Thursday, December 10, 2009

I Guess They Got It Done

The Boston Herald reports:

...At [Avatar's] world premiere last night at London’s Leicester Square Empire Theater ... the crowd laughed at the jokes, applauded briefly for an action sequence and gave a thunderous, prolonged ovation at the end ...

“You’ve seen the footage before, but it doesn’t prepare you for what he’s done.”...

I haven't been overwhelmed by the Avatar trailer, and Sherlock Holmes has been garnering more interest in recent tracking polls. And now the Associated Press says:

Effects Wow But Story Limps ...

James Cameron's 3-D "Avatar" has all the smack of a Film Not To Miss — a movie whose effects are clearly revolutionary, a spectacle that millions will find adventure in. But it nevertheless feels unsatisfying and somehow lacks the pulse of a truly alive film ...

So is Avatar going to swallow TP&TF whole? I tend to think not.

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

wow, 19 exceedingly positive reviews on rotten tomatoes, including from variety, and most of the london press, and you post the negative AP review.

happy holidays!

Steve Hulett said...

wow, 19 exceedingly positive reviews on rotten tomatoes, including from variety, and most of the london press, and you post the negative AP review.


Gee, Anon. The top two positive reviews on RT say:

As visual spectacle, Avatar is indelible, but as a movie it all but evaporates as you watch it ...
(Entertainment Weekly)


and ...

AVATAR is not the kick-ass, mind-blowing James Cameron movie I was hoping for, but it's a perfectly serviceable sci-fi adventure that's well worth seeing ... (Jo Blo's Movie Emporium)

These are ranked positive by Rotten Tomatoes. Avatar has a 90% favorable review from RT. Not too bad. But several site the under-powered script.

And a Happy New year to you.

Steve Hulett said...

Ahm ... or should I say "cite?"

Justin said...

Unfortunately a movie doesn't have to get good reviews in order to make big bucks at the BO and swallow another movie. Just look at the Twilight franchise.

Anonymous said...

I guess this is the big budget version of 'Battle for Terra' or 'Diego' floating landscapes on steroids? cough up your 15.00 plus for imax 3D tickets for an overload of eye candy. Not expecting much storytelling from Cameron. I hope i am wrong and their actually is at least decent dialogue.

Anonymous said...

I saw the film last week in London.

It is the world's best (and longest) theme park ride. Don't go in expecting too much story/character wise. It makes Titanic look like Shakespeare from a stoy point of view.

But it is a LOT of visceral fun. Even if it does look like an expensive Thomas Kinkade painting in 3D.

Anonymous said...

91% on Rotten Tomatoes? It does seem like everyone is saying the same thing: Amazing to look at, lame story.

Eh, that'll earn my money I suppose.

Id love to hear from people who worked on it how much of it is animated vs performance capture...

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