it in Imax and had a great time. I know several people who also saw it and loved it.

    • WalrusDragonOnABike
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      48 months ago

      I heard many people mention it. I think mostly high schoolers (I work in education)? Probably the same people who watch anything that’s trending news. People I know who are actually old enough to see the original in theatres mostly seemed uninterested.

    • @Magister@lemmy.world
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      48 months ago

      As a lot of people I saw the first one in 3D IMAX surrounds DTS whatever. Once. Never watched it again. Never saw the second one.

      • credit crazy
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        48 months ago

        Knowing James Cameron it’s probably more of a submarine money laundering operation

  • @spudwart@spudwart.com
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    8 months ago

    Pros: As an effect of him writing the script in the 90s, the movie feels like a 90s movie with modern fx.

    Cons: As an effect of him writing the script in the 90s, the movie feels like a 90s movie, with ancient overdone tropes, including the racist ones.

      • @1simpletailer
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        8 months ago

        I mean the Na’vi are an infantilized hodgepodge of several shallow stereotypes of indigenous people precision designed to be sexy so the lowest common denominator sympathizes with them. The commenter may be referring to that.

          • 🇰 🔵 🇱 🇦 🇳 🇦 🇰 ℹ️
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            8 months ago
            • The manner in which they talk
            • the lack of technology greater than bows and arrows
            • all plants and animals are treated as sacred
            • outsiders are not welcome
            • clothing that only covers up the naughty bits

            The Na’vi are basically native American stereotypes in every conceivable way, except blue and have tails.

            • @IdealShrew@lemmy.world
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              8 months ago

              Is that not all true even for some tribes today? I don’t mean native American, but for example look at the people on Sentinel Island or similar - I think this is what they were going for with the NaVi

              • @dangblingus@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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                18 months ago

                If you can confirm that James Cameron used Sentinel Island people as the direct design influence for the Na’Vi, you might have some kind of a point. But he didn’t. He made them sexy babies with big eyes so he could override your Disney brain and sell some toys.

    • @dangblingus@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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      08 months ago

      At a certain point, his success and money is just self-sustaining. He could release a video of him shitting and it would make half a billion domestic. Like, there are at least 3 more Avatar movies coming. Terminator was an actual cultural phenomenon that people can remember the names of all of the characters and the plot, and yet it only did a fraction of the numbers Avatar does. Explain that.

  • Rin
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    208 months ago

    I’m assuming the sequel is also forgettable considering that I’ve barely heard a thing about the plot.

      • @HexBee@lemm.ee
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        208 months ago

        No no no no, it doesn’t just have a plot. It has the same plot even with all the same protagonists and antagonists.

        • credit crazy
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          28 months ago

          Someone better get him out of his sub the air is making him a bit loopy enough to think avatar 2 is a good plot

    • @bitsplease@lemmy.ml
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      8 months ago

      The sequel is literally “the exact same movie as the first one, but this time with water (and bonus animal cruelty)”

      I actually enjoyed the first one, but the second movie added nothing of value and cheapened everything that happened in the first one (in that literally no one gives a shit about unobtanium anymore)

      Edit: Curious as to what the downvoters are taking issue with about my comment. Nothing wrong with liking the movie, but you have to admit the plot was basically identical to the first one, just with new characters and a different setting

          • JackbyDev
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            18 months ago

            I feel like it would’ve been better with only the water stuff. Just take the bad guys out completely. Just have it be the story of the Sully family being accepted into a new tribe. There was still plenty of conflict to focus on.

    • @afraid_of_zombies@lemmy.world
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      18 months ago

      Me being charitable: if you enjoyed the first you are most likely going to enjoy the second. If you are over the age of 12 and have seen more than 8 movies in your life you are probably not going to enjoy it.

  • @Blackmist@feddit.uk
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    168 months ago

    Made three out of the top four grossing movies of all time.

    I don’t really like any of them, but you can’t argue with the results. The man knows how to put bums on cinema seats.

    • The Picard ManeuverOPM
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      108 months ago

      I don’t know how it made so much money. I guess people are seeing it and not talking about it?

      • @dustyData@lemmy.world
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        8 months ago

        This is precisely it. Avatar had originally the exact same problem that the Way of the Water has now. They’re tech demos. Interesting, pretty, they move people to see what’s what on the theater. But, offer close to nothing emotionally or culturally resonant. It’s like a generic roller-coaster, you show up, enjoy the ride, then go get some fries having nothing deeper to say about the experience because the experience doesn’t offer anything deep. It doesn’t mean the movies are bad or that they weren’t enjoyable, that’s why they made so much money. But there’s no conversation to have around them except to remark on how much they cost to make, or how did the CGI looked like or whether other studios will use the tech invented for this movie on other movies. Plot, characters and symbolism are shallow pools. Specially to an audience that is sick and tired of mega blockbuster sequels.

  • @thorbot@lemmy.world
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    158 months ago

    My wife and I started watching the second avatar and we turned it off about 90 minutes in, just couldn’t be bothered to care or watch it any more. And we never finished it. What a piece of crap

    • @slackassassin@sh.itjust.works
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      158 months ago

      Watched it in IMAX 3d with my kid. It ruled, so much fun to watch. Will never watch it again though, and certainly never at home. That defeats the entire purpose.

      • @Obi@sopuli.xyz
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        58 months ago

        We even went to a new “4D” room where the seats moved, you got wind and mist etc. It’s like a thrill ride at that point almost.

        • @Killing_Spark@feddit.de
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          58 months ago

          I mean, it’s not that much about the movie but about the experience. It’s just an FX festival. Of course that’s only going to work with the appropriate equipment.

        • @slackassassin@sh.itjust.works
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          8 months ago

          That is a very strange conclusion. Plenty of movies are good without an immersive 3d experience. Most are, actually. Avatar just isn’t one of them.

          But it was, none the less, an extremely fun experience. Things can be good for different reasons.

          It’s kinda like watching a video of an amusement park ride and being like, “don’t you think it’s weird to have to drive to the park and get on the ride for it to be good.”

  • Bonehead
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    128 months ago

    So it may have taken 13 years to come back with a sequel that no one asked for and no one expected. But at least he gave us something. Unlike a certain South African director that shall remain nameless…3 years my ass…

  • @kttnpunk@lemmy.world
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    118 months ago

    It was such a bad movie too. Dude was really just like “let’s remake the first movie, but wetter”

      • swab148
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        78 months ago

        And then, “Let’s remake them all, but earthier”

    • @KneeTitts@lemmy.world
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      18 months ago

      And no character arcs for anyone. Well except for Quarich, he was literally the only reason to see the movie and even his character was boring as shit.

    • ares35
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      98 months ago

      it’s up to five films total, now. the remaining three with tentative release dates stretching from 2025 to 2031. cameron has a plan for a further two more but disney hasn’t committed past the fifth one—yet

    • @1simpletailer
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      8 months ago

      Avatar 3: The Way of Earth

      Avatar 4: The Way of Fire