Author Topic: Avatar  (Read 15061 times)

Offline Rob

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Re: Avatar
« Reply #75 on: February 5, 2010, 04:55 PM »
Never said Avatar was bad, quite the contrary I believe.  Just not clear on why it is the #1 movie of all time.  Effects are glorious, no doubt.  But the acting is questionable, if only because half of it is animated.  I've never really considered voice acting to be "acting" proper in the sense of carrying it on to the point of an Academy award.  Takes some skill no doubt, but less so than "real life" wouldn't you agree?  Not rippig on any of them really (well, Titanic I suppose) just positing my less than common point of view.   :)

Voice acting is a lot more than just voice.  It's intonation, often it's facial expressions, and often times actors act out the moves and entire performance that is later translated into the digital characters.  I agree that there's a disconnect between traditional acting and voice acting, but I think it's more complicated than just doing voices.

As for why it's the #1 of all time... did you check out the link I posted a little ways back?  Adjusted for inflation it's 21st at the moment, purely in terms of ticket sales of course.

Offline Morgbug

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Re: Avatar
« Reply #76 on: February 5, 2010, 05:12 PM »
Thanks Rob.  I plead ignorance.  I do agree there is acting involved, I think maybe I meant to say that without seeing the actor consistently it gets lost to some degree.  When Sigourney Weaver is tall, blue and animated I'm not quite taking it on the same level.  I'll contend we shouldn't either, else there have probably been previous animated/voice performances worthy of award to the same or greater degree than that seen in Avatar. 
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Offline Phrubruh

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Re: Avatar
« Reply #77 on: February 5, 2010, 08:41 PM »
One of the best voice actors ever!

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Offline Scott

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Re: Avatar
« Reply #78 on: March 7, 2010, 11:00 PM »
Not that I didn't enjoy Avatar...but...seriously...multiple Academy Awards?  Seriously?   If it wins Best Picture, I'm convinced Cameron is sleeping with the voters

Offline Morgbug

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Re: Avatar
« Reply #79 on: March 8, 2010, 12:03 AM »
Visual effects, Cinematography and Art Direction didn't seem out of line to me for those.  It sure blurred the lines between reality and animation and seems to have had the same effect on the awards.  I don't really know the criteria for them too well and speaking out of ignorance the only one I would question would be cinematography simply because fully live films (yeah, I know, not much of that left) can't match animation. 

I'm just thankful it didn't win any of the big awards is all.  Enjoyable enough to be sure but hardly novel or groudbreaking. 

I wasn't watching anyway, I was watching Tora, Tora, Tora
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Offline efranks

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Re: Avatar
« Reply #80 on: March 8, 2010, 12:13 AM »
It looks to me like Avatar won the awards it really was deserving of, in the technical realm.  I'll even give them the cinematography win since visually, the film was so fantastic.

The real meaty awards, screenplay, director and best picture, ended up where they belonged IMO.  My outside choice for best picture was District 9 and I would have also liked to have seen it win for the visual effects since they accomplished some amazing things on a shoestring budget, but Avatar did really raise the bar on that one.

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Offline Rob

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Re: Avatar
« Reply #81 on: March 8, 2010, 12:17 AM »
They definitely got it right.  Avatar was a big epic visual juggernaut and all, but it's not best picture material.

The story was too re-hashed, too predictable.

Offline Brian

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Re: Avatar
« Reply #82 on: March 8, 2010, 10:43 AM »
We haven't gotten a chance to see Avatar (sort of saving the "grandparents watching the kid" for some of the summer movies), but hope to catch it on DVD.  From what I've read of everyone's reviews though, it sounds like it is a lot of "looks great, but the acting/story isn't anything spectacular".  I don't quite get the #1 movie of all time either, nor all the awards.  The effects/technical stuff sure, but its place in the pantheon of all-time greats doesn't seem quite earned.  Heck, aside from the possible effects advancements, I wonder if it will even be all that memorable down the road.  Again, this is from someone who hasn't seen it yet, so what do I know?  Part of me gets a bit biased because of the sort-of rivalry/comparisons to the original Star Wars as far as "groundbreaking" that we heard a bit during its release.  Sure, it is a different world, and I am completely biased, but it just doesn't seem like the cultural phenomenon that Star Wars was (and still is).  Anyways, I was glad it didn't win best picture either.  I mean, this doesn't sound like it was Return of the King quality - and I think we heard just as much favorable stuff about movies like Star Trek and Up (which were both nominated as well), and would be more unconventional picks.

Offline IncomT65

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Re: Avatar
« Reply #83 on: March 8, 2010, 02:01 PM »
Yeah well, I wasn't too impressed with Avatar, perhaps because it was such a predictable chain of events. Avatar won the right prizes imho. I think I'm biased as well. I'd take a lightsaber over a floating jellyfish in 3D anytime  :)

Offline Darth Broem

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Re: Avatar
« Reply #84 on: March 9, 2010, 12:13 AM »
I don't know what to think about Oscars really.  The Hurt Locker wasn't exactly an original story to me either.  It's pretty predictable I thought.  Good but you know where it's going just as much as Avatar.  It's just like any other intense war movie I have seen.  But yeah, I am fine with it winning Best Picture.  It is kind of interesting that E.T., Star Wars, and Avatar are in that science fiction realm that by far and away make the most money, get critical success, but ultimately lose to more artsy films instead. I would have been fine with Avatar winning best picture.