After a tirade of technical issues which blighted what should have been the pain-free debut of Avatar, the last big movie spectacle of the decade and James Cameron’s first feature film since Titanic, you can finally watch the trailer hitch free. But honestly, you are set for dissapointment. It’s available at Apple or HERE and HERE. Just remember you can’t ever go back from this moment. You will forever think of Avatar the way this trailer depicts it. Good luck!
You may have to forgive me for being a little harsh on Jim but for months on end he has been using phrases such as “game-changer”, “cutting edge” and the “future of film-making” when referring to Avatar but really, it just ain’t all that, is it? Based on this evidence it’s not going to radically change anything when it opens on Dec. 18th.
Sure, Avatar looks (and remember that’s mostly all we have to go on here because the trailer contains only one line of dialogue and no explanation of the plot/world we are witnessing) to me like I will get my money’s worth and compared to the rest of what Hollywood is spending money on these days it looks like a fine effort but when Cameron has gone on and ON and ON and ON about this new age of “photorealism”; when it finally came down to showing his cards, he just didn’t have a big hand.
At the moment, he wins but only because we folded way early and all believed he was about to deliver the second coming.
Avatar looks like an excellent video game cutscene with an impressive cartoon character or two but it’s not like the first time I really believed dinosaurs could exist (Jurassic Park), or the feeling that Lord of the Rings gave me when I first saw footage, that maybe – just maybe, their could be something out there which would rival Star Wars.
Of course those are high expectations but when Cameron has been acting the way he has been for the past three years, what did he really expect from us?
The problem with Avatar is it just doesn’t look believable enough to suspend disbelief and get caught up in this world. I’m not going to argue the fact that it looks a marked improvement from the Jar Jar Binks CGI days of old Lucasfilm but honestly, I don’t know if it’s enough to justify it’s hype. When it works – yeah it works. But the larger you watch this trailer (seriously, widen that trailer out to fit your WHOLE screen), it still looks like CGI. Good CGI but CGI nevertheless.
I’m not dismissing this project, I just think Cameron has made us expect the world and maybe he could never deliver on it?
The trailer is also a big eye-opener coming out during the first week of release of District 9 which more smartly used CGI to make aliens believable in the world we exist. District 9, made for a blockbuster less by a first time commercials director, hits the sweet spot that I’m not sure Avatar delivers so far.
I would love to hear you thoughts on the Avatar trailer…
6 Comments
This could be huger than Titanic. I understand your apprehensions, but be aware that this film was meant to be seen on a big cinema screen, not on a computer monitor. Looking forward to it.
I lvoe the footage. But i think that one of the problems here is the resolution. You have to see the trailer in cinemas – and in 3D. Thats a whole different experience – and, one problem, we all know what CGI is. We know the aliens and the entire world isnt real. So its pretty tough to convience our brain that it looks real – evene if its the best CGI in the world. I trust Jim Cameron, he never disappointed me and I am huge fan of his work. I will judge until i made the whole experience – the film in theatres in 3D.
I literally lost sleep over the anticipation of seeing Camerons ‘Masterpiece’ a sci-fi epic 14 years in the making, and thats what the trailer represents, a sure fire hit that has ultimately been let down by its delay resulting in relatively standard CGI and a PG 13 storyline. Earlier films such as event horizon didnt need big budget animation and effects to make then the greatest, and most thrilling, sci fi films of all time..a factor that directors and studio’s should take into consideration more often nowadays.
I’ve seen the preview twice…in two formats! The IMAX preview left me feeling sick…and even with the ground-breaking effects…it was still very blurry. I’m not convinced by Cameron’s claims…sure it looks great…but its still asking a lot of the audience to invest emotion in computer animated giant blue aliens…it’s quite daft. And the dialogue? Direlogue, more like it.
i agree completely.
i’ll be seeing avatar for sure, but this trailer seems far away from the industry changing spectacle he has been leading us to believe.
the prawns in district 9 looked just as real, and for a fraction of the budget.
Kinda got the impression it was a cross between Aliens, Lord of the Rings, Apocalypto and – brace yourself – Pocahontas! Man identifies with enemy. Turns out they’re not. Divided loyalties. Rada rada rada… I’m going to reserve judgemet until I see it at the cinema. I don’t think the trailer did it justice. You can soooooo tell Weta worked on this.
Interesting trailer though.