Avatar

[john11inc]

Firstly, that's ah-VAY-tur.  Not AV-uh-tar.

Secondly, for you to enjoy this movie, here are the requirements:

1- You must be male
2- You must be between the ages of 11 and 14
3- You must think video games typically have better stories than films
4- You must be under the impression Son of the Mask is a good movie
5- You must be at least a level 17 Paladin
6- You have to think Ayn Rand is smart

Now, that really narrows it down, but here's the kicker:

7- You must be a republican to enjoy the anti-intellectualism
8- You must be a democrat to enjoy the point of the story

Also:

9- You must have no idea what makes a good story
10- You must think Bruce Campbell is the greatest actor since Mastroianni
11- You can't know who Mastroianni is

That's all.  I am really, really pissed that I spent nearly 3 hours watching this.  I can't believe this movie is making money.  It's utterly disreputable.

[thalbergmad]

Well apart from Number 11 on your list, I don't qualify to enjoy this movie.

I am always suspicious of films that are never out of the press and receive mixed reviews by critics. Some have blasted it whilst others have praised it and there is no middle ground.

I guess it cost so much money that it cannot be allowed to fail.

Thal

[richard black]

Well apart from Number 11 on your list, I don't qualify to enjoy this movie.

And we all thought Thal was male! Shows how wrong you can be.

[thalbergmad]

oops, must stop drinking this early

[john11inc]

And we all thought Thal was male! Shows how wrong you can be.

Ironically, the 3-D glasses they gave us look like the ones he wears in 8 1/2.

[mephisto]

6- You have to think Ayn Rand is smart

Why is that?

[birba]

And how can an 11-14 year old even know who she was?!

[gep]

Firstly, that's ah-VAY-tur.  Not AV-uh-tar.

Secondly, for you to enjoy this movie, here are the requirements:

1- You must be male
2- You must be between the ages of 11 and 14
3- You must think video games typically have better stories than films
4- You must be under the impression Son of the Mask is a good movie
5- You must be at least a level 17 Paladin
6- You have to think Ayn Rand is smart

Now, that really narrows it down, but here's the kicker:

7- You must be a republican to enjoy the anti-intellectualism
8- You must be a democrat to enjoy the point of the story

Also:

9- You must have no idea what makes a good story
10- You must think Bruce Campbell is the greatest actor since Mastroianni
11- You can't know who Mastroianni is

That's all.  I am really, really pissed that I spent nearly 3 hours watching this.  I can't believe this movie is making money.  It's utterly disreputable.

You forget one, even when it applies to any movie, not just this one:
12- You must want to see a movie in a packed cinema with half the audience being 13 year olds of all ages. I haven't been in a cinema in years, but rather like to enjoioy a movie at home where I am not brought to murderous state within 5 minutes of sitting down...

Haven't seen Avatar, but it seems to be on the old story of White Male American Saves Nobel If Backward Native People By Way Of Singlehandedly Providing The Leadership The Collective Natives Can Not. You wonder how popular the movie would be if the same story didn't play among Alien Pandorians but among Native Americans...

gep

[iroveashe]

You forget one, even when it applies to any movie, not just this one:
12- You must want to see a movie in a packed cinema with half the audience being 13 year olds of all ages. I haven't been in a cinema in years, but rather like to enjoioy a movie at home where I am not brought to murderous state within 5 minutes of sitting down...

Last time I've been to a cinema, about a month ago, it was me and 4 people, 2 couples, no kids. It was a movie from Sweden so that might be the reason, but when I went to see The Nightmare Before Christmas in 3D recently, there were kids, and some baby cried at the beginning, but nothing too annoying.

You wonder how popular the movie would be if the same story didn't play among Alien Pandorians but among Native Americans...

Same could be asked about Star Wars happening here between the British against Americans instead of Empire vs. Rebels.

[mezzo piano]

Haven't seen Avatar, but it seems to be on the old story of White Male American Saves Nobel If Backward Native People By Way Of Singlehandedly Providing The Leadership The Collective Natives Can Not. You wonder how popular the movie would be if the same story didn't play among Alien Pandorians but among Native Americans...

You already know the answer to that. "Dances with Wolves" won seven Oscars along with thirty other awards and twenty nominations and has gross revenue of $425 million.

It is the same exact plot! Jeeze, the most expensive movie ever made and they can't even write an original story.

[furtwaengler]

The last time I went to a theater it was to see GLENN BECK.

Woah...sorry.

I did not see Titanic and I will not see Avatar. Or is it, (?)
I did not see Water World and I will not see Avatar.

The review seems consistent with what I've heard, a terrible waste. 

[gep]

If I'm correct the movie is situated on a moon, named Pandora, of a gas giant planet orbiting the star Alpha Centauri. While there is, as yet, no gas giant discovered orbiting either Alpha Centauri A or B, there is actually a moon known by the name of Pandora:


While it is no lush tropical forest world inhabited by exciting blue aliens but rather a small lump of ice a mere 60 miles long along its longest axis, it does orbit a gas giant: Saturn. So the place aint much, but the view from there must be stunning! Something like this:


This concludes your infosession of today.....
gep

[thalbergmad]

Nice view.

I expect Simon Cowell has probably bought it.

Thal

[michel dvorsky]

Firstly, that's ah-VAY-tur.  Not AV-uh-tar.

Secondly, for you to enjoy this movie, here are the requirements:

1- You must be male
2- You must be between the ages of 11 and 14
3- You must think video games typically have better stories than films
4- You must be under the impression Son of the Mask is a good movie
5- You must be at least a level 17 Paladin
6- You have to think Ayn Rand is smart

Who doesn't think that Ayn Rand was 'smart'?  You don't have to agree with Rand to acknowledge the fact that she was brilliant and philosophically influential.  I'm as anti-Marxist as you can be, but I happen to think Marx was a genius and a tremendous writer.


Whatever. I thought the movie was masterful.  I didn't go expecting the narrative subtlety of 'No Country for Old Men' -- I got what I expected -- a James Cameron Blockbuster that happened to have all the excitement of True Lies or Terminator with some of the artistic flair of Miyazaki. 

[john11inc]

Who doesn't think that Ayn Rand was 'smart'?

Her social and political commentary is approximately equivalent to that of Perez Hilton; anyone who is inspired to think due to her writing, or anyone who comes to any sort of revelation due to her writing, is intellectually malnourished and should subsequently be ashamed.  She's not retarded; she wrote two books.  However, she's nowhere near as intelligent as she thought, or as others think. 


Others, meaning a bunch of high school students and scene kids wearing T-shirts with a big, red "A" across it.  Because those are really the only people that care about her.  The occasional college student with a video game fetish taking philosophy 101 or the high school basketball coach-turned English teacher really being the only exceptions.

[indianajo]

The wife wants me to take her to see Avatar.  She is rather atypical; she loved Titanic and hated WaterWorld.  My parents thought Ayn Rand was hot in 1958 when Stalin was still a dangerous memory.  I tried to read her novel about the famous architect recently and thought the protagonist had a bad case of testosterone poisoning.  I think Avatar would make me motion sick, I hide from the commercials now.  Just one more reason I was a school bus driver (Crankshaft) instead of a fighter pilot (Ace Cannon). 

[pies]

a

[mrba1979]

I haven't seen it yet, but many of my friends have highly recommended it.
Rand was both an idiot and an evil person.  She's among the worst thinkers of the 20th century, surpassing even the postmodernists, which is quite an accomplishment.  My worst experience in high school English class was having to read Atlas Shrugged, which is 1,167 pages of trash.

A succssefull, independent, educated, long term married woman whom valued reason over religion.  Yes very evil indeed...

[scottmcc]

ayn rand wrote more than just two books:  We the Living, Anthem, The Fountainhead, and Atlas Shrugged.  she also wrote a few plays and a number of essays.

John, I'm surprised to hear that you dislike her though, she seems like someone who would be right up your alley. 

I for one find her writing style to be rather poor, but the ideas contained within to be very intriguing.  sure, they're not the end-all-be-all best philosophy ever, and clearly there are obvious weaknesses to her philosophies, such as a complete disregard for teamwork, but overall, I think the idea of the triumph of reason and skill is something that we should all strive for. 

as for avatar, I have a vague desire to see it, but only because everyone else has.  yes, I know, sheep, but it's nice to know what all the fuss is about.

[yukira]

Ive'd already Watched it,

I really like it!

[redragon]

I saw avatar twice. I enjoyed it both times i watched it....and the only requirements i fit are the 2nd and 5th ones.....actually, I'm not a level 17 paladin...im a level 32 Paladin.

[ramseytheii]

I really didn't see Ayn Rand in this movie at all.

There's no way a Republican could enjoy this anti-American movie.

Walter Ramsey

[Bob]

How's the music?

[mephisto]

Who doesn't think that Ayn Rand was 'smart'?  You don't have to agree with Rand to acknowledge the fact that she was brilliant and philosophically influential.  I'm as anti-Marxist as you can be, but I happen to think Marx was a genius and a tremendous writer.

I don't think she was smart at all. Not just because I don't agree with her. I think Alan Dershowitz is smart, although I am very opposed to him.

[mephisto]

A succssefull, independent, educated, long term married woman whom valued reason over religion.  Yes very evil indeed...

Hitler: successful, independent, long-term married man who builed roads and cars. Yes very evil indeed...if you just forget about the war he started that killed 60 million people...
NO I am not comparing Ayn Rand to Hitler, I am just saying that you can say something positive about almost anyone. Doesn't mean that they are good when you look at the big picture.

Yes, this post may be a bit childiss

[weissenberg2]

I have heard mixed reviews. Someone told me that if you analyze it, then it is horrible but it is a very fun movie.