SOUND OFF

Haters are now doubting themselves. It was great. Cameron delivers again. 8.5/10

Beautiful

I'm still speechless. Make no mistake, it's a game changer.

The movie was amazing. The special effects are groundbreaking, serious groundbreaking, groundbreaking like King Kong or Star Wars. A beautiful visual experience that was really fun and cool. Trust me, you've never seen anything like this before. It was a pretty good film too, a little long though. I can't wait to go see it again. The movie was so much fun to watch

This is the next Star Wars, the next Matrix.... As original as Lord of the Rings and I am not talking about the movie but the book written by J.R.R. Tolkien. It's a masterpiece...

I have watched it twice in IMAX and would go again pretty soon. JC is God.

I fell asleep after the first ten minutes, I'll see it again tomorrow.

Crapola go take loads of sleeping pills and die... for insulting the film.

it was good. highly enjoyable.

A sick imagination from a great mind!! Seriously how does he think of this stuff. I know James always borrows from ideas from other movies, but wow, just wow. He really made a 3D movie! I felt like I was there and the how the facial expressions from the Navi's made by the new camera effect that Cameron used. I think James Cameron could have pulled off Halo the movie. Seriously not since The first two terminators did I think his imagination would grow wild!!!

As Jodie Foster says in the movie "Contact" when seeing a quad star system and being unable to express the beauty of what she sees: THERE ARE NO WORDS..... This movie is a generational shift. When grandkids take holographic movies for granted, you will be able to tell them, you saw the midnight showing of the movie that changed how things were done. It is an experience that no words allow you express to others what you have seen. It must be seen in IMAX 3D to understand this!

Seeing it tonight in IMAX...let's do this shit!!

It's 7:30 am, I'm @ work, and I just can't get Avatar out of my head. I feel like I need someone to just talk to for hours so I can try and make sense of how I'm feeling. I connected emotionally with the CG characters in a way that only Gollum even got close to. Yes the story is "familiar". but when something is done this right... making it feel real is that much more difficult, and that much more impressive when it is achieved. I'm an avid movie goer. I love them, but very often you leave out the theater feeling like something else could have been done. Not with Avatar. I saw it at the Ft Lauderdale I-Max. The 3-D never felt like a gimmick. It was part of the story. It made Pandora feel like it was plausible. It made the Na'vi real. At the end of this experience I wanted to know more about them. I wanted to wiki their habit, Google their culture. Alas... they are only part of James Cameron's amazing universe. He is great at making big movies, and I believe Avatar will be his opus.

Effect were beautiful but definitely not groundbreaking. Story was kinda dullish like #4 said. I was skeptical about this movie and didn't understand what all the hype was about. I still don't think it's that great. Worth seeing in the cinema in 3D but I'm prob. never gonna' watch it again. I completely agree with what #25 said. So many people complain about bad stories in movies and then they praise this one? :/

The technical execusion of this film makes it worth watching in of itself. The story is good, nothing super unique or fresh, but engaging enough to hold your attention while your senses feast on Pandora.

I really liked it. It was nothing that I didn't expect and there wasn't too much tension, but it was really well done (as I'd expect of JC). Wrt the magpie-like story, so what, I don't think it's presumtious to say that many of us were expecting anyting avant-garde (the script has been on line for years for crying out loud)?!? It was a good story excellently executed. I loved the skull island part of King Kong and always wanted to see it in a sci-fi setting, and now I have. I was truly transported and that was all that I hoped for from this film. I and a few of the people at the showing I went to (Imax Glasgow) were having issues with the 3-d in their right eyes at around the time where they destroy the tree. The background elements seemed to be in the foreground and the subtitles were in double vision. I thought it was just me having a bout of 3-d fatigue, but my wife said the same thing and the guys either side also mentioned it. (I'd be interested to know if anyone else had the same elsewhere...) Other than that it was amazing. The initial scene where they emerge from stasis blew my mind. All in all, I was totally satisfied by it, although like I say, a bit more unpredictability in the story would have been welcome. Haters; get a life!

Story was predictable and uninspiring. But the visuals, my fucking god the visuals. I felt the same sense of awe as watching Jurassic Park for the first time. I just couldn't believe what I was seeing on screen, the amount, the SCALE of the imagery just left me winded. I think everyone should see it just for that, because this tech is going to be the next big thing. Couple that with Cameron's film making ability, its a definite watch, but don't expect any story surprises.

Pure eye candy, but the best eye candy you are ever going to see on a screen. Merry Christmas Mr. Cameron!

Cameron has broken new ground for special effects, but even so I felt I had seen this same movie a hundred times before. Oh those greedy awful humans and there nature-hating ways... God please deliver us Ironman 2.

Loved the movie. James Cameron did an amazing job creating an alien race that is integrated into their planet. The culture and interactions between the Na'vi and their environment is where I think this movie shines. Is it a simple story? I thought it provided much food for thought in the relationship the Na'vi have with the world around them and the ideas of returning back to the earth but still continuing on within the energy of the world. This movie is not just about fighting for land and culture it's about fighting to preserve a spiritual form of life that I think is an amazing realization that we're allowed to take shape on screen. I think it's worth watching again just to analyze the Na'vi and their relationships to the world around them and what that means.

FUCKING AMAZING...but im just really tired now haha!! i completely enjoyed the movie and it's true, that this was more of an experience than a movie. james cameron is a genius and this movie was beautiful! i want to be a navi! haha

First off, I will admit I was a doubter before and after seeing the movie it was pretty awesome. It looked AMAZING, although the Na'vi still looked a bit cartoonish at times. However, in regards to the story line...old and tired. How can whoever wrote the original article on this page think the story and writing were so amazing. It's Dances with Wolves in space (only DwW didn't have an awesome scene with the Native Americans stickin it to the white people. That would've been sweet). The writing was also terrible. Very blah. All in all though, the graphics completely made up for the shortcomings. 80/100. Would definitely see again and recommend it to everyone.

Effects were awesome, no doubt; however, the story was aweful - completely boring and unoriginal. The graphics are the only thing it really had going for it. Meh...

For #41: Absolutely suitable for a ten-year old. It's just a visually stunning, simple action-adventure movie. And I bet both girls and boys will love it.

LOL at binary comment. I translated it. I think yes, yes he will.

I haven't seen it yet so I can't give my opinion but only go based off everyone else......I hear people keep saying it's like Dances with Wolves / Last of the Mohigans (excuse the spell check)......let's forget about the technology JC used on making the movie, the visual effects....Is the story line that good? i'm vary of watching it because like #48, I have a feeling it's a bunch of Smurfs running around...I also heard the last 1/4 of the movie fell apart and that's why some are giving it a B just curious on your opinions on what i said

i completely disagree with people who say that the story has already been told many times earlier...theres much more to the story than what people are talking even before watching the movie.... i recommend everyone to watch this movie in 3d...the movie lives every bit of its hype...its a whole new experience watching Pandora and its creatures...nothing can be commented about the CG...its too awesome and as real as it can get... @13 you dont even know how to lie and for all those who are criticizing the movie, you are just too jealous to appreciate JC's work......

i am a big fan of this website and have never commented on here before but felt the need to now. i've been looking forward to this movie for the past 2 years because of this site and it did not dissapoint. the IMAX showing was sold out at midnight so i just watched the regular digital 3-D but i still blew my load. i managed to get tickets for the 7PM IMAX showing for later today. yes, i plan on watching this twice in 24 hours. sidenote: every time i saw that guy from Grandma's Boy i was expecting him to talk like a robot. that would have been hilarious slash awesome

Alex, you are spot on about the small moments. I really think this is what Cameron does best and it makes for memorable scenes. I too liked the moment Nitraya saw Sully in human form, and I also loved the (SPOILERS AHEAD) fight scene at the end - creature vs machine). P.S. ALEX, YOUR REVIEW GIVES AWAY DETAILS OF THE FILM - PERHAPS A SPOLER ALERT IS NEEDED.

Bad movie. The visuals and the world of Pandora that Cameron created were mindblowingly incredible....but, the script sucks balls. The story-line is dull, cliche, and formulaic. The dialogue was cringeworthy and the characters couldn't have been any flatter. The film never is able to get the audience emotionally invested in the characters, so when one or two of the main ones die, nobody cares. Also, the 3D was pulled of terribly. With many of the scenes, I felt like I was cross-eyed, but I learned that you can counter this by closing one eye. If you see this movie, bring an eyepatch and lots of energy drinks to keep you awake through all the long, dragged out flight and battle sequences that go nowhere. I'll say again though that truly, Cameron wasn't kidding about the technology involved. The visuals are beyond stunning, but in no way are they able to redeem the film's down-right embarrassing screenplay.

yes, a very pretty, amazing "dances with wolves" set in a gorgeous awesome paradise instead of the wild west aliens instead of indians mecha instead of cowboys groundbreaking cgi

Conservatives will not like this movie. But who cares? Conservatives are a joke. Everyone else will love this movie.

Avatar was just infuckingcredble! As good as Transformers 2; I kid you not! Don't walk to see Avatar: Run! Run as fast as your little legs can carry you!

By the way, my last comment was sarcasim ... It's not as good as Transformers 2 LOL

It was Pocahontas in 3d, but it was pretty.

This thread is getting too silly now.

Well, I really liked the the Lord of the Rings Theatrical versions and will be first in line to buy the trilogy on Blu Ray when they come out in April and will double dip when the extended versions come out.

"To fuel the fire"... it was great!

This movie was amazing. It just was.

It's as good as the hype, definitely. Only some minor special effects issues - namely with the light tree and the dog things. But the first scene in the movie - when he comes out of the hyper pod - and one of the last scenes, when the girl navi is holding Sam Worthington, are the two best sfx scenes in a movie that's nothing but amazing scene after amazing scene.

@80, sorry to say it, but if you are nearly blind in one eye, I'm pretty sure that will affect your ability to see 3D images. I would recommend not seeing this in 3D, though not just to you, but to anyone. There are very few scenes in which the 3D worked well anyway, so you really won't be missing out on much. Hope you enjoy it more than I did.

Nikki Finke is reporting that the midnight showings only made $3 million.

Enjoyed the cg and visuals, but weak on dialogue. One part dances with wolves + two parts Pocahontas + half part the air up there

Saw it last night(Midnight show), and all I can say is Cameron is the man. The movie was amazing. I'm seeing it again Sunday morning.

#11, if JC stands for Jesus Christ then I guess you are technically correct if you believe in that sort of thing. But if you mean James Cameron, there's no way the dude that unfortunately shat out True Lies, Titanic, & the first half of T-2 into our cultural zeitgeist should ever be mistaken for god.

Hmm...just have 3 main points to make about this mobie. 1)The visuals are excellent even though not very original.Have a look at the artist Roger Deans' work..floating rocks..etc..He created many Yes album covers.. 2)The story was Dance with Wolves in space and poorly scripted.Felt like 85% of the time was spent on the visuals and 15% on the story/script....pity. 3) The irritating 'eeeayahh..ooo...yoahhh..singing on the soundtrack.Very cheesey indeed and the music generally was overused and distracting. So in all I wouldn't go out my way to see it again...maybe for the fun of a 3D visual treat but thats all. Not Camerons best work...Aliens is a superior product.

avatar was a stunningly brilliant peice of eye candy. and i like the story because the indians won this time. also the colonel was such a badass, wanted to keep the scar son. it didnt seem like two and a half hours to me, and to be honest most of the time i was just in awe of what i was seeing, also see it in 3-D, worth the money, also, i liked sam worthingtons acting, he does the whole identity confusion well in my opinion. go see it again

Without any doubt I can say that tonight I saw the best movie of 2009. It’s good to conclude that, because what’s been offered to us this year has been overall weak. And to end the year this way, makes me only wonder which productions will follow by using the same technique James Cameron has developed during the past 12 years. This movie is perfect in every way. Sure, you will always have people that can bash about something in the movie, but it’s entertainment! In contrary to others which pursued this same goal (remember those tin robots back in June?!), you are entertained with mind-blowing visuals and sound, story and characters. And that’s what I want to see; I want to be emerged in a movie. I want to forget everything and everyone around me and back home and be pulled into the world which the director has created for me. And that’s exactly what happened! The planet of Pandora you see on screen looks and feels so real that you actually almost can smell the plants, trees and animals. You watch this movie as if you’re really there with the Na’vi. The creatures are fabulous and fantastic. And then the scenery; the huge (and I mean HUGE) tree; it’s flabbergasting! The 3D-usage adds to the experience, by adding depth to the surroundings without overusing its power. The action scenes are impressive; not only was there put a lot of detail in effort in creating the planet, but also on the ships and human technology. It’s as if it’s real, like a common thing you see daily on the TV-news. Every movement and mimic can be seen on screen during the action scenes. It’s all there fully in motion on screen, unlike the “in-your-face-moving-metal-which-transforms-into-a-robot-in-the-next-shot-without-actually-seeing-a-car-transform-into-a-robot”-movie earlier this year. I could go on and on, but I just want to say that Avatar (in IMAX 3D!) is in my opinion a movie not to miss. You have never seen anything like this and I think we won’t see something equal in the upcoming year. This is a masterpiece and there are not enough superlatives to describe this experience. I will now go to bed a happy man, knowing that I’ve seen something that will keep a smile on my face for a long time… My rating: 10 out of 10

I walked out speechless to what I saw. I think a lot of critics are so focused on plot and character development that they can't see how beautiful this movie is.

I commented on another Avatar post just last night after I saw it, but seeing as this is the "official" sound off, I'll say more. It was freakin' AWESOME! I saw it in IMAX which was beautiful! There were audible gasps in the audience during so many of the visuals. It truly is an experience, something you have to see, especially in a real IMAX if you can. It made me feel the excitement of going to the film as a kid and truly being transported. Cameron did an amazing job!

Dear tyrascilee, Fuck you. Sincerely, The Conservatives

worth the wait and worth the pay saw it in 3D(my first 3D experience)...it was amazing iit had no flaws i would like to know what that material the humans were after actually does though. they never went into specifics. all they said was it was worth 20 mill a kilo. never really explained anything about it after that. that's something that was eating at me on the ride home

People are comparing it to Dances With Wolves and Pocahontas, but there's something else there as well. The first half of the movie is Dances with Wolves. It also has a lot of war movie cliches and shit as well. That said, the story is basic and not original, but the execution of the story is solid. I didn't notice any plot holes or anything, and the film doesn't talk down to you. This puts it on a much higher level than something like Transformers or 2012. So with the plot being fairly simple and not too demanding, you can feel free to sit back and enjoy what you're watching. To be honest, I think this is the smartest thing Cameron could have done. The characters are all basically archetypes. There's some depth to them, and most of them evolve, but it's not massive, life-changing evolution (for most of them). The Na'Vi easily give some of the best performances. The female lead was just fantastic. I was completely in awe of the movie. Some of the scenes are just orgasmic. I'm also going to be booking a screening in IMAX 3D, but I'm unfortunately going ot have to wait until next weekend. I feel pretty confident that this movie is going to give Titanic a run for it's box office record. Few movies have ever gotten me to plant my ass into a theater multiple times. Jurassic Park. Lord of the Rings. Pulp Fiction. Saving Private Ryan. This movie is up there with all of those in terms of spectacle and pure entertainment value. The story IS simple, but the resulting film is more than satisfying to watch. There are some people out there who are reading too much into metaphors and shit. The only negative reviews I can find of the film are from people who thought it was some anti-american / anti-human diatribe or something. These reviewers are just sad. Yeah, there are a couple of quick lines in there that are absolutely a comment on current middle-eastern conflict, but it's not like it damages the film or the spectacle in any way. If I had to fault the movie for anything, it would be for two simple lines of dialogue that felt out of place. That's about 20 seconds worth of the movie. 20 seconds of the film kinda kicked me out a little. The other 2.5 hours were incredible in ways that I've never before experienced. TL;DR - Go see this fucking movie in 3D immediately. If you're thinking about waiting for the DVD, you will be missing out on a LOT of the fun.

Here's my take, from a huge Sci-Fi/James Cameron fan: Although you could argue that the story was weak, predictable, and been done before... I would agree. BUT. I was sold! I am a sucker for old fashioned story telling and that is just what this was. By the end of the movie, even though it was predictable I was cheering for the good guy. I went along for the ride and had a great time. I will be back! Trip

It kind of reminded me of Halo a bit. The feel of everything. One hundred percent eye candy from start to finish. Even scenes that didn't take place on Pandora were still awesome in 3D. Watch this in 3D trust me.

tyrascilee you are the joke... I'm conservative, I smoke dope, I recycle and I loved this movie dumbass.... Have to give it A- not perfect, but very well done....he created a world all his own, not too many have done it... I did see a lot of other stuff in the there, I'd seen before, in flims like...Dune, Dances with Wolves, Ferngully, The Abyss, Cameron stole from himself...Final Fantasy, etc.... It was predictable, and though the dialogue was weak at times there were still memorable lines....Can't wait to see again in about a week on IMAX...Congrats Jim, well done, Bravo....

This was the most amazing thing I have ever seen. I actually caught myself several times staring at the screen with my mouth hanging open. Yeah, the story has been told before, but who cares? This theme is as old as mankind, and Cameron sold it perfectly. Everything looked absolutely beautiful, and the Na'vi, as off-putting as their appearance was when I saw them in that very first teaser, really pulled me in. I completely forgot that they were just pixels generated in a computer. There were quite a few moments that had me on the brink of tears. Some because I simply suffered with the characters, and others because the sheer beauty of certain scenes was just overwhelming.

Saw it in IMAX 3d and was blown away! Only flaw was too many flashbacks! Got tired after the third or fourth time of him transitioning back to his human body. They could have limited this, also wouldl have been nice to see a bit more of earth scenes. Anyhow, movie was flat out amazing, it was a popcorn flick and I didn't think the dialougue was bad. The colonel stole the friggin' movie! Mr. Lang is a major player!

I've been looking forward to Avatar for a long time. But I left the theater disapointed. First of all this was my first 3D film and I can honestly say I will NEVER see another. I wear eye glasses and the damn 3D glasses were uncomfortable over it. Not to mention everything seemed darker than it should be and blurry. The trailers on my computer looked better, I am not exaggerating. Maybe it's bad luck, but damn. Secondly, the script is HORRENDOUS. Please, people, open your ears. The story is worse than Transformers 2 or G.I. Joe. Again I am not exaggerating. The only saving grace was the last 45 mins. The action was spectacular and made you forget about the story. But it's not quite enough to save the entire film. Overall, 5/10. Last 45 mins were so amazing that it gets a 5 instead of 3.

I thought it was ok. Didn't really Blow my mind away. I laughed when everything went to hell for the Na'vi...I mean the terrain visually was simply stunning (the battle scenes, WOW)...but the Characters themselves...lets just say I twitched everytime they showed emotion...lol... As for the 3D, maybe my Eyes are retarded or something, but I still think it is gay...apart from the two times I thought something was going to strike me, everything else was flat...I have yet to see it in IMAX...but I still think 3D is gay, until someone makes a Movie Theater that totally envelops you (kind of like how the Monitors were shown at the Beginning of the Movie). Only then will 3D be successful I think.. But I am getting kind of tired of the type of film it represents..."oooh we are the best, we can kill them, lets take them off their land (which I am pretty sure The Humans will do. They will be back of course)" I think that a Halo Movie will be far more Better...I kind of like how we are always the bad asses and whatnot, but give me a Movie that allows me to think and fear...Avatar kind of made me think "oh no, we did this to the Indians." But what would happen if another Race did that to us? I think the Halo Movie needs to be made Soon. Covenant giving the Human Race a good Ass-Kicking would be wonderful.

And yes I'll be the next person to say it. Cameron is God.

It was a great tech demo for the improved technology. Visually impressive, but the rest was completely by the numbers. I understand why Cameron waited so long for the tech, because without it this movie would have been a big grey box of mediocre.

We all know the story is nothing special or unique. But the story will appeal to a larger audience. Regardless, the tech is amazing and this is a groundbreaking next step in cinema. I think the story works for introducing the tech to the world in an entertaining way. Star Wars seemed amazing to someone who is 12 years old but the story has been retold endless times and its quite corny. Still the technology and visuals in Star Wars made it so enjoyable. Give Avatar a break with the story. It was kickass enough that it doesnt matter. And for being the same sappy theme I think the story was executed well.

People here are also neglecting to mention that besides the amazing tech, the movie was also shot incredibly well, and that makes a world of difference in the final quality of the piece. I would never in a million years watch a Michael Bay film in 3D.

I posted this over at my blog ( http://www.myspace.com/gutsspill ). 1995. In 1995, James Cameron wrote a treatment for a film called "Avatar". Avatar was supposed to be on the cutting edge of special FX. And as we all know, the 90's weren't the best years for special FX. Yeah, we had Jurassic Park, but we also had Escape From L.A. James Cameron went onto doing a little film called Titanic. Was the film any good? Barely. But it didn't matter. It made James Cameron (as he said at the Oscars) "King of the World". Afterall, he was director of the highest grossing film of all-time (and that still stands). Fast-forward 12 years and two land-mark films (in photo-realism special FX) later, he's back with Avatar. And without those 2 land-mark films, I dont think Avatar would have hit screens as soon as it did. And what are those two films? Neither he was involved with. Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers and Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest. Now, I love Peter Jackson, but Im not a fan of Lord of the Rings. They're just too bland for my taste. But WETA Digital did an incredible job on Gollum. And what WETA did for Gollum in Lord of the Rings, ILM did for Davy Jones in Pirates of the Caribbean. And those two films are what proved to Cameron that the technology was almost there. All he had to do was push it. And that he did. As James Cameron said, with Avatar, they pushed the technology, it pushed back, and they pushed harder. And it shows almost 100% on screen. A couple years back, when I first heard about Avatar I was totally sold. And all I knew was "James Cameron" and "science fiction". There were no pictures, no plot, no interviews, nothing. All there was, was a director, and a return to form. Fast-forward a year later, Avatar's release date was announced. Summer 2008. That wasn't the case. The film was pushed back over more than a year, and there was STILL nothing to be released. Still no pictures or anything. And then they released a couple pictures of James Cameron on set. Which I guess was cool, but really... Who wants that? Show us some stills. And then of course, the Na'vi design leaked online. It looked like... Blue cat people. What the fuck? My anticipation went down a bit, and then the talk of a teaser trailer was circulating. Anticipation went up. The teaser trailer came out. Anticipation went down. Then 20th Century Fox did "Avatar Day" in August, where they played 15 minutes of the film in IMAX 3D. I went, and my anticipation went back up. And then the theatrical trailer was released, and I was fucking ready. Avatar has been my "gold at the end of the rainbow" for this week, so to speak. I mean, Ive been waiting for this film for 2 years now (despite my fluxuation in anticipation-levels), and it was finally here. So the day finally came, and I finally see it. In IMAX 3D no less. And all I have to say is fucking A. Well, actually, that's a lie. That's not all I have to say. I mean, Im not going to write two paragraphs leading up to the event, without writing about the actual event. So here it goes... First of all, I already expressed my new profound love for 3D after watching watching A Christmas Carol in 3D, in my last blog. But within the first 20 seconds of Avatar, you really understand what the movie is going for, in terms of 3D. There are 2 kinds of 3D. There is the gimmicky "comin-at-ya" 3D, and there's the "looking-through-the-window" 3D. Avatar is the latter. When the first 10 minutes of you being amazed as to how fucking incredible the 3D, when that goes by, you are totally immersed into the film. You honestly dont even notice the 3D (and I say that in the best possible way). I saw this in IMAX 3D, and I say this with 100% honesty... There is NO other way to see it. This film was made to be seen in IMAX 3D. It's unfathomable to me, to see it any other way. I wouldn't see it in 2D, I wouldn't see it in a regular theatre in 3D, I wouldn't see it in 2D IMAX. IMAX 3D. And when it's out of theatres, and on DVD, I have no idea what Im going to do. Of course Im going to buy it. This isn't just a film, it really is an experience. And yes, there are some of those "gimmicky" shots. But to be completely honest, they're really not gimmicky at all. When an Amp-Suite is smashing down a tree, it makes sense that wood shards would fly towards you. When bullets are flying through the air, and their target is past the camera, it would make sense that the bullets would be flying past you. It all works, because most of the "comin-at-ya" shots are literally 45 minutes apart from each other. And there's only about three or four noticeable ones. Now due to the 3D technology really not being inhanced, and just being used correctly, Ill get to the main focus of the movie. The FX. As I already mentioned, I wasn't too fond of the alien designs before. And it's not that Im not fond of them now (because they're nothing spectacular), but the difference between what I thought of them now, and then is... I understand WHY. And it's the story. This movie is a lot of things in one. It's a message (without being too forceful), it's a commentary (without being to direct), but most of all, it's a love story. Now Ill get into the whole story originality later. But for now, I want to go in depth as to why the alien designs suit the story. You'll find a lot of producers and people who are trying to sell a movie always talk about "it's all about the story...". And 9 times out of 10 they're leaking sacks of diarrhea. But the alien design actually does suit the story. In a nutshell, the synopsis of the movie is, an ex-Marine joins a program in which his brain and consciousness is linked to a synthetically-grown Na'vi body to learn from the inside. Except, he falls in love with another Na'vi, and realizes the true soulless intentions of the corporation that he's working for. Now had the Na'vi and his synthetically-grown body had been this cool, badass-looking alien, I dont think the emotion-factor would have been there. I honestly think why I felt emotionally-linked with these characters, is because they shared a physical resemblance. And that is why the special FX are known as "ground-breaking", "game-changing", and "revolutionary". It's because they are photo-realistic. Now there is a difference between "real-looking-CGI" and "photo-realistic". The T-Rex scene in Jurassic Park is "real-looking-CGI", but the faces in Avatar are photo-realistic. Now, not all the shots and scenes in Avatar are photo-realistic, but when it comes to all the close-ups of Jake and Neytiri, they are so unbelievably real. And the fact that they can put Davy Jones to shame, it makes me wonder where we'll be at in 10 years. To venture further into the movie's FX, Id like to compliment another aspect of the film. And that was the bioluminescence scenes at night. James Cameron created a world that was very familiar, in terms of science fiction and fantasy, but he twisted it. And one of the most beautiful touches he added was the night time bioluminescence. It was fucking gorgeous. And that is the one prime example that I would give, as to why you NEED to see this movie in IMAX 3D. It's a prime example that proves that the movie doesn't rely on IMAX 3D, but it sure as fuck enhances the experience times 100. To avoid any minor spoilers, Im not going to go into all beautiful sequences that occur in those scenes. But they are fucking incredible. Now Ive read plenty of reviews on Avatar, and I think, in terms of story, theyre either giving it too much credit, or not enough credit. The movie is not completely original... Like at all. But it doesn't lack a story, that's for damn sure. It's a combination of stuff you've seen. But it blends it in a way that it works enough for you to give a fuck as to what's going on. Like I said previously, it has messages, it has commentaries, and it has a love story. All of which work. The score. One of thee most important players to any movie for me, is the score. The score to this film is really good, fluent, and overall, well-written. But what would the fuck would you expect from James Horner? Now eventhough James Horner had worked with James Cameron before Mel Gibson, I still think James Cameron gets Mel Gibson's sloppy seconds. In 1995, James Horner did the score for Mel Gibson's Braveheart. Braveheart had those unforgettable and trademark bagpipes. Come 1997, James Cameron used Horner for Titanic. What was Titantic known for? It's use of bagpipes. In 2006, Gibson used Horner for Apocalpypto. And the one key element that stood out on that score was the native's vocal track. It was almost a sigh/hiss. Well... Come 2009, what is one of the most re-occuring sounds? The native sigh/hiss. But you know what? It doesnt distract me too much from the score itself. Because the main theme is fucking beautiful. It has a sci-fi sound to it, but it's predominantly fantasy. As queer as it sounds, it's got a sense of "wonderment" to it. I hate that word. Like, a lot. But it's the first and only word that comes to mind when I hear the theme. But overall, the whole score is great. Though, I did hear a few ques from Braveheard and King Kong (2005). Also, the battle themes are blood-pumping. Id love to go into all the battle themes, but there would be too many spoilers revealed (one of which involves a Na'vi jumping onto an aircraft carrier and destroying all the Marines). The end battle. Dont cunt at me, you knew there was going to be an end battle. That's hardly a spoiler. The battle is fucking KILLER. Im not going to give too much away in this 20-minute radically awesome battle, but there's: guns the size of school buses, Amp-Suits (Mother-Loader-like suits), dragon-on-aircraft action, dragon-on-helicopter action, 3 dragons-on-aircraft action, animal-on-Amp-Suit action, fire, more fire, dragons-ripping-out-Marines-from-Aircraft action, 3 dragons-ripping-out-Marines-from-Aircraft, and a lot more. Also, Col. Quaritch is DIRECTLY from Aliens. This dude is BAD. ASS. And I dont mean in a "oh-this-a-new-guy-trying-to-become-an-action-icon" kind of way. This dude is genuinely badass. Stephen Lang, look into him. He auditioned for Aliens back in '85, FYI. All in all, Avatar EXCEEDED my expectations. Was it a flawless movie? No, it wasn't. Has Avatar changed movies forever like they said it would? No, I dont think so. But is it a landmark? Yes. A giant landmark. Also, you ever notice all James Cameron's films either start with the letter "T" or "A"? The Terminator, Aliens, The Abyss, Terminator 2: Judgement Day, True Lies, Titanic, Avatar. Piranha 2 doesn't count. Fuck off.

I enjoyed it but also felt the story was nothing special. In a few years when every other film surpasses the effects in this, what will there be left to be amazed with? Don't get me wrong, I was very entertained, but it won't stand up over time as well as T2 or Aliens. One serious complaint I have though. I'm ghearing all these people say "The effects were amazing! Visually stunning! James Cameron is God! He created his own world!" Correct me if I'm wrong, but James Cameron wasn't the one sitting in front of a computer for hours animating characters. The effects supervisors and animators deserve all the credit for this movie. You wanna give credit to Cameron it should be solely based on the storytelling, not the effects.

amazing, simple and yet detailed, magnificent, cant wait to see it again.

Just got back from Avatar, not in Imax but in 3D, and I have just one thing to say. This film breathes. If you don't get what I'm talking about, go see it.

I had high expectations going in, and still, I am speechless coming out. Can James Cameron do anything wrong? My only concern is how long this will be in Imax, because I'd like to start planning to take people who haven't seen it just so I can experience it with them!

There are some films that come along in a lifetime that really grab a hold of you and never let go. This is one such film! I have never had such an amazing expierence going to movies like this since the first Lord Of The Rings film came out back in 2001. Totally amazing stuff. My hat goes off to you Mr. Cameron.

it was a traditional Hollywood story coated with some stunning visual effects. it bridges the gap between incredible video game trailers and movies. visually blew me away enough to overlook its many flaws. saw it in digital extreme and will see it again in Imax. I am excited about the movies that will be made in the future using this style. I am a little disappointed that JC didn't take the same amount of effort that he put into visual effects and do the same with the script. if he did it might have been a masterpiece.

@ 132 Take your conservative morals -- and shove them up your right-wing ass!!!! AVATAR ROCKED! 10/10

@ 132 Conservatives, like yourself, who are pro war have no emotional core. You can't get your heart tugged on if you don't possess one. Therefore, I must concur with #143. Take your conservative morals — and shove them up your right-wing ass you dumb son of a bitch! Rumpart and Kamish can do the same.

It looks like a self-contained story such that there will never be a sequel. I don't think a movie like this ought to be tainted by potentially less-than-worthy sequels, because the movie itself was quite good if a bit derivative. All I can think of is suspension of disbelief, because the whole planet was so seamless that I never second-guessed the visuals (even though I knew they were wholly computer-generated).

This movie was absolutely fuckin amazin probably 1 of the best movies i have ever seen so c it as soon as u can.

What people need to understand, is that using 3D in film adds NOTHING to the experience. Visuals are there to enhance the story, not enhance the image. Give it a few years and this slew of pathetic Imax/3D/CGI buggery will be over and we can at least get back to real FILM experiences. 3D should only be used on rides and videogames. Most of the feedback towards Avatar is exactly what I expected - a migraine-effects driven graphics engine with no substance to justify, and the majority of the audience are being blinded by computer-imagery and forgetting what it takes to make an engaging film. Avatar belongs inside a 3D ride, not in the medium of film.

I was a hater when I first saw the trailer. Didn't like the way those long,blue characters looked and thought it was just gonna be another poor attempt at trying to make CG act and move like actual humanoids. I was wrong (somewhat). As far as the movie itself, INCREDIBLE!!! Beautiful story and vision. The best 3D yet and the best use of it. It was more about using it to convey the depth of the characters, adventure and more importantly, the world then having crap jumping out at you. Although it was the best done CGI of humanoids yet, it's still far from perfect (for me at least). Still, the movement is too rubbery and the facial expressions and all is too over the top. It always seems like they make CG characters overact and that bugs the hell out of me. I don't know why this seems to be such tough thing for animators to nail. Overall though, FANTASTIC movie and kudos to the genius that is James Camron!

a poll would be cool.

One of the most beautiful movie i have ever seen. This is not just a movie, but is an experience, an emotional journey, an adventure like no other. I got tears flowing from the beginning right till the end of the movie. Then I got really sad when the movie was over as i would have wish it would had continued forever. The Na'vi character Neytiri was really beautiful even though she's an alien in blue color. Really hope to see a sequel to Avatar and I hope to see more from James Cameron. Thank you James Cameron... Long live James Cameron.....

Avatar is set for a 3 movie trilogy so all you Lovers of the flic will rejoice! honestly, Ive always felt Cameron is a great visual artists with great ambition and great intent!! however his storytelling always tends to fall short for me..kinda flat and unbelievable. This time around the story was very simple and straightforward, no twists, no unexpected plot turns..nothing confusing and IT WORKED! unless you've seen this tech a million times and are over it, you will be forced to notice all the impressive details in every scene! a complicated storyline in THIS CASE, would have really conflicted and overloaded my brain competing to pay attention to this alien world. In real life, on a planet like pandora, I would have a hard time even carrying on a conversation with someone while my eyes and ears would be focusing on my environment and that is the case here. Perhaps the second and third movies will get more complex and thats fine, but I was so happy just to spend time on pandora watching dust particles float through the air that I didnt mind the simple story. avatar is a beautiful movie that needs to be EXPERIENCED, it reminded me of the awe I felt back in 1977 when I finished watching star wars and walked out into a world different than the one I lived in only 2 hours before..props to James Cameron, an artist with intent!

Cool...but overall nothing revolutionary at all. Way to much hype...o well.

Straight to DVD.

@ 163 and 164 The definition of polarization?

Just watched Avatar 3D here in Singapore, in packed cinema. Very good show, impressed all the way. I thought I wouldn't like it THAT much when I watched the trailer, as the colour and everything seems a bit bland and faded, but I was blown away in the cinema. Think the colour was more vibrant in the movie. Very good job, Mr. Cameron!! Love it!!

i loved the movie and actually just watched it a second time in IMAX 3D (well worth it and will probably do it again). One of the only qualms i had was that the score sounded a little too generic. just realized part of it totally sounded like the fight scene in Troy when the horns blast that three note queue when they are charging the beach and when achilles is killin it. oh and for some reason the most memorable line for me was when that guy screams "TRAUMA KIT" lol

Visual Feast, Eye-Candy, Eye-Popper, Amazing experience. I was a little sceptic about this film when I saw the trailers. But when you see it in 3d on a big screen...it takes your breath away. Get up and go see it.

Avatar is my new Star Wars. Thank you Lucas, you gave us your prequels and launched us here, on Pandora. Loving it much better now!

visuals are there, acting was amazing, execution overall was well done, however, the score was meh -- nothing memorable, action was good, not outstanding. and boy the char/story at times is cringe worthy, just too cliched and been done before. for a movie this big, you would expect some good writing and story. feels like it was written to just hold the action and effects together. i think star trek this year and district 9 were better movies overall mainly because the writing was top notch

Avatar is great, but Star Trek was better.

"The stories unoriginal!" ---bullshit! There is no original anymore people, just a bunch of different story lines being repackaged as something new. What James Cameron does is take a done-and-done-again story and puts a fresh twist on it (a marine transmits his thoughts into an alien body on an unexplored world to learn the ways of the alien tribe) and makes it AS EPIC AS EPIC CAN GET. The story is, in fact, different from all the other stories you all keep bringing up.

It isn't that the story isn't original. You're right, to an extent, we've exhausted all literary devices. To expect something completely original on a writing front from a guy like James Cameron? Man, look at Titanic! Half the lines in that movie is sappy shit that no guy OR girl in their right mind would actually say. Nobody structures sentences that way. They never have, it's not even a time-period thing. It's just bad writing. But then again, the same bad writing plagued the entirety of the Star Wars series and nobody seemed to care. Yes, this is a visual feast. But it's so predictable from the get go that, by the end of the film, you are probably rooting for the gunship dude if you've ever even simply heard the plights of any indigenous people. Does that make the plights less potent? No, but it makes this movie one hell of a superficial joke. And one of those long jokes that are only amusing in how long and detailed they are at that. Suffice to say, Cameron has been a visual director. He has never been a terribly talented writer. His films are simply fun to watch. And I will give Avatar that it is really intense. But between movies like District 9 with similar plots, and Star Trek with different but still dazzling special effects coming out this year, it really kinda fades into the woodwork. On a scale of 1 to great, this movie just merits an "Okay, cool."

James Cameron gone out of wildest dreams of movie making. I don't have words to describe my experience watching this movie in IMAX 3D. My chest was heavy even after 4 hours I came out of the theater, Overwhelming, Heart pounding, experienced the unexpected. Unbelievable..., extreme creativity & imagination of movie making, gone above and beyond the standards of movie making if any existed today. James Cameron challenged the whole world if anyone can make a movie close to his standards......God bless you James and need more from you.....! --Kondal Kandregula

What 184 said. The Nav'i are actually conservative btw, fighting against an evil as a matter of defense.

EPIC!! GLad i only watched one trailer for this because I was blown away. 4 stars and two thumbs up!!

The movie was absolutely stunning! I can't help but think they hired very tall blue people to play the part of the Navi. If there isn't an award for "best animated actor" there should be! I'm a little sick and tired of the politically correct eco friendly "save the earth" message that is so incredibly prominent in today's culture, but that's my only complaint.

I'm usually overly critical about most movies and I suppose, if I really wanted to, I could pick out all the flaws of 'Avatar' if I really wanted to...but the finny thing is, I don't want to and I don't ever care to. I had tears in my eyes the entire time watching this beautiful film reveal itself --- something about re-connecting to my childhood 'wonder' is the only way I can describe my experience. I think, as humans, we lose something as we get older and this film reminded me what it was like to be in awe at the world; to be hungry; to want to touch everything around you, to feel everything around you. Thanks you for reminding what many of us have lost, Mr C.

To simply put it, Avatar might just be one of the greatest films ever with respect to a amazing combination of CGI, acting and storytelling. I find the only movie as groundbreaking as this was the first LOTR when it first came out in 2001. What Peter Jackson did in lotr, James Cameron has outdone by far. The blending of the story and the special effects was absolutely breathtaking. By far one of the greatest films ever made.

I do have to say...THANK GOD Neytiri worked as well as she did. For me, she was the emotional glue of the movie.

A great movie. Full review at http://www.tomvatterott.blogspot.com First paragraph of my review: "Avatar has been almost hyped to death. Does it match the level James Cameron talked of? Nearly. Script and nature of the story aside, Avatar creates an essentially real world. Did I pay for a movie ticket or a trip to Pandora? By combining top notch CGI, incredible motion-capture, and engrossing 3D, Avatar’s world is second to none." I really liked it. I really felt like I was on Pandora. Can't wait to see it again. I hope Cameron gets his money back, because I want sequels!

@Kamish 174 and Rumpart 184 All conservatives aren't retards, just the Rumpart and Kamish kind. Your ignorance comes from thinking that there are some how two rival teams that play by some sort of rule book. The philosophy of conservatism is passe but that's not to say that liberalism doesn't have its faults. However, liberals never fall in line with the mob or what's popular and easy. They tend to be independent thinkers and unlike conservatives won't do anything in lock step fashion. There inability to stick together is what causes them to usually loose support. Just like Conservative Politicians, Liberal Politicians also get dumb asses like yourselves to fight for their cause. They're really the same party and keep the masses at bay with their make believe rivalry. What you fail to understand is that it's not about the Red team or Blue team or Blue people and White People... It's simply about the haves and have nots. The rich want to hold on to what they have and continue to steal as much as they can. The poor can't seem to ascend the ladder because the rich keep knocking them down a rung. Conservatives want to kill anyone that threatens their pocket book. The Terrorist Nazis... are the conservative, Jackass! You can't FEEL anything because you're too stupid to think for yourself. The truth isn't always handed to you on a silver platter, you actually have to use your brain and know where to dig for it. You're not crazy, just misinformed. Unless you're a multimillionaire, you have no business being a conservative because you're fighting against your own interests. At the end of the day, you're just as expendable as the N'avi. You're being used and deceived by the very people you support. Don't put your faith in political ideologies but instead, believe in yourselves! Frankly, you're both starting to bore me. I've already wasted enough time trying to give you seeds of wisdom. If you can't see beyond the smoke and mirrors, then I guess you'll continue to be blind sided. What can I say, ignorance is bliss. In some ways, I envy you guys. Sweet Dreams. -jknovelli-

LOVED IT!!!!! 5/5

7/10 = 2D well, the 3d imax was packed, was either watching it in 2D mid roll or first role 3d imax, easy choice, hopefully 9/10 once iw atch in 3D

When we were waiting in line at the Imax all the people were funneling out from the previous showing, they all had overwhelmed, almost blank looks on their eyes. I didn't know if that was a good or bad thing but when the movie was over I understood what the expressions were all about. This movie changes the expectation level for the cinematic experience, simply put, brilliant!!!

Where i'm from (Wellington, NZ) all the digital 3D cinemas are booked for the next week! I can't wait a whole week to see this film again, i can't get it out of my head and re-watching the trailer just doesn't cut it! Avatar = The best movie I have ever seen!

Not by me:................ "It is kind of ironic that people pick Avatar to gripe about originality. The overwhelming majority of movies that are released have about 1/10 the originality that is in avatar. It's not a remake, sequel, or an adaption. Hell it's got a brand new language, brand new culture, brand new complex and connected eco system, and so many brand new ideas. Look at the way they rode the animals by connecting that thingamabob. when has that ever been used? when have we ever had a movie about futuristic humans going to another planet to force native extra terrestrials to evacuate their native land? Instead of going the easy predictable route with overpopulation or we need a new planet to live on because we destroyed our own, Cameron went for something new, while connecting it to today's problems by making it about mining for an energy source. It's something we can all understand because of our relations with the middle east being corrupted by oil. He made it even more interesting by making their atmosphere toxic to humans. Cameron could have copied dances with wolves and just sent a human with a human body to learn the ways of the Navi. But he instead made the atmosphere toxic to humans, so the main character needed a Navi body to accomplish the task. He added emotional depth to the character by making him paralyzed from the waist down. It made his experience in his avatar body even more liberating, because the character went from a helpless criple to a powerful man who can jump higher and run faster than any human could ever hope to. How is that flying right over people's heads when they say it lacks depth or originality?"

This is by far the best movie I have seen in a few years now. I loved what James Cameron did with this movie. That man sure has quite an impressive imagination. I don't think I blinked once during the movie just because I didn't want to miss a second of that wonderful picture. Agree with #210 GRAND SLAM!

@199 you're having an argument with yourself, from what I could tell, those guys including myself, supported the Navi in the movie and didn't want this to turn into a liberal vs. conservative thing until some dick (probably you) brought it up, and all they did was defend themselves saying they liked the film. I personally didn't like the movie, but it had nothing to do with party affiliation (as ive stated, if anything the Navi are conservatives because if they were liberal they would have sat there like pussies and let themselves be killed) My dislike for the film came from merely the fact that it was a less than thrilling epic, one that seemed 90% cliche, 10% blurry 3D. Again, it had absolutely nothing to do with politics, and when i stated that before, you somehow managed to ignore that entire message and still suggest it was otherwise. You're the one on the full on offensive side, the other conservatives merely tried to defend themselves and you flipped out at them. Maybe you think conservatives just support any war but we dont. We support wars of freedom, and wars of defense, wars like the Navi fought in this film.

This movie was a bitter disapointment. It was hyped as the greatest movie of all time, and clearly it was not. The special effects were great, and it was the best use yet of 3D, but the storyline has been used so many times before that I quickly became bored with it. Not worth the money, not worth the effort and not up to the hype.

no need for HALO Movie anymore....

just came back from my second viewing...great movie

No movie that took 10 years to make should have ANY plotholes. WHAT THE FUCK.

This movie was beyond epic. Screw Star Wars. (Can't wait to get feedback on this statement) A whole new planet, new species, awesome airships and weapons, ridiculously cool animals, and a badass villian. Stephen Lang is one of the most badass villians ever. Running out without a mask, punching a cripple(lol), running around calmly while his arm is on fire, and that thing with the knife in his machine's "boot" was awesome. It was the most beautiful movie I have ever seen. Not my favorite movie ever but damn near the top. Gladiator is my fav BTW. Can't wait for a sequel.

Technically very, very clever (I'm reluctant to declare anything beyond that...) the story appears to be a cliched amalgam of a number of themes, but that does not make them any less relevant. The whole "humanity takes what it wants & damn the consequences" is more than applicable, and certainly true. As heavy handed as it my be at times, the message rings true.

Come on people stop sucking JC's sack. This movie was complete crap! The story was bad the first 100 times it was told and it stinks even in space. Some how in a world where Navy Seals get court marshaled for punching a terrorist in the face humans of the future can murder thousands of aliens without any problem? Heck I cant even curse at my corporate job but in JC world anyone looking to make a profit is burning down alien houses? I get it humans are all bad, evil and incapable of being good unless we decide to see things from the hippie point of view. Visually pretty amazing, I could only tell half the time I was watching a cartoon. I watched Ben Hur this weekend and saw the chariot race seen....please Hollywood bring back live action.

Hey AL! Go FUck yourself. You being a self proclaimed Conservative.....YOUR an IDIOT! Typical right winger. If you hated it, you just don't get it, or how ground breaking it is. YOU don't get the tech so do us all a favor.....shut the fuck uP!

#227: lol. Bad story? That's funny considering was a *TRUE* story the first 100 times it was told too. The white man goes to Africa, calls them monkeys, destroys their home and culture, demeans their beliefs, take what they want and leave. Look it up, it happened. Right here on earth and nobody did anything about it, how could they do something about it in space. Oh, and fuck Ben-Hur.

Loved it. I wrote an Avatar review here: http://gutsspill.blogspot.com/ In a nutshell, fuck yes. and more.

I don't know what it was about this movie...I can't say the story was amazing; I can't say it was just an FX spectacle --- I really don't know. All I know is that it pulled at something inside me...there are so few movies that have ever done that for me. Does it matter why? Maybe it's the sheer wonder of it all...maybe it's Netyri's eyes...maybe it's the ethereal blue water, the pulsing glow of the forest floor...I have no idea and for the first time I walked out of the theater not caring.

It was definitely a spectacle. The visuals were incredible, the story was sorely lacking. it's a shame that such innovation was wasted on a mediocre story. you can tell that cameron wanted this to be his Star Wars or LOTR, but the cliched action especially in the 2nd half of the film took me right out of the movie. and seriously, why do aliens always have to be just like humans, accept with different skin color and greater abilities? why did they have to act just like tribal clans? so unoriginal and unimaginative.

Liked it lots. Two thumbs up. Fx were stellar. 3D was distracting and I think had a negative impact on my less than stellar overall score of 8/10.

The lauding this movie is receiving is way beyond unnecessary, yes, it was a visually engaging movie and the Na'vi civilization was very well thought out. But the story? Severely lacking. And for those that compare it to Star Wars; I suggest you go watch the original trilogy again, you've been duped if you think this is even close to what Star Wars will ever do for cinematographic storytelling. Overall this movie was like a sunset, pretty but predictable.

@dee what flashbacks? Are we talking about the same movie?

I saw it twice in cinemas in 24hrs last weekend and cant wait to see it again next this week Cameron is genuine artist

The scenes on Pandora at night were, for lack of a better word, BREATHTAKING! I didn't get to experience this in 3d the first time around, but my best friend is going to take me to see it again, this time in IMAX. I can hardly wait. My heart was in my throat the whole time..... Tree of Souls..... so many moving scenes. The symbiotic relationship between all the living creatures on Pandora was such a mystical idea. I loved every minute of it. I'm glad that Cameron waited until now to make this...... Someone said trilogy???? OMG that would be amazing. Bravo Avatar.

meets the matrix too. (forgot to add that)

Please everyone, shut the FUCK up about Dances w/wolves! It's one of my all time favorites, but you guys act like it was the first movie ever, that had an outsider fight with,then get accepted byAliens,Indians, etc. All of the complaints regarding the script are pointless.(i.e. cliched,heard it before.) If you are going to see a movie that has been touting it's Special effects for three years. Don't be upset or complain that it's not the greatest script of all time!!! did you really go to THIS movie thinking you would be blown away by the fucking DIALOG?? This was written by the guy who wrote "Titantic" one of the worst scripts ever! If you want to be jerked off by words and have your heart strings tugged, don't see a special effects-laden event movie. Go read a fuckin book! Avatar was a awesome movie. I kept all it's promises(giving your eyes a boner) and was truly an Experience.

Fantastic experience. Loved it. WOW!

I never get out to movies and I've seen this twice. I felt like this was what people watching Star Wars must've felt like. There was no way to prepare myself for the world that was created. While it isn't going to be my favorite movie I've ever seen it might be the best film I've seen. Not a Cameron fan at all and yes the story is nothing new, but the script was well written and the actors were top notch. In no way do I see the "dances with smurfs" thing that people keep talking about. Both movies have guys that enter into another group that is unlike themselves, but that's it. After that, the reasons for why they are in that position are completely different. I never would've put those movies together without all the doubters and haters saying that. That sort of close mindedness is going to make them miss a movie of a lifetime that should be experienced on the big screen and in 3D.

IT WAS SO AWESOME. Gosh. I've seen it twice and I can't wait to see it 3D. I'm going to own this movie and watch it once a week. It's definitely one of those movies I wish was real. I want to be a Na'vi!!!!!!

Avatar is probably the best looking movie ever. And they did an excellent job with blending CGI characters with their human actors, seamless. The story is good. Not as good as Shakespeare, and not as bad as Michael Bay. Very enjoyable to watch, and the 3D is totally immersive.

I find the Dances with Wolves comparison comical. Did Kevin Costner fly across the galaxy? Did he have a twin brother who died? Did he get to download himself into an Avatar body which was basically an alien/human hybrid? Did he get to explore a jungle with animals the size of dinosaurs? Did he fall in love with an alien who taught him how to "bond" with animals and fly around? Was he 10 feet tall with carbon fiber reinforced bones? Was their a group of scientists helping him? Was their a colonel trying to blow up the village with aircraft? Did Costner get to talk to trees and the dead? Need I go on? Oh that's right. The two movies are really nothing alike when you think about it. Sort of like how Star Wars is similar to Greek mythology when you remove every plot point and reduce it down to a vastly oversimplified premise. Dances with Wolves is about a man in the middle of nowhere who out of boredom begins to interact with his neighbors. There is no antagonist in the movie other than the other Native Americans who attack them AND the looming presence of history where we know that eventually the white man will come. The finale consists of like 8 Native Americans fighting 8 soldiers. Wow...now that I think of it, it sounds exactly like the MASSIVE battle at the end of avatar that involved 2000 thousand Navi and 10,000 animals. Seriously...the Dances with Wolves meme was strained even before the movie came out. Now it's the official motto of the Avatar Trolls who hated the movie before it ever came out and refuse to admit they were wrong. Read more: http://www.firstshowing.net/2009/12/18/sound-off-james-camerons-avatar-what-did-you-think/#comment-212091#ixzz0avVV2CMS

#262 That's exactly how the movie ends....the last shot is of him opening his Avatar's eyes. Did you zone out or blink?

this movie is what all the other 250 reviewers said and all that but im afraid i sat next to a very odd fat guy in the cinemas who fell asleep and started snoring like thunder. i couldnt hear a ****ing thing! lol!

If there's anything I can't stand, it's people receiving praise who don't deserve it. It's this sort of thing that, for instance, turns my distaste for Dane Cook into a hatred for Dane Cook. Right now I've got this same thing going on with Avatar. What this film tells me is that if a studio is able to spit out enough cash to make a film visually stunning, then the film will succeed. People will ignore the screenplay in the presence of pretty graphics. I assure you, if this film were made with the graphics of a movie like Delgo, everyone would be condemning it for it's shit story-line. The visuals create a convenient distraction from the bad dialogue and predictable outcomes. There is nothing to love about Avatar BUT the visuals. The visuals are stunning, there's no argument there, but the screenplay is the most dull, predictable, corny thing I've seen all year. (Trying not to give away spoilers) At the end, the death of a main character is met by the audience with apathy. The scene looks built as though to be touching, but nobody gives a crap. I know I didn't. All the characters are flat as paper and a five year old could have predicted how the movie would end. To me, it just seems that people are all placing way too much weight on the visuals, but great visuals don't make a great movie. I know wants another great iconic movie to praise, because there hasn't been any such film in a looooong time; but let's think a little before saying things like "Cameron is God." I mean really... I can't stand hearing this constant bombardment of undeserved acclaim and it certainly doesn't help that Cameron is a pompous asshole. If you've seen any interview with him, it's quite plain to see just how much he loves himself. To me, Avatar is yet another example of America's shallow nature when it comes to watching movies.

Well, to be fair, the effects were great - not exactly ground-breaking; Davy Jones in 'At World's End' was just as convincing as the Na'vi and passed by somewhat unnoticed in comparison. Though the effects were well-done, it was still obvious throughout that they were CGI, and by no means photorealistic. Obviously incredibly directed by James Cameron - that's to be expected - but not really the BEST FILM EVER like everyone seems to be saying. More an overhyped, mega-budget film with a good director and an average script...*cough* Dark Knight *cough* It has to be noted that Zoe Saldana's performance was hilariously weak: surprising considering how good she was in 'Star Trek'. A weeping woman should not make people laugh, but Netiri's grief at her father's death sent everyone in the theatre into hysterics. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ignoring the effects, as a film, it's probably an 7/10 for me. Jimmy's done much better.

#269 The more I read your post the more issues I find with it. There were tons of scenes that were photorealistic. If you're expecting every frame to be photorealistic then I'd say you're being hopelessly unrealistic. Zoe Saldana was amazing as Nytiri. Another strong female character in a Cameron movie. She was easily every bit as heroic as Jake. Beautifully rendered and well acted. And spare us the "sent everyone in the theatre into hysterics". I've seen the movie 5 times at different theaters with different people and not a peep from the crowd. Why is it when ever anyone dislikes a movie they always LIE about the crowd so as to reinforce their opinion. I'm so sure the entire crowd laughed at just your showing. Trolls try so hard but still fail epicly.

Yes, the story was trite, but so what? Star Wars New Hope was the same way: all the characters were common archetypes, the acting was somewhat shoddy, and the basic framework of its plot (The Hero's journey) was 3000 years old. Yet, it was still cinematically groundbreaking, people loved it, and Lucas eventually made two sequels that gave the story much more originality, earning the films recognition as some of the greatest in history. Perhaps we just have to wait for Avatar's sequels for the same to happen to it. There could even be an entire expanded universe for Avatar, who knows? Meanwhile, I can't wait for the age when all movies have graphics as awesome as this one.

I agree with the statement in # 223, "Screw Star Wars". This movie kicks Star Wars' ass. I hate how people feel that they can just compare other movies to the "original" trilogy only and disregard the pure shit that was the prequels and crappy video game stories(I'm looking at you The Force Unleashed). You can't ignore any of the movies that take place in the Star Wars universe because they were all written by the same man. I would see someone's point if the prequels were written by someone else but they weren't. You have to look at all the Star Wars movies as a whole and as the good as the original trilogy was the prequels, the clone wars series, and video games brought the quality of the series down. Overall the Star Wars series is mediocre. So far all Avatar has is one great movie so its track record is a hell of alot better than Star Wars'. That's not to say James Cameron could drag it all to hell in the future, but its James Cameron so I really doubt that. I have a hell of a lot more faith in James Cameron than George Lucas.

"This movie kicks Star Wars' ass" BWHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHHHAHAHHAHAHAHAHHAhahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha... oh..thats classic!!!!!!!!!!!!! man..how old are you? you sound like an elementary school aged kid, "SPONGEBOB IS BETTER THAN iCARLY!!!" hahahah... While I REALLY enjoyed Avatar, I was at both for OPENING DAY!! I saw "A New Hope" in the theater in 1977 and I Saw Avatar I in 2009, I can tell you the level of being blown away was quite different and something YOU CANT UNDERSTAND and WOULDNT BE ABLE TO UNDERSTAND because what SW has changed is all around you and is an integrated part of our culture psyche! James Cameron is a great visual artist, he's a great conceptual artist, he has great ideas..but his storytelling has NEVER been his strong suit!!! Avatar for me, was a great immersive experience in a new environment using new technologies for the movie goer. I didnt mind that it had a simple storyline that never challenged me..it never had me guessing or worrying about any of the characters but that was the trade off for me..as long as there was something for me to experience outside of my usual then it worked and quite well at that!

people, Mech suits, armor suits, AMP units, mecha, exo skeletons, etc.. have been around in stories WAY BEFORE TRANSFORMERS, this and Aliens etc..Robotech had them and so have a million other comics, videos and games!!! Why do people keep talking like this is where they were invented and shouldnt be used anywhere else?? and that tech that JC is so GRACIOUSLY sharing with others WOULDNT EXIST without the likes of LUCAS and SPIELBERG!!! and yes, even Jackson advanced the tech for his own means so why do you all act like cameron had a dream one day, woke up and created special affects? thats like saying Lucas invented FX or something like that, they all advance the form forward in their own way! sheesshhhh

the story might have its cliches and there is more than you can count on your fingers. this film tho was the most entertaining film i have seen in a long time. it really is the most visually stunning film i think i have seen of all time. i dont really care for james cameron,but this movie really is amazing and worth seeing.

#282 LOL!!! Wait, did you just compare ONE movie to an entire franchise? That Womans right, you are a dumbass!! Hate to break it to you junior but THE ENTIRE FRANCHISE still books theme parks for annual celebration days, enjoys celebration events that last all year (per film: New hope anniversary, empire anniversaries, etc), has been pumping out collectible toys consistently for over 33 years and is constantly expanding its titles (clone wars series and upcoming Live Action TV series) not to mention has an immensly strong presence in EVERY MEDIA, tv, movies, video games, novels, art books, comic books, etc..Oh and within that, happens to tell a pretty involved and twisting storyline that continues to unfold! "what SW has changed is all around you and is an integrated part of our culture psyche!" this is absolutely TRUE!! its like Citizen Kane, you may not like it, but its advances and contributions to film are undeniable and part of everything you see nowadays! now, I do think some of the tech he's created for this film will serve that same purpose! JC has contributed to the expansion of film tech for production, absolutely! JOKES ON YOU! American Graffiti, THX1138, A New Hope, Empire Strikes Back, Return of the Jedi, Attack of the Clones, Revenge of the SIth, (Director) Raiders of the Lost Ark, Temple of Doom, Last Crusade, Young Indiana Jones Chronicles (WRITER, Producer) Not to mention the TONS of amazing movies he has executively produced (Including work by AKIRA KUROSAWA!) thats what makes me KNOW Lucas is a better storyteller than Cameron!! I dont know about replicant girl, but I enjoyed Avatar very much, infact Id like to see it again.. but young man, avatar is no star wars and as you can see, you cant compare one movie to a 30+ year old franchise! Look at the joke that was the matrix trilogy! kids foamed at the mouth talking about how it was gonna take star wars out! lol... let avatar be avatar, time will decide what is what..

# 283- Bill Williams You guys still dont understand what I am saying. I dont care what has more toys. Who gives a shit about that? I don't care that they are gonna make Dawson's Creek with Boba Fett and Jedi. No serious Star Wars fan likes the Clone Wars series. Oh God they have theme park days. All the existence of Star Wars Weekends proves is that Lucas is a better at taking advantage of little kids and people that refuse to grow up than Cameron. Nothing more. Yes I am comparing one movie to an entire series. The quality of all the Star Wars MOVIES put together is lower than the quality of Avatar. If you could put an average number on series quality( and no, not how much money it made or Rotten Tomatoes bullshit ), Star Wars gets pulled down by lackluster prequels even if you consider the original trilogy perfect. As of now Avatar only has one good movie without anything dragging it down. As I said before that could all change. Listing a bunch of good movies made by one person doesnt automatically make them a better storyteller than another. First off Lucas has been in the business longer so of course hes got a longer list, but you can't tell me Cameron doesn't have a list of his own. And once again quantity does not equal quality. I'm not saying Avatar is gonna "take Star Wars out". Thats impossible. That's the same as saying we are gonna switch from oil to 100% solar power overnight. It can't be done because the oil companies have a monopoly over the energy industry like Lucas and all of his companies have a monopoly over the entertainment industry. Calling someone you don't know a dumbass isn't justified by the fact that they have a different opinion than you. Especially when they give sound reasoning that led them to their conclusion. If Anyone is the dumbass its you because its pretty obvious that you didnt read any of my other posts all the way through before you started writing your little retaliation. Your whole section:[""what SW has changed is all around you and is an integrated part of our culture psyche!" this is absolutely TRUE!! its like Citizen Kane, you may not like it, but its advances and contributions to film are undeniable and part of everything you see nowadays!"] is pointless because I said it was true in my last post. You're just repeating what everyone else has already said. By the way Lucas didn't even direct The Empire Strikes Back or Return of the Jedi. Look it up.

Avatar was the greatest movie I've seen in the last few years. It was a brilliant film with unbelievable visuals and effects.The film was beyond my imagination and I felt part of the film when I saw it. Avatar is probably movie of the decade. James Cameron proves to be a genius once again, and in my opinion Avatar was his best film he ever directed. There was a lot that was left out of the movie that fans are aching to find out, Cameron wouldn't end a movie like that unless he plans on making a sequel.

Quite possibly the most beautifuly worked and inspiring movies of our time. It's the perfect balance of action and romance, the experience keeps you in your seat at all times begging for more. 20 out of 10, James Cameron pulled off a work of pure genius. Cudos my friend.

My God people. Stop over thinking the movie. It was a great story. Told before but who cares? I actually had a tear in my eye a few times during the movie. Fantastic job with the visuals and the creation of the world, the animals, vehicle and everything else. My wife and I both thoroughly enjoyed this movie. Saw it in 3D but not IMax. Would like to see it again. The time went so fast. We were both completely involved in the movie. Not a dull moment as far as I am concerned. Great job, Mr. Cameron. Wish you the greatest of success with this movie. Keep up the great work.

This film was the same story of how white people invaded other people's space and ruined it. It's this sick mentality that spawned racism. Yes the movie was beautiful but you cannot mask this evil Eurocentric storyline. Oh yea, let's conquer the "savages" with guns and run them out of their land. Pandora was clearly the "Motherland/Africa" for those that read. All native people are connected to their respective land, it is the way of the world. Dumb ass Amerikkkan ways ruins everything by saying that it is okay for you to take what isn't yours. Amerikkkan's all need serious mental help if you think that this film's story was good. Just more white supremacist propaganda.

For a director withholding a thick script for 12 years, collecting dust and finally made the film, and NOW it's here, i can say is..... This was an Extraordinarily Awesome film, especially for a PG-13 film for a moment i thought it would be a rated R film, due to the violent and brief nudity content, not to mention a little brief "sex scene" which i'd rolled my eyes in the back of my head thinkin' damn can i watch a film without seeing a couple, or love scene get "bucket nekkid?!" lol (hell reality is never like that, but that's a whole 'nutha story) ;P Overall, there were some (little) tear-jerkin scenes (dayum allergies!) lol but, Best believe i am ready to have this film in my movie collection. Now i do not have a PS3, nor a blu-ray player, i have an ordinary DVD player, (100% of my movie collections are DVDs).... but FOR THIS MOVIE AVATAR!! I WILL MAKE THIS AN EXCEPTION!!! James Cameron's Avatar....I love this film! YESS SUR!!!

All the haters on this site who said the movie wouldn't make any money were wrong. Too bad they don't have the balls to actually show themselves and ADMIT they were wrong. Avatar is already number 4 on the top grossing movies ever. Haters were wrong.........again.

read #25 and #95. His review is so accurate! And hey am I the only one who wants to bang Neytiri? C'mon fellas, doesnt she have a great ass?

The haters obviously didnt see the movie in IMax, or they just wants to get some attention online. The movie didnt have the greatest plot, nor the best fight scenes, nor the most original ideas. But the combination of the glowing colors, the 3D efx, the IMAX experience, the lovem or hatem characters, the tempurpedic seats, the 2hour40minute movie length, the storyline, the hype, etc.. the combination blew me the FCUK away!! NOBODY who's seen this movie in Imax can say it's bad. Its either good, or breathtaking. If you can keep in mind that this was written over 10 years ago, then can forgive the dejavu plot. I understand when everyone is singing praises for anything in life there has to be at least one person who feels the total opposite. That person is usually referred to as a hater. The best advice I can give anyone who has not yet seen it is to check it out in Imax, and judge for yourself. Worse case scenario, you spend a few dollars. Take your girl or guy, and even the kids to see it, and they'll definitely remember this day for years to come. I'm a real dude, and I'm not easily impressed. But I left this movie experience feeling like I WAS actually on another planet. It kinda made me feel like a kid again. Like beating Mario Brothers for the first time, but actually being Mario. Like that feeling after watching the original Star Wars, E.T., & The Dark Crystal. When the movie ended and you're walking out with your parents, you keep looking back at the screen to see if something more is going to happen with the look of hope in your eyes. Then you go home and have one of those fantasy type dreams about it... well that's the closest way to describe my experience. Lets just say, for the sake of delusional haters, the #'s are inflated, by 100%, it would still show that this movie is selling better than anything else right now, and that has to account for something. BTW you can take the kids to this one. Its not rated R. This movie obviously has to have a sequel in the future. Now is the time for James Cameron to be reading reviews, and seriously taking viewers advice. I would suggest more sexy female characters Michelle Rodriguez is a lesbian (no problem with that, just kills any ideas), Sigourney Weaver is an Oscar worthy actress (but she's like 60). The blue alien chic Ney'tiri was pretty much it. ps. a nice ass looks so much nicer in 3D There should also be more aliens and humans on screen at the same time, not just in their respective environments. More human to alien combat scenes to show the size and strength advantage of the aliens. Much deeper story line, more creatures, space ships, weapons, etc.. but I'm sure all that and then some will be added to the sequel/prequel some day. I would also look into deep color if it hasnt already been used in this film, and the next gen 1600p resolution. Also when the DVD releases, PLEASE get the 3D effect right, and give Blueray owners some ground breaking special effects to show off our expensize tv's capabilities.

Cameron's Leaving his Mark in Movie film history. Period! The guy knows how to make blockbuster Movies! And Takes his time making memorable films instead of cashing paychecks every week. Bravo!

3-D t.v wonderings... I wonder how they will do the DVD? Will it even come out for home use before 3-D t.v manages to make it across the Oceans to the United States... Many counties the Europian Union and other techie nations already have 3-D t.vs on the market for home use. Again the U.S.A market is dragging behind the times. darn. Even the 3-D advertisements look cool over there. They are expencive but, this is a very cool 3.D movie and I wonder what they can do for those of who don't have 3D t.v's stitting on the T.V stand at home. Will it even look like the awesome film we all just saw in the Theaters? Will the movie package come with those big black glasses? Still wondering.

Really enjoyed Avatar, thought it was an hour too short. The 3d and sfx apart the acting is not its greatest strength. Stephen Lang's character is so tedious and one dimensional The plot is not very original the dialogue is aimed at a "certain age group" which means a great many adult themes are bypassed. Still will look forward to the next one as it is undeniably entertaining. Will still await THE film of 2010: Robin Hood, in 3d or not.

The long rich decades stale Cameron is obviously laying cover for his 'fave' creditors -and mass market wet-dream ---across the Pacific. -You know the place ---where they murdered 70 million people ---in 'peacetime' ---for 'progress'. Anyway ---SEE AVATAR ---and support the direct heirs of the most awesomely genocidal monsters of ALLLLL time. ---------cool

I loved Avatar. As others have said, it brought back a childhood sense of wonder and I am old and cynical enough to make that a very hard thing to do. I didn't care that the story line was predictable. I knew exactly what was going to happen and enjoyed watching it when it did. As a response to 277. How old were you when you saw Star Wars? I'm guessing in your teens at the most. Don't you think that someone seeing Avatar at the age you were when you saw Star Wars might feel the same way about Avatar. I sure would. And yes, I saw Star Wars first run way back when. As an aside. These are the current top 10 grossing movies of all time 1 Titanic 2 Avatar 3 The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King 4 Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest 5 The Dark Knight 6 Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone 7 Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End 8 Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix 9 Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince 10 The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers How many of these movies relied more on visual spectacle than an original, unpredictable plot with brilliant dialog... Studios aren't going to shell out hundreds of millions of dollars to produce a movie that appeals to a small group of (pseudo) intellectuals who place plot and dialog above all else. Movies are a visual medium. Want great plot and dialog, read a book. Interesting to note that almost every movie in the list falls into the sci-fi/fantasy/comic-book category which is generally considered a niche market for geeks. Must be a lot of closet geeks out there.

"but I cant buy that "less plot, less dialogue, more eye candy = a better movie!" I understand what you are saying but that is not my point. "Better" is a subjective term and determined by each person's check list of what makes a movie worth watching for him or her. My point is that, in concrete terms of box office dollars, all the films in the top 10 list have "less plot, less dialogue, more eye candy". Studios know this. They aren't going to green light an expensive production if it doesn't have mass appeal. I'm not saying that movies should place visuals above plot or that one type of movie is better than another. I'm saying don't be surprised if you never see a production that is both visual spectacle (i.e. expensive to make) and contains plot and dialog that's not "dumbed down" by your standards. "Please dont tell christopher nolan that! dont tell copola that either, dont tell scorcese, dont tell Tarantino, dont tell….the millions of creatives out there disgusted by the dumbing down of america or the people out of high school who demand more from media than to be entertained!" There are lots of movies that meet your criteria for people "who demand more from media than to be entertained!" The problem is that these movies are relegated to film festivals and such because they are not economically viable and cater to a niche market. If there were as many people clamoring for a better grade of movie as you claim, you would think you would see more support for the "better" movies that ARE being made. It's supply and demand; the movie industry will only support what people are willing to pay money to watch. There was an article in the New Yorker about James Cameron and it included a snippet from a rebuttal by Cameron to Kenneth Turan, a critic for the L.A. Times who panned Titanic as "hackneyed" and "derivative" and continued to criticize it despite its success. Here it is: “Poor Kenny. He sees himself as the lone voice crying in the wilderness, righteous but not heeded by the blind and dumb ‘great unwashed’ around him. It must be a great burden to be cursed with such clear vision when your misguided flock bray past you, like lemmings, unmindful.” Well said. Comment 308 also puts it well, if bluntly.

Just apsolutelyAmazing!!!I loved it.Wonder what he could do to top this??as the rumours start of a sequel!!!

While the visuals were amazing the story line bored me to tears. All I could think was when is this going to end!

To me watching Avatar was like watching Starwars eposode IV for the first time.Sure their stories were predictable but the special effect were awesome.For 1977 standards Starwars was groundbreaking in every aspect of movie making except for the story ( its typical good vs evil ).But the people love it.Sometimes the story doesn't have tobe complicated, some time we just need tobe entertain with other aspects of life that was included into the story (like love,good vs evil and nature vs industrialism).And that works for both Starwars and Avatar. I hope in the sequel (if there is one) we get more darker story,more tragedy and more explosions enough for a Trilogy.

The movie was pretty good. The visuals lived up to the hype and I have no complains at all. The story its self was weak. Sorry guys, but we have all heard, seen, read this exact same story before... An arrogant/power hungry corporation gets the military to level a so called savage land to rape its resources. A couple people learn about the culture and try and change things so the "savages" survive. I thought the story of the handicaped marine and the voiceturous scientist were nice political touches, but other than that I was disappointed in the story.

3 words: I LOVE IT. Period.

that great one, i love it =)

If you're over 21 ---and you think 'AVATAR' is anything ---anything at all -you are definitely suffering from an acute case of 'screensaver worship while living at mother's' syndrome. See a doctor ---and don't be taken in by the five times corrupted, long rich, decades soldout Cameron who routinely sucks-up to the direct and unrepentant heirs of the most awesomely genocidal monsters the world has ever seen ---across the Pacific. ( 70 million exterminated in 'peacetime'. FACT ) ---Ahhh! -but then Cameron and Hollywood have been spinning anabling fantasies to cover our own 45 million 'peacetime' exterminations of the unborn for years. ---What's to worry about? ---------------------------------------------------------right.

Was not a great movie and the 3D did give me a headache but it was a very good movie that has reinvented the medium like the Jazz Singer, the first color film and Star Wars did. Whatever happens or whatever the reviews, Avatar will always be remembered as a seminal moment in the history of motion pictures. I am sure that other action directors will make far better dramatic use of the 3D technologoy to blow away the minds of audiences. To Cameron's credit, he used the technology largely to envelop the audience with the world rather than employ cheap gimmicks to shock and awe - gimmicks surely to get overdone in the forthcoming 'Piranhas 3D'. I won't be too excited to see Avatar 2 but what a great movie it would be if Cameron did a modern day action movie like True Lies or Terminator with this technology. Can't wait.

On a technical level I thought it was pretty amazing.

funny how avatar won the PRESS awards but wasnt even nominated for ANY of the SAG awards! Golden Globe is judged by foreign press, basically on what money is made and what mass audiences were "entertained", Whereas SAG is judged by actual screen actors and those involved in every aspect of the production industry, the ones who know what it takes to make great movies...hence amazing eye candy like avatar takes the clueless prize while REAL shit like Inglourious Basterds takes its prize from its peers, not popularity contests!!!

i get my art books from barnes and noble that come or amazon, they have some great discount coupons too "~*