A Brief Review Of The ‘Avatar Day’ Footage

Published on August 22nd, 2009

Yesterday I had the opportunity to watch 15 minutes Avatar as part of a worldwide event to promote the movie. In this case I saw the footage at the Wimbledon Imax (fake Imax for some since it doesn’t have the actual large IMAX screen). The preview opens with a message from the director, James Cameron, giving just a brief description to set up the story, placed in the 22nd century, indicating that the protagonist (see photo above) visits a world called Pandora (which I think was called Gaia in the original script). This is a full 3D movie and it looks spectacular, but no matter how good it is, you can still tell the difference between live action and CGI. The trailer below gives some indication of the look of the movie, but does not actually do justice about how good it is.
There really is no explanation about the plot of the movie, no indication about the reasons for humans being on the planet Pandora, so the footage was light on plot but rich in action.
Any other of our readers had the opportunity to watch the footage?

16 users responded in " A Brief Review Of The ‘Avatar Day’ Footage "

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# 1 jccalhoun said, on August 22nd, 2009 at 5:14 am

I didn’t see the 15 minutes. From what I know of the plot and what I saw in the trailer it looks like Dances With Wolves performed using the Gelfling puppets from the Dark Crystal painted blue.
For an alleged $300 million it looks pretty cheap.

# 2 sierraalphahotel said, on August 22nd, 2009 at 5:50 am

I’d say that earth is in trouble for whatever reason. Need a new planet, but the one they find is full of the jccalhoun’s Gelfings and other, more nefarious muppets.

In order to infiltrate the natives, two GI’s are morphed, transformed, re-engineered to look like the natives so that man kind can bring them down from the inside! A fiendish scheme!

However, the human sleepers become keen on the ways of the Gelfling. Sympathy and relationships form (with possibly some airbrushed alien lovemaking) and the human spies turn on their evil masters.

#1 Basically what you said.

# 3 Marc said, on August 22nd, 2009 at 6:30 am

This could be James Cameron’s “Chinese Democracy”.

Long overdue and way overhyped ‘epic’ and in the end a big flop.

Sorry but this kind of story/ concept is so overdone and generic/ cheesy.

Evil humans invade lovely place and fight the natives. Evil human (steps into the role of a native) falls in love with native girl and refuses to go back to his own people and helps the poor natives to save their beautiful place.

Besides it looks like Delgo with budget.

I really didn’t wanna see Pocahontas made by James Cameron.

The art design direction is awful. The 3D is way overhyped and doesn’t look really photoreal.

Somebody tell James to go back doing documentary films again, seems like he’s been away for a little too long.

# 4 Jason said, on August 22nd, 2009 at 6:59 am

I always wanted to see a movie about the Night Elves in World of Warcraft.

# 5 jccalhoun said, on August 22nd, 2009 at 7:59 am

I will probably go see it unless it gets just terrible reviews — on second thought terrible reviews would probably make me want to go see the train wreck.

# 6 deowll said, on August 22nd, 2009 at 8:08 am

The movie should be fun for at least some.

I fear that going to the stars may in fact be in the far future if in our future at all. The problems keep growing and the tech looks less promising nor does our social system seem to offer much promise of having what it takes to support such an effort.

On the other hand a full sensory suit and a virtual wold that real is just about possible.

If you can make the right mental connections you may not need the suit. Something like a helmet might suffice with the body in a dream state.

# 7 chuck said, on August 22nd, 2009 at 9:48 am

I’d guess the plot is something like:
Evil humans try to use their technology to hurt the pure blue people. But the blue people are in touch with nature, so they eventually show us the error of our ways.

On the way out of the theater we all sing Cum-by-yah, then go to Wal-mart and buy the action figures made in China.

# 8 chuck said, on August 22nd, 2009 at 9:49 am

And, if you didn’t see it, here’s the plot to James Cameron’s The Abyss:

Evil surface dwellers try to use their technology to hurt the pure ocean people. But the ocean people are in touch with nature, so they eventually show us the error of our ways.

# 9 Angel H. Wong said, on August 22nd, 2009 at 11:31 am

I think James Cameron is doing some money laundering with this movie.

# 10 sargasso said, on August 22nd, 2009 at 12:59 pm

I understand that it is basically a colonization story, like “The New World”.

# 11 Zybch said, on August 22nd, 2009 at 2:49 pm

Cameron hasn’t made anything worthwhile since T2.
Also the $300m pricetag is a crock. He owns Digital Domain and thus just pays the artists a salary, in much the same way as Lucas did with the star wars prequels and Peter Jackson with LotR.
Now if he actually had to go out and get bids for the work from other companies (ILM, Weta etc) then the cost would have been high, but he got it for pennies compared to what most other filmmakers would have to pay.

# 12 Badcam said, on August 22nd, 2009 at 10:52 pm

“There really is not explanation”.

I suppose proof-reading is out of the question.

# 13 dexton7 said, on August 23rd, 2009 at 1:29 am

I watched this trailer and this is what I got out of it… see if I missed anything:

Space marines go to alien world. The humans seem to comprise mostly of men.

The space marines have lots of cool technology. Hell, they even have Mechs!

The space marines are growing night elves in big fish tanks on their space ship.

Then a few space marines download into the night elf bodies and thinks that it’s pretty cool! Hey look at me!

The space marine night elves go down to the planet to say hi – and every single animal seems to think that they are tasty blueberry snacks.

A native night elf female thinks that one of the space marine night elves is hot, gives him the ‘F me look’ and then saves him. She then introduces him to some of her buddies in her tribe. Then she shows him some the cool aspects of the planet and maybe even how NOT to get eaten like a blueberry pop-tart.

The other space marines get jealous because they are not getting any night elf female lovin. So instead of downloading into their very own night elf bodies and going planet side for some fun – they decide to go to war with the ENTIRE planet like a bunch of douches.

The tribe of night elves don’t like the humans trashing their planet like a bunch of tequila drunk sailors, so they get a little upset. Then the tribes of native night elves fly on dragons to fight the sexually frustrated, party crashing, douchy space marines.

Then everyone fighting either gets really tired and takes a break – or are dead. The night elf space marine thinks that his human buddies are real a-holes for trying to ruin a good thing… and thus decides its a good time as any to ‘get it on’ with his new blue girlfriend. Sure why not.

OK James Cameron, I guess I’ll watch it.

# 14 Improbus said, on August 23rd, 2009 at 3:16 pm

I will have to see it. RESISTANCE IS FUTILE!

# 15 tomhome said, on August 23rd, 2009 at 4:14 pm

@ zybch

Cameron doesnt own DD, Michael Bay does. And DD isn’t doing the effects for Avatar, Weta is.

# 16 JP626 said, on August 23rd, 2009 at 4:15 pm

@ zybch

Cameron doesnt own DD, Michael Bay does. And DD isn’t doing the effects for Avatar, Weta is.

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