Avatar

Well, Gina, if you were paying attention, a much more complex human story was told strictly through the stunning visuals. But, the relationship between Jake and Neytiri is so earnest and heartfelt, it's in their love where the story of Avatar truly lies.

I've never seen many love stories between a paraplegic man and 10 foot tall blue alien. Doesn't sound very familiar or cliche to me. But, it is there.

I guess I was the only one paying attention to this movie.

Dec 24 - 06:39 AM

Samuel J

"Too much of a good thing" could correspond with this film, in my opinion. It is with productions like these that critics begin blindfolding themselves and dropping a pen to determine just what they'll criticize.

Dec 24 - 09:14 AM

Kat Reagan

I'm glad the story was not overly complex as it would detract from the world. And as far as unmemorable characters, I beg to differ. Every creature and even the planet was not only a part of Avatar but a character; if you cannot understand that then Avatar is far too complex for you!

Dec 24 - 05:31 PM

sean kelley

Well said.

Dec 27 - 06:01 PM

a j

"I've never seen many love stories between a paraplegic man and 10 foot tall blue alien. Doesn't sound very familiar or cliche to me. But, it is there."

Cop out answer. So if I just changed Romeo and Juliet, so that it's about a robot and a deaf guy falling in love, that makes it a unique story? You need to scratch beneath the surface to look at character archetypes, not what the characters look like. They were all clich�s in this movie, as were much of the dialog and story elements.

The story is just Pocahontas with blue people and kickass graphics. There's not necessarily anything objectively wrong with that, but that's what it is.

Jan 4 - 05:38 PM

Matt Fisher

so the use of "star-crossed lovers" is unusable because shakespeare wrote a play about that? and that anything else that uses it cant be good?
If you look at any top movie this year, there is some aspect of it that can be classified as cliche and already used.

Jan 4 - 07:04 PM

m G

those were my thoughts too when i saw the movie . the people of Pandora are typical of the indigenous tribes of America and the humans are the European colonizers, so why not just make it a historical western movie instead of this needless fantasy atmosphere, which was good by the way but needed a weirder story.

Apr 6 - 05:59 AM

Cole Jaeger

Thats not that much else aside from basic storytelling. She is criticizing that there is no depth. What you said is not depth. It's also not very complex.

May 31 - 05:32 AM

Anthony Meduri

What is with all these stupid women reviewing this movie?!

Dec 24 - 06:49 AM

Peter Pot

You moronic fanboys should just get a life already. Pathetic bunch of losers.

Dec 24 - 07:22 AM

Phil McGroin

You moronic trolls should get a life aready. Pathetic bunch of losers.

See how that works Peter?

Dec 24 - 08:42 AM

Ian Ravin

oh look guys! If you look at EVERY NEGATIVE REVIEW on this movie, Steven Hernandez had to share his opinion and call the reviewer a moron. This site is about posting your own review without a**holes starting **** with you. But steven thinks he knows everything about movies and if he disagrees, then obviously your wrong and he's right. Steven Hernandez. Please do us all a favor, and get off the internet if this is how you behave. Your just another lowlife fanboy who probably eats a tub of chocolate chip cookie dough icecream in front of your TV while crying over your pathetic life. No one cares what you have to say. Your just another tough guy behind his computer screen.

Dec 25 - 07:50 AM

Rolando Pinto

Peter P.

It's easy to sit behind your little computer and for pure jealously trow monkey feces at the movie...

Jan 2 - 11:10 PM

Luke M

"moronic fanboys"?

Avatar could now be the front-runner for Best Picture. I don't think we're moronic in the least.

Dec 24 - 07:56 AM

Raul Cantillo

You think? Normally these kind of movies get overlooked, i mean it might be a good movie, but "oscar frontrunner" is a little out of its league.

Dec 24 - 10:01 AM

Anthony Meduri

The Dark Knight didn't belong at the Oscars.

Dec 24 - 10:50 AM

Raul Cantillo

So? youre just saying that because of my avatar?,good point! Very intelligent answer!, because of that Avatar is going to win 14 awards!.

Come on, you know that these kind of movies no matter how good you think it is doesnt win best movie.

Only time will tell.

Dec 24 - 05:09 PM

Nick Perrault

lol best picture, but i guess i can't be surprised people have gotten used to this mindless, predictable garbage and there's nothing i can do to bring back real films.

Dec 28 - 11:32 PM

Rhys Paine

I agree with Anthony, almost every woman reviewing this movie gave it a negative, I don't think they have a firm grasp on what this movie's about. Personally, I did find the plot conventional, but so what? It didn't miss a beat and was constantly entertaining, it's by far the most fun I've had at the theater in a long, long time.

Dec 24 - 08:24 AM

Moira Harris

Funny, most of the women I know that saw the film loved it. We must be involved with different demographics.

Jan 2 - 07:52 PM

Moira Harris

Funny, most of the women I know that saw the film loved it. We must be involved with different demographics.

Jan 2 - 07:52 PM

Moira Harris

Funny, most of the women I know that saw the film loved it. We must be involved with different demographics.

Jan 2 - 07:53 PM

Phil McGroin

Another girl...another rotten.

Thank god my girlfriend LOVED it.

Dec 24 - 08:41 AM

Michael Garcia

You've seriously got to be kidding me... There were so many different connections between characters that were extremely emotional. I was actually impressed with how well all of the characters were connected. Even the most insignificant scientist in the group had a pretty decent role. There is first the connection between Jake Sully and Neytiri which is immensely emotional, then it branches down from there. Each character has an important role, regardless of how big their actual role was for the movie. In the human world there are at least 10 different characters developed amazingly, then in the Na'vi world there are at least 5 or 6 great character connections. I do not see how there is any room whatsoever to say that the character developement is dissapointing. This movie was not about Cameron showing off his "tech prowess," but more so about creating an emotionally, and visually stunning piece of art.

Dec 24 - 09:35 AM

Jay Patten

Agree 100%

Dec 27 - 08:19 PM

A55hole myname

The movie was great! I loved it. All some people can do is bring th ehate and racial bit into it. It's just plain a great movie!

Dec 24 - 09:37 AM

Jacob Jacob

You must of been watching a totally different movie....lol...maybe Transformers?? (jk) Seriously though; everyone is entitled to their own opinion, I just can't see how anyone would rate this movie poorly. The acting was outstanding, not legnedary, and everything else was epic. This movie is along the lines of StarWars, but even better....

Dec 24 - 10:44 AM

Colin OConnor

Not really.

Jan 4 - 07:25 AM

Justin Kapica

Usually I feel like reviewers are justified in their negative opinions of a movie even if its one I like, but these negative Avatar reviews seem a little outrageous to me. It just seems like their giving the movie a negative review to be different, and they went in to the film wanting to hate it. I actually forgot about the gorgeous visuals because I was so engrossed with the story at points, and some of the positive critic reviews even say that. A lot of these reviewers are definitely scared of a sci-fi movie finally hitting it big on Oscar night in my opinion.

Dec 24 - 11:35 AM

Sheri S

I get a kick out of people that say 'everyone is entitled to their opionion' and then begin to bash said opinions. Whatever.
I'm a woman and I liked the movie--didn't love it, liked it. My husband is a man, and he liked it. He didn't love it. A battle of the sexes has no place in movie reviewing.

There's no denying that Avatar is a spectacular movie-going experience--it's a 3hr eyegasm.
However, I felt the storyline was less than original and the dialogue didn't allow me to bond with the characters. After 3 hrs, I still didn't really care about them.
Should it be an Oscar contender? Absolutely.

Dec 24 - 12:48 PM

Rafael Rivera

The main characters were there. I care for Jake Sully since he show up for the first time and Neytiri too(Main characters)because they were awesome. The bad guy Stephen Lang was freaking amazing and you really hate him and laugh with his sarcasm (classic villain). Everybody else had small important roles like Sigourney Weaver and Joel Moore. Others did there job like Michelle Rodriguez, CCH Pounder(Moat), Wes Studi (Eytukan), and Laz Alonso (TSutey). The only character that I don't think the movie need was Parker(Giovanny Ribisi). JC can not spent talking about everybody here because then the movie was going to be longer. Pandora was some kind of big character in the movie too. The story was a classic western story(Cowboys vs. Indians) on space. A story easy to understand so people pay to go to see and have a good time in the movies. Ex. Titanic.

Dec 24 - 11:02 PM

Christian Hamiter

Easy storytelling is exactly everything wrong with mainstream Hollywood today. I love movies that shock me and shake the very foundations of my beliefs and values. Unfortunately, it's been proven that only 5% of the population thinks for themselves. This is why movies like Avatar appeal to them. They're easy to follow, and have lots of pretty pictures. Kind of like reading a children's book. So bravo to you mindless fools spending upwards of 10$ to a man who just practically stole your money. I wouldn't be surprised if Cameron copy and pasted the script from another story.

Dec 29 - 11:49 PM

Matt Fisher

For all you "critics",
I just really enjoy reading comments from people who act like a movie should be emotionally moving and should "shock me and shake the very foundations of my beliefs and values." And commenting that anyone who saw and enjoyed this film is stupid and simple minded is just narrow-minded and insolent. Some critics and even movie goers, who think they are critics, have forgotten the obvious reason why people see movies. For entertainment.
If you "critics" want to see a movie that "shake the very foundations of my beliefs and values", then go see a damn documentary, for this movie is remarkable when it comes to films. Sure it was corny at times, and may share a foundation for plot with another movie, but Avatar was thoroughly entertaining and can also be easily described as eye-candy. Avatar, for me, was one the best movie experiences I ever had. I was completely entertained and for nearly 3 hours I was fully involved in the story and world that James Cameron was able to create, and that is what a movie experience should be about.
so any of you haters can read this and STFU because I pity you, because you cannot look past some minor faults and enjoy it like millions of other people. Your comments are sad attempts to ruin what Cameron was able to do with this film.

Jan 3 - 02:00 PM

Phil McGroin

Ian R. is a moron

Dec 25 - 09:06 PM

Mary hermann

I agree.

for all those who think the story line was original or well thought out I am sorry to inform you that this story has been done many times. pocahontas and fern gully to name two.

Dec 25 - 09:42 PM

shane scully

Good job, you're another ***** that killed chivalry for me =]

Dec 25 - 09:48 PM

Adam Ashbaugh

So much talk about originality, nothing about CRAFTSMANSHIP!

Avatar follows a structure established in previous films, and all of Cameron's efforts are automatically ignored? Would it have received a better review if it was some rambling, illogical, bullsh*t attempt at "originality" - a problem all too common in today's films? I bet all these haters have an unaccepted screenplay that makes no sense, and they're just bitter when something like this gets famous.

I will gladly take a traditional story over "uniqueness" if it has the same artisan-level production as Avatar. You must have a pretty small DVD library if you hate movies with similar plot structures.

Dec 25 - 11:56 PM

Rick Catron

I completely agree with you. I kept thinking to myself this seems just a bit too familiar. Then it hit me.. "Star Wars meets Dances With Wolves" Yes it had a happy Disney esque ending (had too for the price tag so the kids would buy the DVD and watch it again and again). It was thrilling to watch it in IMAX 3D, but overall I wouldn't watch it at again at home.

Dec 26 - 07:11 AM

Phil McGroin

Rick C is a moron

Dec 26 - 09:08 AM

Jay Patten

I thought that the character development was great. Sure the graphics draw the audience in, but the real beauty behind this movie is the story! As a love story goes, Avatar steps out of the 'comfort zone' with its unlikely pairing of two very different people. It took a phenomenal amount of character development (hence the 3 hour run-time) for the audience to really understand the connection Jake developed with the Na'vi, and Neytiri. I think by the end of the film, everyone could grasp why Neytiri and Jake were soul mates, despite their vast differences.

Dec 27 - 08:05 PM

Henry Thomas

Lukemitch25 has already called attention to the rather important romantic plot. I'd like to add the observations that so far 9 of 9 of the negative critics I've looked at ignore the romantic plot. Cameron actually devotes 40 minutes of screen time building tension in support of the romantic plot. It's subtle and utterly ignored by children and apparently critics. It doesn't survive replay well possibly because the scenes prior to the release of that tension are rather distinctive. At roughly the IMPLIED sex scene, I went Oh wow! Oh wow! Oh wow! Oh wow! the first time I saw the movie. I only went Oh wow! once on my second viewing.

Dec 27 - 08:07 PM

Jay Patten

I agree. It seems some people missed the real romantic connection, which is what the movie is really about. Jake sacrificed everything and everyone in his life for a chance at not just true love, but a feeling of belonging. It is not often you seen that in a love story any more.

Dec 27 - 08:15 PM

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