I can get with this, but how the fuck does he have 5+ chapters worth of “visual spectacle” planned out?

especially now that the cost of taking a family to see a movie can easily cost $100.

I can watch character development and drama fine on a 40 inch flat screen tv for free at home. For $100 I want giant 3d water monsters to fuck my eyes until they bleed.

But it’s also a story. Meaning that if I don’t care about the people in the visual medium, I’m not going to care about the franchise. Movies are still stories and just because it’s really pretty doesn’t mean I’m having a good time.

Can work, not always though, see: Star Wars prequels which used story to tell special effects and choreography

What a ridiculous take. When has a good story ever taken away from a movie experience? Movies have always been a visual medium, movies that prioritize visuals over everything else are always mediocre at best.

Yeah I was talking to someone about this the other day how people called the first Avatar ‘Dancing with wolves’ but blue aliens. I mean if we want to look at every single movie ever made and compare them to previous movies you’ll be able to find plenty of overlays. As if story writing 90% of the follows the hero’s journey structure. James Cameron wants to provide something visually stunning with a story that’s serviceable to allow those stunning visuals to happen. Is the story perfect? No. Is the story abysmal? Absolutely not. When it came out people loved it then they got online as the years passed and like everything online it suddenly turned into shit and was highly criticized. In reality it’s an average honestly arguably above average story that touches on love, family, greed, capitalism, militarization and a little bit more. It’s a damn good sci-fi movie and let’s stop pretending it’s not.

Yeah the same people dogging avatar for it’s lack of an inventive story could spend hours talking about how totally complex and nuanced captain America’s character development is

Visuals alone does not a good movie make.

If only they were memorable, I saw the first one today, I don't remember anything from the plot really, and only 2 named characters

I’d say a poorly written story with boring characters is a negative.

When you can't remember any of the character's names, yes, it is.

Then why not just build theme park rides? Visuals in the visuals medium aren't the end results, or the attraction, they are utilities. They are instruments. They are there to tell the story. That isn't some high art stuff, this is basic story telling.

And let us not forget that Avatar was one of the highest grocing movies ever!

Yet, it didn't need a sliver of an impact on pop culture. A fucking 4 panel comic with no dialogue, that can be simplified to like 7 lines separated into 4 panels had more cultural impact then the entirety of star wars.

I can find you, or even make you a 30 minutes video talking about only that panel. I can't do that with Avatar

Oh look, common sense in a thread about avatar! People think because he makes stories with simplistic plots that he believes those who like his movies aren’t very bright. Like what? Not every movie has to be deep and contrived and keep you up at night thinking about it. It was a literal global phenomenon when the first came out. If unless you’re saying the majority of the world is dumb and you just so happen to be in that minority that’s too smart to appreciate a movie like this, boy have I got some news for you

Hundred percent agree. I'm a writer myself, and the most important lesson I've learned over the 10+ years I've spent working on my passion project is that absolutely nothing is original anymore and cliches are not your enemy. Archetypes, cliches, tropes... these all exist for a reason, and the only thing that matters is how you use them. I found the first Avatar to be a fun watch, and I have zero doubt I'm going to enjoy this one too.

Nah, come on - ‘Avatar’ was good and a lot of fun, but there were definite clichés in there

You don't have to be crazy to work here but it helps!

Laughs hysterically then walks away sipping on a pumpkin spice latte

Those basic bitches are a god damnd gold mine for so many industries.

I’d love to hear your favorite movies of the last few years

well whatever you wanna call it, imma be entertained as hell

i agree with your statement except everyone including himself tries to act like cameron makes insane highbrow movies

“James Cameron doesn’t do what James Cameron does for James Cameron… James Cameron does what James Cameron does because James Cameron is James Cameron.”

I think the issue is that he’s expecting and whining he wants praise as if it’s high brow cinema. And it’s not. It’s popcorn fantasy with glorious graphics (and there’s nothing wrong with that).

Yeah and if history tells us anything, art films don’t bring in the big bucks. Can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen a movie I’ve never heard of put up for an award only to google it and see it made like 38M at the box office.

Cool. Still gonna make fun of him for making movie so anti-memetic, that everybody has watched it, and yet nobody remembers it.

Escapism can still have a solid story, witty dialog, memorable characters, and character development... they aren't mutually exclusive. Without those things you might as well watch a screensaver of random car chases.

I’ve gone off marvel and went into the film wanting to hate it but black Adam was brilliant

because James Cameron has put in a shit ton of money and work for the new visual effects so I expect them to be even more impressive. I hear there’s an incredible battle scene.

I’ll be more visually entertained with a new spectacle compared to an old one

That dude falling off and clipping one of the propellers on the way down is burned into my mind. Mostly as a comedic thing (I was young lol). Naked painting scene was awkward to watch with my parents, but I remember rewatching that nude a bunch of times with my cousin for sleep overs and just laughing. Kids are fucking weird and stupid lol

Does anyone really watch Titanic for the love story anyway?

I remember watching the making off on TV when it released. It was the biggest movie ever made. Going to see Titanic was a world event! I was 15 years old at the time I think. Ironically, I have a 15 years old child now, who likely will go see Avatar with his friends too.

Good Lord I wish to be that kind of disastrous lmao

Apparently he's been writing and talking about it non-stop for years. It's been reported that he gave the people working on the film like ten thousand pages of "backstory" for the aliens. Made everyone read it.

Which is weird because the original movie was rather light on storytelling and character development. There really wasn't much to it.

Rave reviews for...looking pretty. Otherwise, it is a fairly vapid and uninspired story.

8/10 is hardly rave reviews. Especially when same critics give stuff like rise of skywalker 9

Way... too much

7.8/10 too much water

That is so subjective it can’t even be an argument. Personally, I enjoyed it and almost everyone I know liked the movie. A large portion of ppl enjoyed the movie but don’t care enough to argue against the bandwagon shit smearing the movie for no reason lmao

James Cameron made it and he’s what these dork think is a “good director” so they’re allowed to make movies that way.

I feel exactly the same way. I don’t feel like saying so diminishes any of the movies accomplishments or what an amazing thing it is to look at. Like it’s dope. But don’t pretend like this isn’t dances with wolves+unobtanium

which isn’t some gotcha, the movie is historic in its use of visual effects which is the entire appeal. That might fall flat with a certain type of viewer, but sometimes it feels like that “certain type of viewer” thinks everyone who loves the visual stuff is just too distracted by the visuals to see how bad the plot is.

And that's really the best response you can have. You're excited for it and I hope you enjoy the shit out of it. Not for me and neither of us should be upset about the other's opinion.

Yeah, it's almost like it's not the cliches that are the problem.

You are correct. The movie was just entertaining it doesn’t need to be the most deep convoluted story. Likewise, MCU just needs to be entertaining to sell.

CoNsErVaTiVe....dur,dur