A Lukewarm Defence of AVATAR

A Lukewarm Defence of AVATAR | Video Essay

Рет қаралды 5,548

Жыл бұрын

🔵 𝗦𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝗣𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗲𝘅 𝗼𝗻 𝗣𝗮𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗼𝗻 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗯𝗼𝗻𝘂𝘀 𝘃𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗼𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲: / pentexproductions 🔵
Avatar The Way of the Water (Avatar 2) is upon us, so let’s address the idea that Avatar had no cultural impact. In this Avatar video essay I revisit James Cameron’s 2009 Avatar and look at why it has the reputation it does, and why it attracts a level of criticism that I think is disproportionate to the quality of the film. Because Avatar is….fine. It’s not the revolutionary piece of cinema people at the time thought it might be, but after 13 years it is still an entertaining, by-the-book blockbuster that delivers a visual spectacle that is still astounding. As the only movie in the 21st Century to be the biggest of it’s year that was not based on a pre-existing IP, I think it’s worth giving Avatar a lukewarm defence.
AVATAR: On the lush alien world of Pandora live the Na'vi, beings who appear primitive but are highly evolved. Because the planet's environment is poisonous, human/Na'vi hybrids, called Avatars, must link to human minds to allow for free movement on Pandora. Jake Sully (Sam Worthington), a paralyzed former Marine, becomes mobile again through one such Avatar and falls in love with a Na'vi woman (Zoe Saldana). As a bond with her grows, he is drawn into a battle for the survival of her world.
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Yell at me on what’s left of Twitter if you agree or disagree: / pentexp
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MUSIC
www.bensound.com/free-music-f...
SOURCES
Avatar: The Way of the Water trailer: • Avatar: The Way of Wat...
Avatar Exclusive - Behind The Scenes (The Art of Performance Capture): • Avatar Exclusive -Behi...
Classic Star Wars merch: • Video
Star Wars premieres: • The Phantom Menace Mid... and • Fans line up for the S...
2D v 3D box office revenue - www.boxofficemojo.com

Пікірлер: 136

@PentexProductions Жыл бұрын

Hmmm, being represented by a blue avatar instead of a human body. Wonder what that's like? (P.S - at 6.57 I meant to say "if you DO count history as a pre-existing IP. Sorry.)

@alberto5147 Жыл бұрын

Avatar did NOT have a cultural impact and that's not a "film Twitter" misconception. It's reality. Outside of turning every upcoming release at the time into a rushed 3D thing, Avatar didn't really stick because it's rubbish and once the 3D fab was over with, no-one actually talked about that overrated movie. The ONLY reason we're talking about this movie now is because a new one is coming out, not because anyone was longing for five sequels.

@juggaloclownpreacher 11 ай бұрын

As a Taino native knowing my people's history made avatar more depressing to watch than anthing.

@chrisgoodier6825 Жыл бұрын

I’m embarrassed to say I could name most of the main avatar characters from memory as well as the full names of the Sam Neil’s and Laura Dern’s characters in Jurassic Park.

@PentexProductions Жыл бұрын

Can you join my pub quiz team?

@MJT409 Жыл бұрын

Back in 1996, people believed Titanic was going to be a flop.

@PentexProductions Жыл бұрын

Never underestimate James Cameron

@elliemj21 Жыл бұрын

It’s so funny because Jurassic park is one of my most listened to audiobooks ever, but I swear every time I’m asked to name the characters my brain goes entirely blank, it’s completely and utterly bizarre

@coolbrotherf127 Жыл бұрын

True. The sequel will still make hundreds of millions of dollars because people never forgot that Avatar existed, it's just been a while. If anything it'll probably do better because it's been a while. Star Wars ep7 did huge numbers because people were excited to the return of Star Wars and I think there is a silent majority of people who are equally excited to see an Avatar sequel.

@PentexProductions Жыл бұрын

It'll be fascinating to watch the box office take, especially to see if it rekindles any appetite for 3D.

@23bcx Жыл бұрын

Starwars episode 7 did better than a new hope not because there was more hype but because there significantly more people alive in 2015 than 1977. Just adjusting for inflation ep7 made half as much money domestically as A New Hope, that says something. Domestically A New Hope made 9.98 2022 dollars per person alive in 1977, ep 7 made 3.34 2022 dollars per person alive in 2015.

@coolbrotherf127 Жыл бұрын

@@23bcx My point is that there was more hype for episode 7 because there was a large gap in time since the last Star Wars film than there would have been if it just released right after episode 3 for example. Having to wait builds excitement and anticipation of long awaited sequels. It doesn't matter if episode 7 did better or worse than episode 6 people were still excited to see a new film regardless.

@thomasffrench3639 Жыл бұрын

I don’t think that silent majority was excited for Avatar, but they saw the sequel, and thought “oh I remember Avatar, I liked the first one, I should check it out”

@LoverofLiszt Жыл бұрын

Are you saying that no-one remember the name Neytiri anymore? Or Jake Sully? or Tsu-tey, or the title of Toruk Makto? Inconceivable!

@PentexProductions Жыл бұрын

And of course who could forget the truly iconic clan leader Eytukan!

@canuck21 10 ай бұрын

By the time I read the next post, I'd forget the names all over again.

@benabaxter Жыл бұрын

That it's better than many blockbusters today doesn't really say much, but point taken. Sturgeon's Law cuts both ways.

@thomasffrench3639 Жыл бұрын

I would not agree, as I think Avatar is on the same level, but blockbusters have never been amazing. There’s so many garbage blockbusters in the 80s and 90s, and some of them people love, so they think blockbusters are worse nowadays, when in reality, they’re not.

@canuck21 10 ай бұрын

@@thomasffrench3639 What are the '80s and '90s garbage blockbusters? Care to share?

@Klokinator Жыл бұрын

I don't think Avatar was a great movie. But I've seen the behind the scenes content. It has an amazing level of worldbuilding, it just wasn't put to good use in the first movie. Say, can you name a director who has consistently made god-tier sequels that were better than the first entries? Like say, the Terminator franchise, or Aliens...? What's that? You say James Cameron made two of the greatest sequels of all time, movies that vastly expanded the scope of the original story and improved on the themes in every conceivable way? Well huh. Wonder if lightning will strike thrice...

@esmeecampbell7396 Жыл бұрын

I'm definitely going to the cinema to find out, and that's pretty big because I normally go to the cinema less than once per year, I've only started going more recently to pick up the various Star Wars and John Wicks as they released, last time I went was No Time To Die the only non Star/Wick film I've gone to see in almost 10 years (since Skyfall funnily enough)

@PentexProductions Жыл бұрын

Never underestimate James Cameron!

@thomasffrench3639 Жыл бұрын

The problem with the world building is that although the biomes of the planet were well fleshed out, unfortunately the culture building of Avatar was abysmal.

@canuck21 10 ай бұрын

What is unique with the Avatar movies is that although I'm not a fan, I think I'll still go see the next movie because it's still a spectacle to see it on the big screen. The Avatar movies are always a special experience because the special effects are so well done so people need to see it in theatres to have that experience. With other movies, if you're only mildly interested, you can always wait for the movie to be available on another medium. With Avatar, many people would reason that either they go see it on the big screen or might as well don't bother at all. I'm not a fan, but I am still curious to see the movie and to me with Avatar, I have to see it in the theatres else there's no reason to even see it. I don't think like this for other movies. The Avatar movies are good enough to ignite curiosity in people.

@cheekster777 Жыл бұрын

Thank you my friend.

@PentexProductions Жыл бұрын

Thank YOU for watching

@Hologue Жыл бұрын

Way of Water was REALLY good. I was astonished how much I enjoyed it, and I loved the first one too. I think it was more of it's own thing, and had some incredible moments and set up the plot and world very well. Excited to see more of it.

@user-ik4kh9lt6d Жыл бұрын

The problem with Avatar is not that its simple. Simplistic movies are my favorite and they are why I go to the movies in the first place. The problem with Avatar is that it is just so very average but it was (and still is) marketed as this huge, incredible masterpiece of "our generation". It wasn't. Not even close.

@HappyBeezerStudios Жыл бұрын

especially disappointing a nice did so much world building around the movie, that isn't reflected in the film itself.

@alxinthehype Жыл бұрын

On the story side..yea I get it but the advancement in 3D and CGI definitely pushed the boundaries and even on the story side I think they told a story that audiences could get behind even in its simplicity

@PentexProductions Жыл бұрын

Exactly - the gap between the marketing and reality was too vast, so even if people enjoyed the movie they came away going "that wasn't all it was hyped up to be" instead of "well that was a fun movie."

@DoctorFatman Жыл бұрын

A problem I see with comparing “Avatar” with the “Star Wars” films or the “Pirates Of The Caribbean” series is with regards to the plot is that the video seems to confuse “plot” and “story”. Jack Sparrow and Luke Skywalker are lovable, relatable characters. Jake Sully just isn't, at least to me. They go through similar adventures, but the first two made me care while “Avatar” didn't. And while it's true that the visuals are pretty cool, the banality of the story was (again, to me and people like me) so obvious that it kind of ruined the atmosphere. “Avatar” also tried to be more grounded in the real world, at least in the human scenes, while “Star Wars” had the Force and lightsabers and “Pirates” had magic shit. You knew that the latter two were fairytale movies as opposed to hard sci-fi/historic films. If you already have UnObTaNiUm, go all the way and add pew-pew blasters, flying exosuits with cyberkatanas, and literally anything you want. Instead, the human parts just look like _the Iraq War, in spa-a-ace!_ And the characters and the story just weren't compelling or original enough to compensate for that. (See “The Martian” for a grounded sci-fi with great story and characters.) Again, imo.

@esmeecampbell7396 Жыл бұрын

It just depends on your personal appetite for how much "Fi" you want in your "Sci-Fi" personally I like that it isn't pew pew blasters with force power aliens, we already have that, it's called Star Wars. If I want Star Wars I'll watch Star Wars. James Cameron is really the master of the sequels though, I don't know anyone else who consistently does good sequels like him, which is why I'm very interested in going to see Avatar 2 in cinemas as soon as I can.

@PentexProductions Жыл бұрын

Well said, and a fair point. I agree with your first point, and it's kind of what I was trying to say when talking about the characters: The lack of relatability of the Avatar characters compared to other blockbuster leads is partly because they're not as sympathetic and don't make you care about what they go through as much (also Sam Worthington playing a burned out marine just isn't a particularly charismatic leading man). Jake's supposed character arc doesn't have much dramatic tension in it because it's always clear he will side with the Na'vi. If it had explored more the idea that by joining them he his "betraying his species" (as the bad guy says), there might be a really interesting character there, but instead they make clear from the very start that he has nothing to lose by joining them over the humans. Maybe the sequel will explore that idea more. As for the second point, I get it, but I think the appeal of Avatar's worldbuilding is that it's grounded - it helps distinguish it from other sci-fi universes. I also think the flying mountains and semi-psychic nature of the tree system that brings Jake back to life at the end is getting into the fantastical space without going too overboard (but yeah, some pew pew blasters would be pretty cool to see). Thanks for watching.

@canuck21 10 ай бұрын

@@esmeecampbell7396 So did you think Avatar 2 was better than the first one? I think I did enjoy it a little bit more but barely. I'm still not a fan of Avatar, the franchise.

@esmeecampbell7396 10 ай бұрын

@@canuck21 in the end I actually didn't bother going to the cinema to watch it, it was quite a long round trip and my sciatica was playing up the day I was going to go. Figured I'd catch it on the home release. Still not sure if it has done one yet. Life moves on you know.

@canuck21 10 ай бұрын

@@esmeecampbell7396 I have a very mild sciatica problem. My mild pain (more like a sensation) is limited to my upper right butt 😂.

@MrPrankmastergeneral Жыл бұрын

It's still my favorite movie, and nothing can't change my mind. GITSUM ! ! !

@RahhmiPoofs Жыл бұрын

Honest without cheating don't remember the bloodsucking lawyer thing it was something Gennaro? John Hammond played by Richard Attenborough (sp?) Ian Malcolm, who in the second movie had a daughter named Kelly but the book was a little different and included a boy child Dr Alan Grant is next, played by Sam Neill and finally Dr. Ellie Sadler, the paleobotanist who likes Dino Droppings? next clip adds Lex and Tim fyi.

@PentexProductions Жыл бұрын

And let's not forget Ray "hold onto your butts" Arnold played by Samuel L. Jackson.

@RahhmiPoofs Жыл бұрын

@@PentexProductions access main program..... access main security..... access main program grid.....

@briansinger5258 Жыл бұрын

I left this really cool scar on my head as a reminder of the dangers, but also mostly as a reminder of how cool I am…then a knife fight in a Mech. Hope he has a twin brother for the sequel.

@PlatinumAltaria Жыл бұрын

People aren't ready to hear that Avatar is actually the Book of Exodus, not Pocahontas.

@Pengu1n111 Жыл бұрын

Avatar is the first movie I ever saw in cinemas twice, and that’s coming from a massive Star Wars fan who had to beg his parents to see episode 3 in theatres because he was under age!!

@PentexProductions Жыл бұрын

Hope you're excited for Way of the Water!

@valenfr01 Жыл бұрын

how dare you asume i couldn't name Dr Ellie Satler on the spot? but to be fair i hyperfixated on Jurassic Park for a while, and she's one of my favourite film characters like ever. My problem with Avatar (besides the fact that's a white saviour narrative just like Pocahontas, Dance with Wolves, Last Samurai etc) is that you never get to care about the characters, they aren't fleshed out. Even if the storyline isn't incredibly complex, star wars has tons of themes and interesting characters that make you want to watch over and over again. To me, Avatar felt like watching a playthrough of a game i've never played (for better or for worse), like sure, its stunning and fun but i don't feel like it left me with anything.

@samuelbattershell3413 Жыл бұрын

7:45, yeah with 8% inflation, not in this economy

@PentexProductions Жыл бұрын

Some theatres even charge extra for the glasses.

@ChrisBryer Жыл бұрын

Ya, it's fine. Remember, it was written in the late 80's and i feel people tend to forget that. So, cus it did so well, people seem to feel the need to rip it a new one. It's just ok and trying to make it worse then it was is kind of just overextending CUS of how well it did.

@PentexProductions Жыл бұрын

Hence the lukewarm defence! It's not great, but it's hardly as bad as some people might have you believe.

@DuesenbergJ Жыл бұрын

Not gonna by a ticket to Avatar 2. Didn’t buy a ticket to the first one. But of course it did have a cultural impact.

@joshs.6155 Жыл бұрын

Avatar was the first 3D and IMAX movie I saw. I got instantly nauseous, my brain absolutely refused to comprehend what was going on. Thankfully, after a solid 15 mins it passed and I could finally enjoy space Fern Gully.

@RoboBoomStick Жыл бұрын

I recognize the actors from other projects, mostly low budget network TV. Avatar becides the CGI is sorta like that but more forgettable. Remember Terra Nova? Yes waaay more then anything in Avatar.

@Darkwintre Жыл бұрын

Terra Nova I think you meant but otherwise agreed.

@gomatgo Жыл бұрын

thats dr. laura dern

@sanitorz232 Жыл бұрын

1:33 As someone who grew up as a huge Star Wars fan. I'm far more interested in Neytiri's religious doubts and Jake's fascination with the Na'vi than anything Star Wars.

@canuck21 10 ай бұрын

So you're a bigger fan of Avatar.

@SteinGauslaaStrindhaug Жыл бұрын

6:40 I just remembered (I think) his name is "Jake Sully" or something like that (at least the blue people garbled his last name as "Soolee" which is an odd mispronounciation unless they only had seen it in writing rather than heard it) ... and the guy in Jurassic Park with the sunglasses is "Malcom" or something I think... I'm terrible with names anyway, so I would never use whether or not I remember a fictional characters name as any indication of anything.

@cylac12 11 ай бұрын

I am actually old enough to remmebr jurassic park when it hit the cinemas, it was the first time i heard the phrase "the book is better"... I did read the book and I'm sure there are many my age who can have a pretty good stab at the names, now I'm not gonna cheat and look it up, and I've had a rum, so this is not gonna be pretty, (and there will be upset over some more fmous names, but here is my stab of the characters) Dr alan grant, ellie, timmy, john hammond, muldoon, dennis nedry, most shockingly of all to myself I cannot remmeber the name of the actor, never mind the characters, of the dude who broke into acting in 'The Fly'. I will now go look that up and kick myself.

@LukeLovesRose Ай бұрын

James Cameron made Pocahontas and Dances With Wolves his own... just as he did with Titanic. Yes, a lot of Titanic came from A Night to Remember but visually, the story of Titanic will never be as powerful or timeless.

@pigeons1069 Жыл бұрын

Im assembling friends and family to see this movie as a movie night. so far nine people attending. Hoping to get 15+

@PentexProductions Жыл бұрын

Good luck! Hope you've got a good screen to show it on and some decent snacks.

@canuck21 10 ай бұрын

I saw the sequel so I added to the box office tally. Did I like? So so. Another fine movie. Will I go see the next one? Probably yes. Still I doubt I'll ever be a fan of the franchise.

Жыл бұрын

I only knew Ian Malcom and Alan Grant.

@PentexProductions Жыл бұрын

To be fair, Ian Malcolm is probably the most recognisable name/character in the series.

@esmeecampbell7396 Жыл бұрын

You think "unobtanium" is bad and then you look at the real periodic table and see "Americium" 🙄

@PentexProductions Жыл бұрын

This is my favourite real element name: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cummingtonite

@NateThe_Great24 Жыл бұрын

...Am I the only one who liked Unobtainium?

@SighManP Жыл бұрын

Was Star Wars new IP? George Lucas stated back in 1977, that he was heavily inspired by Robinson Crusoe on Mars and the Edgar Rice Burroughs’ John Carter (of Mars) serial. So was it new? Maybe but not original - indeed there are a lot of John Carter references within Avatar

@aaronlaughter6471 Жыл бұрын

The only reason people thought this movie was amazing was because of the special effects, everything else is so painfully average. Hell the humans where the good guys, change those blue cat people and make them look like the Arachnids, Predator, Xenomorphs, and you better believe everyone would be cheering when that stupid tree got bombed. Hell, now that I think about it, wasn't the main guys mission to join the the aliens and tell them why the humans where there, he didn't do it, he joined them, then started simping hard. The guy got both human and xenos killed because he was a simp. My god the more I think about this movie the more it pisses me off.

@esmeecampbell7396 Жыл бұрын

Not sure the humans were the good guys chief... you might want to rewatch this one again. Because this was a colonialism allegory but without even the "building the country up and civilising it" aspect of colonialism. The humans were just there to kill the aliens and take their stuff. Granted we are less immediately sympathetic to an arachnid life form, but the Xenomorph or the Predator or the bugs from Starship troopers, they are all there to kill humans, they invade, or attack without reason. They aren't like the Na'vi because the Na'vi are just minding their own business. Is it just Dances with Smurfs/The Last Smurfurai? Sure... if you boil any film down enough it sounds stupid. Star Wars is just wizards in space with pew pew lazers, and etc etc insert whatever film you like here. The point isn't that every story needs to be completely original, it is whether it does it well, and I think a lot of people liked it given the DVD sales, it had nowhere near the continued content to have a following that is vocal and recognised but it is a proper film, the CGI alone still holds up and that shit is well over 10 years old (the CGI from The Phantom Menace did not hold up well in 2009 when it was 10 years old)

@PentexProductions Жыл бұрын

Well said

@chrisbarnett5303 Жыл бұрын

@@esmeecampbell7396 "Star Wars is just Lost Fortress in Space. Luke is just space Frodo. Obi-Wan is just Space Gandalf" etc. I HATE this "boil a movie down to one trope to dismiss it" style of internet movie criticism.

@esmeecampbell7396 Жыл бұрын

@@chrisbarnett5303 That's because it isn't really criticism, it is heckling.

@mitch8072 Жыл бұрын

can someone please explaine why it took 13 years between movies?

@scrabdusanproductions2104 Жыл бұрын

James Cameron wanted to make sure the story was great, so he spend more than a few years writing it. Then, he had to invent underwater CGI and filming techniques because most of the movie takes place near water/underwater.

@ethanmcfarland8240 10 ай бұрын

It’s a great animated series…..wait you mean the one with the blue people?

@dcamaraman939 Жыл бұрын

AVATAR is great . I love stories of heroes in a exotic land, the indigenous and helping defend their world against colonizers.

@PentexProductions Жыл бұрын

The worldbuilding is great, and Pandora is visually stunning. Hope we see lots more of it in the sequel (and also that the themes and characters of the original are built on and fleshed out).

@canuck21 10 ай бұрын

@@PentexProductionsPandora is technically extremely well done, but the creative style is so ugly to me lol.

@terryhiggins5077 Жыл бұрын

Puts on Imperial Commissar hat: The only reason I know the name of Jake Sully is because he's the biggest traitor to the human race ever put to the modern screen. Conversely, the only reason I know of Quaritch, or whatever his name is, is because he was a true human patriot.😜 Seriously though, Avatar was a decent movie, no great, but decent. It looked pretty, and was one of the few scifi movies that made it "big" into the mainstream.

@PentexProductions Жыл бұрын

Ironically, I think the movie would have been much more interesting if it explored that first idea more. Maybe the sequel will?

@atschram Жыл бұрын

My daughter was two when Avatar came out. I just showed it to her the other night and she loved it. When I told her that it was one of the highest grossing movies of all time, she didn’t understand why. She loved the movie, but she didn’t feel it warranted being one of the highest grossing movies of all time… We then had a discussion about 3D movies and the 3D craze going on at the time. I told her exactly what you said: if this movie had come out, just normal - no 3D, it wouldn’t have made as much money as it ultimately did. We will find out shortly if the appeal was Pandora, or if it was simply technological curiosity…

@PentexProductions Жыл бұрын

That's great your daughter enjoyed it for the first time ~11 years after its release (and wow, way to make me feel old; I remember seeing it in cinemas!) But yes, it goes to show how big the hype and marketing for the movie and 3D was at the time, and how much it completely oversold the film. It'll be fascinating to see how people react to the sequel.

@esmeecampbell7396 Жыл бұрын

While it only really does the Dances with Wolves/The Last Samurai story over again it does have fantastic world building. Also the new one has pregnant Neytiri... which is.... erm... doing things for me 🥵

@dcamaraman939 Жыл бұрын

The biggest argument against AVATAR can be used for any MARVEL movie... but they dont

@kinera Жыл бұрын

The argument that no one remembers the characters names is silly. Every single one of those those 9 famous names you listed were a part of multiple sequel movies franchises, many of which have been known for 30 to 40 years. Comparing it to a single movie from 13 years ago is ridiculous. Lets see where we are after a few more Avatar movies come out.

@canuck21 10 ай бұрын

I only needed to see Star Wars once to remember the characters' names. It's certainly not always the case. Some other characters you just know right away are Sarah Connor and Indiana Jones.

@kinera 10 ай бұрын

@@canuck21 All those you listed are main characters in huge multi movie franchises. That was my point.

@canuck21 10 ай бұрын

@@kinera No, YOU are not understanding MY point. You keep putting the emphasis on the MULTI movie franchises. The characters I listed were memorable and unforgettable from the very FIRST movie. Had Star Wars only had one movie, the Star Wars characters would still be recognizable and etched in people's memory. It didn't take multiple movies for people to remember Indiana Jones. It only took one. The character became so memorable its first outing that all the subsequent movies had the name of the characters in the title.

@kinera 10 ай бұрын

@@canuck21 The idea that a characters name would be unforgettable to a single movie someone saw 40 years ago is pure fantasy. You are really overestimating peoples memory. Being able to remember someone's name comes through seeing and hearing it repeatedly and how simple and easy it is to associate with things, not just the character itself. If those movies were life changing experiences to someone fine, but I think to most people they were just movies.

@canuck21 10 ай бұрын

@@kinera You must have horrible memory then 🤣. It took me one movie to remember Indiana Jones. Jake Sully? Forgot it the minute I went out the theatre. You're telling me you forgot about John Wick right after you stepped out of the theatre? Please.

@PrivateMemo Жыл бұрын

Try spinning that question further. How many characters from those movies, *other than the main character* can people name? Everybody knows Jack Sparrow. I still know Barbossa. And then? Same with Iron Man. You know Iron Man. But I already don't immediately know the military dude's name anymore. "Rhodey". I just had to Google for a minute and visit three pages before I found his name.

@MrDDiRusso Жыл бұрын

Avatar was just DANCES WITH WOLVES in Space.

@2006Mercury Жыл бұрын

I just never liked the designs of the aliens and the robots and stuff in the world design I had no interest in it.

@Faliat Жыл бұрын

Personally I'm of the belief now the same as I was back when I saw the first film in 2009 that the first Avatar movie is the tutorial level for something bigger. It establishes the mechanics of the world and gives you a basic rundown of the setting because if the series went straight in with the wackier stories and concepts it would overload people's brains. The sequels were always going to be where the meat of the story and characters would be. After seeing The Way Of Water I was proven right. And with what's been said so far about the 3rd and 4th movies looking back the first film is even more essential viewing. Especially with the INSANE amount of foreshadowing there is in it when you actually watch it again.

@23bcx Жыл бұрын

Avatar was great. James Cameron's Avatar was terrible. The one that came first gets the name.

@PentexProductions Жыл бұрын

Imagine if a proper Last Airbender movie got even half the budget of this thing.

@chrisbarnett5303 Жыл бұрын

No one cares about the shitty M. Night Shymalan movie

@KennyEspling Жыл бұрын

If you can't make videos without (badly and on semi-stupid premises) second-guessing the audiences (lack of) knowledge of films, don't make videos.

@TheSagaGemini Жыл бұрын

The worst movie of the year!

@TheInfamousJosh Жыл бұрын

Your opinion is bad and you should feel bad!

@scrabdusanproductions2104 Жыл бұрын

You should reevaluate your personal biases on movies.

@scotsanders1156 Жыл бұрын

Stories where the 'white' protagonist becomes enamored with a different culture and then sets about to help defend that culture from imperialistic forces are great. They are inspiring in that we acknowledge that other cultures have something to offer and are worthwhile in their own right. Dances with Wolves, Last Samurai, etc. are great heroic films as a result. Something we can all aspire to be worthy of. But Avatar? Pardon my bluntness, is racist trash. Natural born Na'vi warriors from multiple generations who train for a lifetime are unable to overcome the mountain banshee and become the Toruk Mato, "Rider of the Last Shadow." But wait, here comes Jake Sully! He's been parading as a 'Na'vi' for a few weeks, maybe months, and whoa! Suddenly he's now the uber-Na'vi. He tames the mountain banshee and becomes a voice of leadership among the Na'vi. Turns out all the Na'vi needed was a 'white' guy to show them how to be the best version of themselves and then to lead them. Otherwise, they'd just be ineffective helpless natives. This movie is an insult to every native culture and to every minority. It is unworthy of a sequel and I'm deeply saddened and ashamed that it climbed to such heights.

@chrisbarnett5303 Жыл бұрын

Dude he didn't lead them. He had to tame toruk because he betrayed them and had to do a grand gesture to regain their trust. THE SENTIENT PLANET SAVED HIM, the white guys plan had failed and they all were going to die until the sentient planet brain directed animals to repel the human invaders. What i find funny about these left wing racism criticisms is that Avatar has the most rabid fanbase in countries like India, China and Latin America, non-white countries that were the victims of colonialism, while it's most hated by white colonizers that wring their hands about "white savior" shit in their houses on stolen land. You're just projecting your racial shit onto Avatar You'll just have to feel more "sad and ashamed" when Way of Water is a huge hit.

@thomasffrench3639 Жыл бұрын

Not only does it make the Navi simplistic culture and the human guy is just better at everything it also the humans who just want to survive the bad guys, because “we deserve it for destroying the earth.” That’s not helping anyone.

@adamski8985 Жыл бұрын

i just like all the cool alien animals its eye candy i admit it

@Torta--is--PLUR Жыл бұрын

Fern gully meets dances with wolves in space

@chrisbarnett5303 Жыл бұрын

James Cameron took 13 years to make a sequel to Avatar and you haters haven't come up with an original joke in that time

@LukeLovesRose Ай бұрын

The original Avatar is still the greatest 3D movie ever made. And Ive seen Avatar as many times as Ive seen any Cameron movie. So trust me, i know the names of the characters. His movies and characters age like wine. People didnt know or love Newt, Hicks or Hudson right away.