5 words:
The girl alien is hot!
And I forgot her name!
Yeah, I know, lol, but they did have tickets online at the Avatar movie website on Monday of that week, starting at 12 p.m. and ending whenever the tickets were sold out. I had to keep refreshing the page for half of the afternoon, but it was worth it (they were having server crashes, thanks to FOX 
)! So, I eventually got tickets and I was dying to see what it looked like (he trailer didn’t give me any good judgement). I’m guessing you didn’t get the tickets, thedriveintheatre, since you had “lucky draws” over there, sorry about that, man, but I can tell you that it was fantastic!
Yeah, it was actually 16 minutes, because James Cameron gave a little intro at the beginning. 
To answer your second question, the storyline comes clear to you, when you watch the screening, not the trailer! I believe that the film is about an ex-Marine, named Jack (I believe), who was damaged greatly during a war, decides to become an Avatar, a human mind in an alien body. As he gets used to the new body, he becomes more attatched to the environment and the rest of the Avatars living on a alien planet, called Pandora. He then finds out that even though the humans think that the other animal-like creatures on Pandora are dangerous, they aren’t (if you treat them nicely, in a way, obviously 
). So a war rages between the humans and the Avatars because the humans think there home planet is dangerous. As for the dialogue, I don’t really know. Well, it’s mostly sarcastic humor and a lot of swearing, but it’s just a sample of the movie, so I don’t really know. Sorry! 
As for the characters, um…Jack looks like a struggling human, trying to understand how the Avatar’s planet works out, so basically, in the beginning, he’s pretty darn confused! If you see the trailer, and at the end, there are two Avatars that are about to kiss. The women Avatar (whom I forgot the name of) is a warrior, she’s fierce, courageous and doesn’t look like she’s ever gonna give up on her goal. She also helps Jack with everyday Avatar life. As for the other people, 
I don’t remember…
If you want a full description of the preview screening, you can look here, because my description of it is pretty simple and, not detailed enough compared to this, so take a look:
[url]Cinema’s 10 Most Badass Chicks - Filmshaft
[url]http://www.daveonfilm.com/review-avatar-avatar-day-footage-9049.html[/url]
I now don’t know what to think of this film now…
So the humans are the bad guys? That’s quite original, and dare I say, quite a risk…
I’m interested, I will see this. 
Wow, that is amazing!
This kinda sounds like Battle for Terra, don’t you guys think?
woody - I didn’t know about that! I actually never saw that film. I guess it shows ya how much advertising and promotion is going into Avatar and not into Battle for Terra (unfortunately, I’m a real sucker for promotional stuff for a major film. For example, Transformers, but it was good!).
Yeah, I saw that poster, too! I can see why you think it’s scary. (Don’t worry I won’t post it here! 
) There was another poster before, though, that didn’t show the Wolfman at all. So many people didn’'t like that one, and I guess many people at Universal heard that and did another poster (that’s my guess, though)
That poster of Avatar is fake, annarborjack. (The image’s name even says it’s fake: screenrant.com/wp-content/uploads/[u]avatar-fake-poster.jpg[/u]) Sorry, but those credits at the bottom do look fake. However, this was a nice finding and the artwork looks pretty neat, too.
Here are two real ones (hopefully 
) that I found a while ago on some guy’s movie website:
Oh my god, since my hiatus, there have been so many awesome trailers springing up all over the place… How to Train Your Dragon, Toy Story 3, Princess and the Frog, Prince of Persia… and the main event of the year, Avatar! Seriously, this is like (as I’ve read in an issue of Empire) James Cameron’s ‘Pocahantas’ to his Titanic’s ‘Romeo and Juliet’! After the above-average but not-quite-mindblowing teaser, I can truly say that the new trailer has renewed my faith in Mr Cameron. If the story doesn’t quite change cinematic history, at least the jaw-slackening visuals will!
But I’m sure the plot will be engaging, I loved movies like Pocahantas, The Last Samurai, Road to El Dorado and Atlantis The Lost Empire. You know, the ones where an unlikely hero uncovers a lost civilisation, falls in love with the pretty native, and fights for the indigenous people against his former comrades. Though I would have loved to see a female adventurer fall in love with a male native for a change. That would be more revolutionary narrative-wise.
But back to the trailer. It’s so freakin’ epic. It burned my eyeballs! Gaaah… my retinas! This is gonna be some serious beans in Imax! Oh my gosh! Fan Gush! 
What I find amazing is how incredibly lifelike the aliens look. It’s not the creepy Final Fantasy/Christmas Carol ‘Uncanny Valley’ vibe I’m getting, which is simply staggering! I mean, technology has come a long way, you know? And that shot of the foreboding islands floating in the sky, with the waterfalls cascading off the sheer cliffs… it’s like ‘Tepui Landing’ in live-action!
I’m duly impressed… and if I can get over how strange-looking (in the design sense… they look like cats) the aliens are (which is the whole point, I guess), I think I will thoroughly enjoy this. Only time will tell…
Actually, besides Battle for Terra, Planet 51 and District 9 have similar themes of humans being the invaders/bad guys… 2009 should really be called the year for sci-fi.
I’m pretty guilty of that, too. And most of the time, the advertising looks better than the actual film. But I’m holding hopes for this. Thanks for the advanced screening description, I skimmed over it for fear of spoilers (though I know you tagged them) but the general impression I got was that you enjoyed it! A vote in favour, then!
I heard its gonna be released worldwide. Now my buddy in the UK can see it!
I was reading an article that pointed out the chief difference between motion capture and animation technologies used in other films, and this one: The difference is a trick to make their eyes seem actually alive, which is a large part of why CGI just doesn’t match up to live action yet. This might be closer.
[url]http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/la-et-avatar15-2009nov15,0,7884049.story[/url]
New poster!
6 more days!
Wow, thanks for the link, jack! I just love the beautiful promo pics for this movie.
I was reading the review in the Straits Times (a Singaporean newspaper) and the reviewer also mentioned the difference in their expressiveness from conventional CGI movies. She even contrasted it against Zemeckis’ films, which are notorious for that ‘dead-eye’ Final Fantasy look. Personally, from what I’ve seen from the trailer so far, the Na’avi look pretty darn emotional with those huge, liquid eyes.
Well, it’s opening day here (Sept 17 in Sing), I think it premieres tomorrow in the States. I can’t wait to see if Mr. Cameron pulls another Titanic and smashes the box-office records. We’ll see come Monday.
In the meantime, in the spirit of the movie’s release, here are some awesome fan-trailers I found, all mashed against Avatar. Since this doesn’t constitute Pixar fanwork (with the probable exception of the last one), I suppose it should be okay to post these, though I’ll leave it to the mods to decide. But, anyway, here are some of my faves:
Team Pandora: World Police
This is my favourite of them all, from the editor who first inspired me to do mash-up trailers and who I greatly respect. Some of the cuts are absolutely brilliant!
Avatar Trailer - Pocahantas
A lot of people compared Avatar to the Disney classic Pocahantas, and one of my most admired editors (the talented Neravaira) has taken that idea and created another masterpiece.
Pocahantas/Avatar Trailer
This is the reverse, where the audio from Pocahantas is instead juxtaposed with footage from Avatar.
Avatar / Fern Gully Trailer Mash up
Another movie often thought to have inspired Mr. Cameron is the 90s classic Fern Gully. This is another great mash-up.
Wall-E Avatar
And, finally, from the best WALL-E trailer mash-upperer I have the opportunity to be YT buddies, is cloverfield47’s take on the epic.
After watching the trailer this many times, I can almost quote it entirely word-for-word!
I saw this yesterday evening and am very happy to say that it doesn’t disappoint, at all. That is if you’re expecting not much more than a great blockbuster to watch to end the year on a high. “Game Changer” doesn’t mean you should get your hopes up, the movie is only a game changer in the most technical terms (mainly involving technology and 3D and what have you).
I’ve heard people complaining about how the plot is predictable and what have you, but for me, as long as it works and makes sense, then the film is fine by me. Avatar makes perfect sense in its own little world and you do get swept away to believing that you’re on Pandora. The characters are a little two dimensional at times, but this wasn’t a major concern to me as the film seems reminiscent of a lot of the 80s and 90s classic blockbuster movies. Nobody had a problem with Terminator 2 back then and it still holds up even today, so I don’t see why it’s a factor.
Obviously, my thoughts on the film are a little muddled at the moment (typing at 6am without sleep will do that to you). But make no mistake that Avatar is a great movie to go and see for December. It flies by and has great fun, introduces you to a new world, with new species and new characters and I’m sure that people will love this movie for years to come.
It’s not the best film of the year, but it doesn’t need to be. The movie is great in its own right, and wouldn’t have gone amiss during any summer for the last few years, in my opinion.
To me, James Cameron is like the reverse Michael Bay. He makes the right choices for the right moments and always seems to hit the mark, which is why his movies don’t ever disappoint (Titanic aside). But, more importantly, they’re always made with care and a great deal of heart. James Cameron is never willing to settle, and only ever wants to go bigger and better. Ambition like that should be celebrated rather than it being dismissed.
Thanks for the lucid review, Mark-E. I’m also going in with similar expectations, I’m also a bit cynical that it will redefine cinematic history and all that (the last frontier in my opinion is the boundaries of the physical screen), but I’m looking forward to being blown away with groundbreaking technology, a powerful story, and captivating characters you actually care about, the hallmark of a great James Cameron film, anyway. Hopefully this will be the start of a new franchise Terminator or Alien style, but I would be glad (and more inclined) if it was just a standalone.
Ooh… that sounds good (I mean this in a non-sarcastic way)!
That’s an interesting analogy. I never thought it of that way. I hope this makes more moolah than Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (not only so that Mr. Cameron and his talented team can earn their keeps, but also so that the industry starts paying attention to movies with great stories and effects and not just the latter).
Best movie of the year for me, I think. Call it blasphemy, but I liked it better than PATF. Like, way better. Though, technically, you can’t honestly compare the two films. They’re genres are too different. PATF was my favorite animated film. Avatar is my favorite overall. A more review-y post will come later after I’ve calmed down.
Just…wow.
Well, I’ve just come back from it and I really, really enjoyed it. I agree with what some others have said on this thread in terms of criticisms - slightly 2D characters at times, a simplistic, predictable plot - but those things just don’t enter your head whilst you’re watching it. You go along for the ride and have a great time, and I have no problem with that. I don’t think it’s a dramatic masterpiece, but it’s beautiful to watch and you do get caught up in the story. I preferred Up, but still enjoyed Avatar to the point that I’m almost certain I’ll buy it on Blu-ray when it’s released. A great film.
I think one thing that is quite interesting and a possible theory as to why a fair amount of people seem to be digging this movie would lie down to some of its nostalgic qualities. I mean nostalgic in terms of cinema, as I said before it is very much an 80s/90s movie and you can almost tell that it was written some time ago. I like to think it has the Jurassic Park factor to it as well which makes you think “wow” in the same way as when you saw the dinosaurs. You sort of just believe that it all exists and go along with it for the length of the movie.
But I just think it’s the nostalgic qualities of older movies that is making people appreciate this. There aren’t any of those winks to the audience that are usually along the lines of “This is all a bit silly, isn’t it?” that seems to have cropped up over the last decade. It’s not actually afraid to embrace a world and just let you explore it for a while. I think people also like how straight forward everything is as well, it’s not a movie where there is a grey area like so many films seem to have these days. Nobody can be completely evil anymore and situations always have to be more complicated than they actually are. Maybe people have just been yearning for a simplicity that Avatar provides, and I use the term “simple” in the best possible way.
I mean, the movie even has its own theme song like the older blockbusters always used to have. I know a lot of other movies have done the same thing over the years, but I would argue that the main difference between Avatar and the other movies is that the song was made for the movie rather than just a way to promote a song off of a forthcoming album.
Anywho, enough rambling for now. I still really did enjoy Avatar
It’s not my favourite of the year as that prize goes to District 9 or Where The Wild Things are, but it’s certainly a movie I am quite eager to watch again.
Plot Synopsis:
“When his brother is killed in battle, paraplegic Marine Jake Sully decides to take his place in a mission on the distant world of Pandora. There he learns of greedy corporate figurehead Parker Selfridge’s intentions of driving off the native humanoid “Na’vi” in order to mine for the precious material scattered throughout their rich woodland. In exchange for the spinal surgery that will fix his legs, Jake gathers intel for the cooperating military unit spearheaded by gung-ho Colonel Quaritch, while simultaneously attempting to infiltrate the Na’vi people with the use of an “avatar” identity. While Jake begins to bond with the native tribe and quickly falls in love with the beautiful alien Neytiri, the restless Colonel moves forward with his ruthless extermination tactics, forcing the soldier to take a stand - and fight back in an epic battle for the fate of Pandora.”
Despite being a huge admirer of James Cameron’s work (particularly Aliens and Terminator 2), I was skeptical about Avatar from the beginning. I just had this feeling that Cameron’s statements about how “this movie will change the way we look at films” would lead to a significant backlash, not to mention the basic story sounded very much like that of – and forgive me for using the “popular complaint” – Dances with Wolves. That being said, I just walked out of one of the best moviegoing experiences I’ve ever had in my life.
If there’s one area in which Cameron has assuredly pushed the envelope, it would be the visuals; an argument could seriously be made that this is – visually – the most beautiful film ever crafted. The sound and effects presented here – especially when experiencing it in IMAX – really draw you into this world of Pandora, and the motion-capture character animation is far beyond that seen in Robert Zemeckis’ recent films. This is, honestly, one of those instances in which the awe-inspiring visuals are essential to the experience.
Even so, there still has to be a solid story in order for Avatar to be a great movie, and thankfully, Cameron delivers. While the plot of this film does indeed feel like it’s taken a couple dozen pages out of Kevin Costner’s award-winning western, it all fits in perfectly with this ecology – this world – that Cameron’s created. The characters and the performances of them, too, are terrific. Sam Worthington and Zoe Saldana carry this film beautifully as Jake Sully and Neytiri, and the relationship between them, surprisingly, ended up being very touching. There are a couple of scenes in particular, actually, that had me tearing up a bit. As for the other performances, Stephen Lang – while not exactly given the best lines at points – is chilling as Colonel Miles Quaritch, and Sigourney Weaver is endearing as Dr. Grace Augustine.
Avatar is one hell of a moviegoing experience, with – at the risk of sounding cliché – breathtaking visuals that compliment the engaging (if familiar) story rather than overshadow it, some extremely likable and believable characters, and an intense, forty-minute-long climax that would be a crime to go into detail about here. Avatar is a prime example of why we all go to films in the first place.
10/10