By now, every fanboy on the planet has seen and dissected the new trailer for James Cameron’s AVATAR. The overwhelming consensus is that it looks like a very complex video game, something that Cameron was definitely not looking to accomplish.
While I was underwhelmed by the supposedly “game changing” special effects, which looked disappointingly similar to every other CGI film we have endured over recent summers, I was most disappointed by what I perceived as a startling lack of imagination in the film. Going even further, we could say that filmed science fiction has yet to free itself from the shackles of reality the way novelizations can. In other words, AVATAR continues the lack of imagination found in almost all science fiction films.
There have been very few science fiction films that have given audiences something they have never seen or perceived before. Most science fiction films have been content to simply alter the everyday slightly, thereby creating a sense of futurism. Of all science fiction films, I would say these are the ones that significantly alter reality, perception, or utilize copious amounts of imagination:
1. METROPOLIS
2. 2001: A SPACE ODYESSY
3. STAR WARS
4. BLADE RUNNER
5. THE MATRIX
6. GATTACA
7. ROBOCOP
8. ALIEN
9. THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL (original)
10. TERMINATOR
As you can see, most of these films are considered to be bona fide classics of the genre. And with good reason. All of these films demonstrate vivid imaginations, often coupled with visionary futurism and radical, thought-provoking storylines.
Outside of this small group, most science fiction films come off like KRULL – flashy nonsense, recycled plotting, and cheesy attempts to create another world or time. While some of that is budgetary, films like GATTACA demonstrate that one does not need huge budgets to create a palpable science fiction atmosphere.
With the CGI era, imaginations finally have the possibility to run free, yet science fiction filmmakers seem unwilling or unable to go the extra step and actually make something unique and divorced from reality. Cameron has been trumpeting for three years that AVATAR would be the next step in the evolution of science fiction films, and die-hard science fiction geeks have been salivating at the prospect of a films that could rival novelized science fiction’s power to transport.
Alas, the new trailer for AVATAR reveals yet another example of a science fiction film thinking too small. Despite the huge budget and scope, the film features another race of aliens with eyes, a nose, and a mouth just like humans … they just have blue skin. They also use something that looks exactly like a bow and arrow … weird, isn’t it? Their home planet – light years from Earth – have plants and trees that look strikingly similar to those found on Earth, albeit bigger. Shouldn’t we be able to assume at this point that any aliens we ever encounter will look, sound, and act very different from us?
On the human side, we see humans in wheelchairs far into the future (this might be explained). We also see hovering ships that look suspiciously like the ones found in Pixar’s THE INCREDIBLES, and other ones that look like they were copied and pasted from the STAR WARS prequels. In all, a surprising lack of imagination from a director who claims to be changing the game.
While the new footage looks pretty and painterly, the imagination behind it is sorely lacking. Of all genres, science fiction is meant to transport, engage, and provoke. It is supposed to provide audiences with unique and visionary sights and situations. While the film might be something else entirely, the trailer for AVATAR leaves one feeling that it is merely a collection of impressive CGI effects desperately attempting to distract from the lack of original ideas and concept.
10 Comments
I think all of you critics dont really get it. AVATAR is a game changer – the CGI is stunning – but not every CGI shot is great so far (coz its still a trailer, some scenes are simply unfinished).
Two examples:
This shot of Sam Worthington coming out of the spaceship isnt really convincing…
http://thefilmstage.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/avatartrailer_4.jpg
But this shot is pure and simply brilliant (keep in mind that this is ALL CGI – no single real element):
http://thefilmstage.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/avatartrailer_13.jpg
And this one:
http://thefilmstage.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/avatartrailer_12.jpg
Sooo…there are simply shots that arent finished yet – coz the difference between the scenes of Worthington arriving on Pandora and the mentioned shots of the Na’Vi is way to big. They will definatly improve it.
And I think that some ppl dont really like the design of the Na’Vi – thats also a factor why they are dissapointed.
And plz do not forget that AVATAR will be mind blowing because of its 3D technique that needed several years to develope. You simply have to make the whole experience – you have to watch it in theatres, with 3D glasses. With this you will become part of Camerons world. The world of Pandora. Thats the ultimate goal – to give the audience this whole new experience to explore a totally different and all new world. That doesnt really work in a 90 second 2D trailer with unfinished CGI on your laptop.
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A lil ad-on…a great post Ive found on IMDB.com by user Temsi. Its worth the read:
The cost of CG isn’t the only reason this thing is expensive.
The main reason is the fact that the technology used to make this movie simply did not exist when they started working on it.
First, it took them 10 years to build and perfect the Fusion camera system, which is a digital 3D capture system that “sees” like you and I do – the lenses “move” in sync with the focus, so the 3D convergence plane moves with the focus plane, to simulate how our own eyes behave when we change focus between far away and close up objects.
Then, they built a performance capture system that captures every nuance of an actor’s face, without limiting them to a chair in front of multiple cameras. The capture is done with head gear worn by the actor.
That gear includes cameras and an eye piece.
What’s the eye piece for?
That’s the game changer.
Normally, actors don’t like green-screen because they have nothing to react to, and they can’t play off of the environment – until now.
Through the eye piece, the actor sees the world he’s supposed to be in, when shooting on green screen – and it updates in real time with their movements. Not only that, he sees the actor in front of him, as the CG creature that actor is playing. This is done by using a game engine to do the rendering in real time, fed by the performance capture data and the camera tracking data (all in all an immense amount of data being processed).
Because of the amount of data, and the speed with which everything needs to be processed, the resolution in the real time preview is pretty low (around 320×240) and the quality isn’t all that great (think of the first UnReal Tournament on “low”), but it’s a tremendous help to the actor as they’re given back the characters and the environment to work off of.
The same technology is also used for the camera operator, so instead of just seeing the actor and the green screen, he sees the virtual world and can move the camera as if it was in that virtual world. Basically, he took the virtual camera away from the virtual realm. It’s not controlled by a mouse click, it’s controlled by an actual camera operator – with a real camera.
The camera still records the actor and the green screen like usual, but the real-time preview is what makes it special.
Basically, this is virtual film making with “regular” tools and real people.
In post-production, all of the captured elements are then processed and handled in a way not that different from what they’ve been doing before in CGI, but with the benefit of having real camera movements capturing real actors in a virtual world – and with the real-time preview, a ready made Pre-Viz to work from.
On top of everything, every single thing on Pandora is CG.
Everything from the creatures and characters to the vegetation, grass, leaves, trees, water, bugs and dust. Nothing is “real” – but it’s all photo-real.
This is not your run-of-the-mill CG movie or a typical 3D release.
This is something new entirely. It’s 3D done right (non-intrusive, and not distracting) – this 3D is immersive and adds depth and layers to the story telling.
Do yourself a favor and locate the nearest IMAX theater near you, and then go see the free 15 minute preview on August 21st.
Then, you’ll be waiting anxiously to get your spot in line for the Dec. 18th release. I know I will be.
Eh, while I’ll be the first to say that that trailer was balls, don’t you think it’s a bit early to be dismissing it as an unimaginative failure?! It was a teaser trailer, we dunno how final the CGI in it is, nor have we SEEN THE FINISHED PRODUCT.
A petty article. I expected more from the site.
So that’s what u think from a movie TRAILER….?
What a FAIL article..
Video rider you missed the point completely. The problem with avatar trailer is not that it doesn’t look uber cool enough. That may be solved. The real problem is that it looks like it had a screenplay of a mediecore computer game and is inimaginative in terms of sf vision and pushing the boundries. Films are not computer games, you won’t win people over with only great graphics.
BTW. I wasn’t expecting much from the movie anyway because the first story drafts sounded like a bad game.
Well, my point was that the experience will be the key to the film. And a 2D trailer on a computer monitor simply doenst do any justice to the material.
Anyone putting Star Wars in any top 10 that has nothing to do with the word overrated clearly has no idea what they are talking about. Never seen or perceived before indeed lol.
AVATAR is a Yankywood movie directed by James Cameron so what do expect? Pretty mildly, entertaining, disappointed your one of the seemingly few people who like things to make sense probably. But Certainly not to be surprised by it’s lack of imagination. I’m more shocked that you find it a surprise haven’t you seen that many high budget movies lately or something?
Anyone putting Star Wars in any top 10 that has nothing to do with the word overrated clearly has no idea what they are talking about. Never seen or perceived before indeed lol read a book for goodness sake.
AVATAR is a Yankywood movie directed by James Hollywood Cameron so what do expect? Pretty, mildly entertaining, disappointed if your one of the seemingly few people who like things to make sense, probably.
But Certainly not to be surprised by it’s lack of imagination. I’m more shocked that you find it a surprise, haven’t you seen any high budget movies lately or something?
It’s the lack of humanity. Stories are NOT about aliens, monsters, gelatinous globs, demons, Gods, angels. Stories are about people. HUMANS. Once you remove the people (or completely mask them) the story, no matter how shiny, becomes boring (you just won’t care).
The idea, I believe, was to create a technology that actually made you forget you were watching pixels and make you believe you were watching PEOPLE.
I didn’t get that feeling at all.
While I was watching the trailer, my wife walked up behind me. She asked me if I was watching the commercial for the new World of Warcraft expansion.
But hey… what do I know, right?
Mark
@ parkaboy – Are you trying to tell me that STAR WARS was not an amazing blast of imagination???? Think about it – the film was about talking robots, giant furry creatures, lightsabers, hamburger-shaped spaceships, little creatures with glowing eyes, etc … it had an extensive backstory supporting it. For a summer studio film, it was an amazingly imaginative film.
Personally I think Star wars is hugely overrated in every area. Yeah it was fun as a kid, but turns to crap when given the slightest thought. Its in the same league as Buffy, Dr Who and other pulp Sci Fi and I use the broadest sense of sci fi, which can be fun to watch but really have nothing at all to do with real science fiction.
Putting a urinal in an art gallery was a real act of imagination and that happen 60 years before star wars, so sorry that I’m not impressed with Lucas.