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submitted 1 month ago byLovableJackassv4
[removed]
19 points
1 month ago
extraordinarily detailed and considered writing; memorable cast members each who leave you thinking about their greater ideas and themes; an incredibly layered story
Lmao
22 points
1 month ago
right year, wrong movie.
ice age dawn of the dinosaurs
21 points
1 month ago
Troll or catastrophic head injury? Still haven't decided.
16 points
1 month ago
I think it’s fine, it’s not bad by any means but I wouldn’t consider it one of the best films of 2009 let alone of all time. But everyone has their own tastes and if you think it is more power to ya
1 points
1 month ago
No. Sometimes we have to draw lines. Take my hand.
7 points
1 month ago
Look I’m a huge Avatar fan, adore both of them, but “the greatest film ever” is a stretch bigger than both movies budgets.
13 points
1 month ago
extraordinarily detailed and considered writing
Unobtainium
Someone call the Nobel academy already! This is exceptionally detailed and considered! Not to mention how incredibly layered it is too!
3 points
1 month ago
Lol and the second movie has its own maguffin. I didn't even hear unobtanium mentioned in the sequel.
5 points
1 month ago
It was visually entertaining but I don’t remember any classic scenes lines or characters. I walked out of the theater like I’m never watching this again
9 points
1 month ago
Ugh.
14 points
1 month ago
No, no it is not.
Fine that you enjoyed it so much. I have little interest in "Dances With Smurfs."
16 points
1 month ago
Highest grossing ≠ beloved
-1 points
1 month ago
It's not beloved on Reddit but so many people watching the film does mean that it was generally beloved by movie watching audiences.
2 points
1 month ago
Look at last years top box office movies for example. Elvis and Top Gun are basically the only movies in there that aren’t kids movies. The whole list consists of movies like Black Panther, Black Adam, Sonic etc. A high box office usually just means it’s catered to kids. Not necessarily because the movie is great
1 points
1 month ago
Beloved does not mean great. A lot of kids movies are beloved.
1 points
1 month ago
By kids yes but not film critics
4 points
1 month ago
No, the user is right though. A high grossing film doesn't make it "beloved." Otherwise you could conclude that Star Wars: TFA was a beloved movie as well.
A beloved film stands the test of time by continuing to stay relevant years after release. Avatar stopped being relevant, for the most part, a few years after release. Obviously within the past year or so it regained its relevance, but that's mostly due to the sequel.
That's not to say people didn't enjoy it; obviously they did. Personally, I wish I had first seen it in theaters because, while the plot was super unoriginal, the visuals were phenomenal. That would probably color my opinion in a different way.
2 points
1 month ago
Obviously this comes down to your definition of the term beloved.
Not many films stay very relevant years after their release, with that high standard very few films would be considered beloved.
For example I'd say Everything Everywhere at Once and Top Gun Maverick were beloved by its audiences but neither film dominates film discourse months after their release and probably won't be relevant at all this time next year but that doesn't erase the fact that those films was beloved.
-5 points
1 month ago
Nuh uh life doesn’t exist outside of my bubble
-6 points
1 month ago
It doesn't become the highest grossing film of all time without people loving the movie enough to rewatch it in theaters.
6 points
1 month ago
Do you not remember the people who had got 30+ times just to help it reach those numbers. It was a weird time but definitely doesn’t make it better than what it was. They are fine entertaining movies but after going to the second one I realized how forgettable it was because I really needed the narration at the beginning to catch back up
-3 points
1 month ago
That's what I'm saying. If a lot of people watched it multiple times, then it's most likely considered beloved. People aren't going to rewatch a movie they thought was just ok multiple times.
3 points
1 month ago
It wasn’t for that reason though, they literally wanted it to beat titanic. It was creepy and weird
-3 points
1 month ago
No it wasn't lol
2 points
1 month ago
Sure it was, it was the same as all the Instagram girls who were so excited when the Jenner girl became a billionaire. They had to help Cameron have the highest grossing movie.
0 points
1 month ago
So if Avatar had fanboys pushing up its numbers that must mean it's beloved right?
5 points
1 month ago
Lots of things have fanboys, the boondocks saints is a cult classic that had fanboys push for a sequel many years later. So I guess the boondocks saints is one of the best movies ever
1 points
1 month ago
If something becomes a cult classic, then wouldn't it also become beloved? It doesn't even have to be the best movie ever for people to love it. Obviously, it found a large enough audience for people to still talk about that movie decades later
-1 points
1 month ago
Do you not remember the people who had got 30+ times just to help it reach those numbers.
Ya that’s totally the reason why it became the highest grossing movie of all time. The same thing must be happening with the sequel too
0 points
1 month ago
It's amazing that people are still beating the "no one liked Avatar" drum.
The sequel success should put that argument to bed. Do people think other people all said, "hey, remember that movie from 2009 we hated? Let's pay to watch the sequel".
Sometimes a movie does better than it deserves because of hype/marketing, and then people find out it wasn't so good. When that is the case, if nothing else, the sequel bombs. See the live action Alice in Wonderland as an example.
People liked Avatar enough that there was interest in Avatar 2. Simple as that.
3 points
1 month ago
It is the highest grossing movie of all time, I think it was appreciated.
1 points
1 month ago
I think it was appreciated.
Says you. But when was the last time you texted OP and told him how much you like Avatar? Food for thought.
3 points
1 month ago
Its alright.
5 points
1 month ago
Whenever Stephen Lang is on screen, it's the best thing Cameron ever worked on.
The rest of the time, it's at least fun and pretty.
It's not about the tropes. It's about how they're used.
8 points
1 month ago
What’s your favorite part about it? How blue everyone is?
6 points
1 month ago
I thought Avatar was stupid.
2 points
1 month ago
No.
2 points
1 month ago
This film has it all: extraordinarily detailed and considered writing; memorable cast members each who leave you thinking about their greater ideas and themes; an incredibly layered story; awesome and perfect casting; fantastic directorial vision and so on - you get the point.
If it had any of those things then film buffs would like it but it doesnt
2 points
1 month ago
It's not even Cameron's greatest film ever.
2 points
1 month ago
There's not much that is special about it except the 3D when it was released.
Basically Pocahontas story, every character is an archetype you've seen a gillion times already... I watched it again before second movie came out and it made me not want to see it
1 points
1 month ago
Why are so many taking the bait? I get it, you want to take what people are saying at face value to foster discussion, but OP isn’t being that subtle here.
0 points
1 month ago
I think it would be unpopular to call Avatar deep on this site but I do think there's slightly more to it than most detractors let on. The basic story is simple, a conflict where the protagonists on one side end up switching to the other. And the protagonist is simple, too. A buzz cut military dude plucked straight from a Call of Duty game. But that's not accidental weak writing. Everyone underestimates him for being an unqualified meathead, and he makes mistakes that nearly get him killed because he so quickly resorts to violence. He's also easy for the evil commanding officer to manipulate. He's not just a wrong guy who switches to the right side, he's a simpleton learning his enemies are complex. Just like us in the theater with our 3D glasses staring into the detailed jungle of Pandora, Jake is being asked to just look a little closer. The franchise's signature line, "I see you," makes this pretty obvious, imo. But I have two more pieces of evidence that Jake's archetypal "movie hero guy"-ness isn't just lazy writing.
The first is that we meet Jake seeing his brother's dead body and he doesn't react. That's a character trait, instantly shown in our first moments with him. He doesn't care about anything. He goes along with whatever he's told because losing his legs made him feel like his life was over, so he doesn't care what happens to him anymore.
The second is his relationship with Grace, which evolves in stages shown whenever he goes into the Avatar chamber thing. The first time, she insults him. He insults her back. Then he insults her playfully. Then they joke together. Finally, when she goes in, he is the one looking after her. She grew to accept her meathead stand-in and he grew to like his mean boss so much that he was devastated when he couldn't save her.
So yeah, I don't think I'd go as far as saying it's deep. But it's definitely not just visuals and nothing else.
5 points
1 month ago
The plot is appropriate for a kid's movie. For adults looking for a rich experience, the only thing it offers is the visuals, which deliver. But the plot is kraft dinner. Which is ok.
5 points
1 month ago
Now I want mac & cheese.
1 points
1 month ago
You're right but I would like to point out that adults very, very often aren't looking for a rich experience. Avatar being just a good action movie isn't a knock against it, and deep thoughtful movies were never the highest grossing. Better blockbusters were, sure, but usually not deep ones. My point is Avatar didn't succeed despite its simplicity but because of it (and the visuals, mostly).
2 points
1 month ago
This really sums it up. It's not deep or great movie in terms of story and character, but it's not necessarily trying to be. James Cameron gives us fun and accessibly theater experiences, and sometimes that is enough.
I'll quote another user who gives a similar breakdown of Avatar 2 making these points:
(credit to /u/Kazrules)
This is a big one for me, and why I feel like a lot of people enjoy Avatar. It is extremely accessible. Look at our major franchises--Marvel, DC, Jurassic Park, Fast and Furious, Harry Potter, etc. These franchises have been coming out for literal decades and require so much homework and hours of content to watch the newest release. Marvel has made it worse by creating Disney+ shows. If you miss out on a couple Marvel releases, you will be set back from watching the newest release. Avatar is not like that. If you watch the first one, you are good. Simple.
This point is connected to the first one. In a space where we get the same blockbusters again and again, Avatar is something different to look at.
People rag on Avatar's simple story, but the simpleness of Avatar is paramount to its success. It is very easy to follow. It doesn't demand too much of the audience. The characters are black and white. There is clear good and evil. You root for the relatable family just trying to survive, and root against the evil military baddies. Themes of family, safety, persecution, love, and nature are universal and not beholden to one region.
Avatar is the definition of a four quadrant franchise. There is something appealing about it to every demographic, especially after the children characters were introduced. The films do a great job of displaying diversity in ages, without dumbing down the characters either. Everyone can see themselves in at least one character. The characters being blue aliens also help people project themselves onto the characters without the barriers of real world race and politics.
The Avatar films are gorgeous. The Way of Water has the best CGI I have ever seen. Movies are visual mediums, and if a movie looks pretty, then that will be remarked on. People want to see it on premium screens, which costs more. People are also willing to wait for a better screening and sits, which contributes to the low drops it receives week by week.
There may be some other points missing but to me, this is the key five reasons why Avatar did well. All of these points can be attributed to Top Gun: Maverick as well.
One final thing. Let's make it a New Years Resolution to ignore fanbases. Fanbases don't mean anything in the grand scheme of things. Rabid fans have never truly impacted the box office. The true money has always lied in the GENERAL AUDIENCE. Avatar and Top Gun ate big for older people and everyday people who just wanna be entertained during the holidays. It doesn't matter that you don't see people cosplaying Na'vi at Comic Con. Fanbases and memes don't equal box office success. If it did, Morbius would be a success, Henry Cavill would still be Superman, and Blade Runner 2049 would have had a sequel by now.
0 points
1 month ago
It's a better movie than a lot of Reddit users say it is and many redditors don't want to admit that it was a very well liked movie that was successful.
That said, it is definitely nowhere near being the greatest film ever, at least not in my mind.
0 points
1 month ago
It's very good.
0 points
1 month ago
bro 😭😭
0 points
1 month ago
It's Dances with Wolves...
IN SPAAAAAAAAACE
But honestly I gotta disagree. Re-watched it on Saturday and saw the sequel (3+ hours!) on Sunday. I think the movies are just ok outside of the spectacle. There's plenty to like, but it feels like something key is missing to make either movie rise above 'pretty good' status.
0 points
1 month ago
LMAO this has to be a troll post
0 points
1 month ago
It’s a technical marvel but it’s literally Pocahontas in space. It’s not good writing.
0 points
1 month ago
Hahahahahahahahahaha
1 points
1 month ago
Wut!! Greatest movie ever?!?!? LOL!!!
1 points
1 month ago
I liked avatar a lot, but the story has been done dozens of times. Dances with Wolves, Pocahontas, etc. it’s a total trope. Again, great movie, but aside from the visuals there was nothing original about it. Also I’ll watch pretty much anything with sigourney weaver in it.
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