Forums → Popular Media → My Problems with Avatar (spoilers)
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In my opinion, James Camaron's movie Avatar was an extremely dissapointing movie. If you just wanted some really cool special effects, then that's fine. Visually, it was a somewhat decent movie. In every other aspect, it was excruitatingly painful to watch. I will now rate the different aspects of avatar and give my reasons for doing so.
Creativity: 1/10.
This movie was essentially Pocahontas 3: Now with more Blue! This plot has been done so many times before: Braveheart, The Last Samurai, the Lorax, etc. Its okay to reuse a plot as long as you add something to it. Cameron, however, decided to just use a straightforward "outsider saves the natives" plot without adding any twists.
Logic/plot holes/science: -100/10. This is the biggest section, so I will break it up:
1) Why can't people breathe on Pandora? There is obviously ample oxygen, as evidenced by the flamethrowers. The atmosphere can't be poisoned either. All the soldiers use those impractical full face gas masks with the seal around the chin. But many soldiers also appeared to have beards. How do you get a seal through a beard? Everyone who had a beard should have been poisoned.
2) One of the first lines of the movie was "You're not in Kansas anymore." It was said by the commander guy to the new recruits on pandora. First of all, how cliche. Secondly, this movie is supposed to be set 150 years in the future, by which time the Wizard of Oz will be 200 years old. Are you telling me people will still get this reference?
3) Technology. Or rather, lack thereof. Why, oh why, did the humans need to attack the huge tree with helicopters? Are we supposed to believe that we have intergalctic travel but not, I don't know, NUKES FROM SPACE?? Bam, one push of a button, no more native "threat". Additionally, why couldn't the humans just tunnel under the tree? We have that ability now, so did we forget or something? Speaking of technology, whats with the humans' computers? Why are they still using keyboards and video logs instead of direct mind-computer interaction? Afterall, they had the technology to be able to scan Sully's brain and digitially transfer it into the avatar (matrix anyone?). Additionally, the human's interaction with technology would make a nice contrast to the native's interaction with nature.
3. At the end of the movie, the Colonel puts his gas mask on while still in the robot suit. Logically, the actions needed to put on the gas mask would have caused the robot to hit itself in the face (the colonel was still wearing the controller hands).
4. At the end of the movie, how did the Na'vi win? Its not like the humans are just going to back down. They "won" a battle, not the war. Again: nukes from space. And, as Sully said, they couldn't possibly win a fight outside of that protected area. Which also raises the question, why did the humans attack when the na'vi were hidden? Obviously they could just wait until they starved and had to come out. Or just use NUKES FROM SPACE.
5. How did Sully even become lost in the first place? Why wouldn't they implant a homing beacon under his skin?
6) Pandora is a moon. This means it orbits a planet as that planet orbits a star. This would mean that sometimes Pandora is close to the star (when it is between the planet and the star) and sometimes it is far away (when the planet is between it and the star). The slight tilt of the earth is responsible for the extreme temperature difference between summer and winter, often over 100 degrees difference at the poles. Can you imagine the difference on temperature between a pandora winter and summer? It would probably be over a thousand degrees difference. How can life evolve in that extreme of condidtions? Especially such advanced life.
7) The whole toruk thing. It took sully all of two minutes to capture this flying dragon thing. Are you telling me that no one in their entire civilization could think to attack it from above?
I have more, but that's all of that for now.
Significance: 1/10
This was supposed to be some sort commentary on the war in iraq (references to "Shock and Awe" prove that this was cameron's intention). This is nothing like Iraq. First of all, the na'vi had no need for unobtainium because they were better than that. But the Iraqis want oil just as much as the Americans do. they are just as willing to destroy their landscapes for some black gold as we are. And as far as environmentalism goes... Do we really need another Lorax movie? And it isn't like the movie gives any useful advice. Plugging my hair into a tree isn't going to stop global warming or save the rainforests.
Visuals: 7/10
This was far and away the best part of the movie. Their were several moments when I was just amazed at all of the pretty colors. But sometimes the 3D kind of failed. Like when the camera would go soft focus on something in the foreground. This looks good in 2D, but it 3D it is just awkward.
Wow, this is a long post. And to think I'm still leaving a lot out...
- 80 Replies
You don't make a film which hinges on the collection of a resource without explaining the real value of that resource to the human race.
Assuming you count the entire human race as a separate party from the corporation itself - which is how Cameron seems to be treating the corporation- the human race isn't going there as an interested party, the a corporation is going there as an interested party, hoping to get money. The motivations of the corporation, the resource collectors, is only profit. The whole human race is not yet involved - why should the motivations and needs of a currently uninvolved party be explained? While I will concede that why the unobtanium was so valuable should've been explained, I don't think the entire human race's interest should have to be explained when they're not directly involved as of the end of the first movie. The specific motivations of the world are different than that of the corporation, which is why the motivations of the world are not explained yet. The entire world is uninvolved at this point.
that they are only there for the money
The corporation in the first movie is there for only the money. Like I said, the corporation is a specific party with interests and motivations separate from that of the human race. The movie was really making a point mostly of the corruption of large companies. It's likely that as the plot develops, the human race as a whole will become involved, and its need for unobtanium explained.
To be honest, I'm really hoping that this is how Cameron carries it out, because if not, the entire trilogy will be crappy and one-dimensional. Because while the corporation is there for the money only, the entire human race isn't, and if the portrayal of humans stays the same throughout the trilogy, I'll feel just as d**ked over as you do now. But for the first movie, all that's specifically important about unobtanium is that it's worth loads of money and the antagonists are there to exploit that.
Honestly, I'm beginning to agree with you on the point of the characterization of unobtanium, but I can personally see why that bit of backstory was left out.
1) Unobtanium isn't a complex backstory to explain. It would have taken 5 mins to do. They should have done it, end of.
A bit more explanation would've been nice, but considering that the corporation is only there for the money, the complete backstory isn't as of yet absolutely necessary to the explanation of the overall plot.
While I will concede that why the unobtanium was so valuable should've been explained, I don't think the entire human race's interest should have to be explained when they're not directly involved as of the end of the first movie.
I think that if it had been clear from the outset that the survival of the human race was at stake, there could have been much better characterisation of Sully, and more suspense as to which side he would ultimately take.
The specific motivations of the world are different than that of the corporation, which is why the motivations of the world are not explained yet. The entire world is uninvolved at this point.
I find it difficult to believe that the human race as a whole wouldn't be involved when you consider the scale and autonomy given to the corporation - especiially if it is their survival at stake. Yes they are in it for the $, but if what they are supplying is essential for the very survival of a corporation, to assume that governments wouldn't be heavily involved and would be perfectly happy leaving the fate of the survival of the human race in the hands of an unnaccountable private company is very dubious indeed.
Honestly, I'm beginning to agree with you on the point of the characterization of unobtanium, but I can personally see why that bit of backstory was left out.
I guess it's out of a sense of frustration about how much better the film could have been as much as a rational objection to it. The film worked. Just. Honestly, I expected a cliche filled plot, but I though a director like Cameron, who has made some decent acton flicks in the past, would do a little more with the 'white man sent to spy on savages, falls in love with chick engaged to another guy, has a fight with guy when found out, redeems himself, defends aganst white guys, lives happly ever after'.
[quote) Why can't people breathe on Pandora? There is obviously ample oxygen, as evidenced by the flamethrowers. The atmosphere can't be poisoned either.
Flamethrowers that use gas have oxygen in the tank so there might not be oxygen. And why cant the atmosphere be poisoned? Avatar isnt all it's hyped up to be but at least get your facts right before you slag it off.
I'm agreeing with thisisnotanalt
this guy works so damn hard to find the itty-bitty bad parts of the movie
and like totally forgets about the good parts.
I really loved this movie
Personally, I think the story's just a rehashing of a thousand other movies, but with smurfs. And the whole "unobtainium" thing is retarded.
Well you have problems wit avatar,but most people who watched it didn't and it had great movie reviews,so It's just you'rez opinion I thought it was great!And I didn't watch the movies you say that are simular to avatar,so i dont really knowz..
Flamethrowers that use gas have oxygen in the tank so there might not be oxygen. And why cant the atmosphere be poisoned? Avatar isnt all it's hyped up to be but at least get your facts right before you slag it off.
I watched it a wile ago, so bear with me.
When the human leader took an arrow, his blood was red. Blood becomes red when oxygenated, otherwise its blue. Since the blood was red, it either was already carrying oxygen away from the heart or is oxygenated by the air. Though poisoned air would have worked.
Blood becomes red when oxygenated, otherwise its blue.
Blood is red because of it's iron content, not oxygen... Blood is always red. -_-
My problems with the movie have already been voiced, I don't see the need to have them out again.
Shyamalan... How could you ruin something like this? I mean, it wasn't even his idea like all of the other flops he's done recently!
Blood is red because of it's iron content, not oxygen... Blood is always red. -_-
Look at your wrist. Look really close. You see the blue things? Those are veins, that carry your blue blood.
And here is the picture I took from wiki, in case you don't believe me.
The arrow that hit may have drawn red blood, but I don't remember were the arrow hit.
Just because veins are blue (green in my case) doesn't mean that the blood is the same color...
A better (or at least longer) answer than I can give.
Fail... Back on topic, shall we?
Blood ain't supposed to be blue! The only difference between oxygenated and deoxygenated is that the latter is of just a bit of a darker color! The above graph just emphasizes that effect so that we don't get confused!
Blood ain't supposed to be blue! The only difference between oxygenated and deoxygenated is that the latter is of just a bit of a darker color! The above graph just emphasizes that effect so that we don't get confused!
As I was was saying, it should be darker, some times to the point were it becomes purple. The point still stands, even if it was based mostly on a myth.
Visually, it was a somewhat decent movie
Um...right. It's quite revolutionary. There has been a lot of CGI's but nothing with such depth and texture.
As I was was saying, it should be darker, some times to the point were it becomes purple.
That reminds me of a time when I once strangled my index finger with a rubber band.
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