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#41 Gothneo

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Posted 09 February 2010 - 05:16 AM

QUOTE (The_Donster @ Feb 8 2010, 05:11 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
I'm also hoping that it doesn't sweep the Oscars, that would be a little disappointing for me.



Avatar is nominated for nine Oscars I believe...

Best Picture
Director: James Cameron
Editing
Cinematography
Art Direction
Visual Effects
Sound
Sound Editing
Original Score

I don't think it deserves to sweep the Oscars, but my prediction is as follows:

Picture - WIN
Director: James Cameron - WIN
Editing - LOOSE
Cinematography - WIN
Art Direction - WIN
Visual Effects - WIN
Sound - WIN
Sound Editing -LOOSE
Original Score - LOOSE

So... I predict 6 out 9... so not a sweep, but a solid affirmation of what Cameron has achieved here.

Do I really think it should win some of these? No. For instance... best picture? Errr... no, but really now what else did we have this year that was any better?

I think Cameron absolutely deserves Director and the film deserves Cinematography and Visual effects. So if it were me I'd give 3 out of the 9 it was nominated for... but I think the momentum it has will garner additional awards.

#42 Commodore Kor'Tar

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Posted 09 February 2010 - 01:40 PM

QUOTE (Gothneo @ Feb 9 2010, 05:16 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
Do I really think it should win some of these? No. For instance... best picture? Errr... no, but really now what else did we have this year that was any better?


After just watching this film again this morning , I've gotta say Star Trek .

#43 A Chimpanzee & 2 Trainees

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Posted 09 February 2010 - 03:24 PM

I feel the same way about this movie that I did about Titanic. Extremely well executed, but really with a very predictable and not very insightful story. A borderline OK story (roughly 4 / 10) wrapped in an awesome package. If it wasn't for the spectacle, I'd just be bored with it.

Soo... I really hope it doesn't win best picture. (And, I'm prepared for the disappointment when it does)

#44 Gothneo

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Posted 09 February 2010 - 04:12 PM

Well... I like Star Trek, but no way is Star Trek "Best Picture" stuff either... infact they expanded the nominees from 5 to 10 this year and Star Trek still didn't make the list...

Here's the list...

Avatar
The Blind Side
District 9
An Education
The Hurt Locker
Inglourious Basterds
Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire
A Serious Man
Up
Up in the Air

I've only seen 5 of the 10, and I really enjoyed every one of those 5, but I can't say any of them "Wow'ed" me like some winners of past years.


#45 FHC

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Posted 09 February 2010 - 05:31 PM

There aint no Forrest Gump in the bunch I agree.

#46 The_Donster

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Posted 09 February 2010 - 08:55 PM

I haven't seen it, but I'm rooting for Hurt Locker smile.gif

#47 Gothneo

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Posted 10 February 2010 - 03:36 PM

I'd be ok with Hurt Locker... I think Avatar and hurt Locker are the clear contenders this year.

#48 Guest_1701_*

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Posted 12 February 2010 - 05:40 AM

Avatar hmm, now this is a movie that had it not made this much money would have probably gone unnoticed by the academy leaving a gap for arguably the better 2009 movie; Star Trek.

All honesty i loved Avatar but ONLY because the whole film looked stunning and for that it deserves the Special Effects OSCAR at least. Story-wise... er why is this film nominated??? I just felt as though had the CGI not been as mind-bendingly brilliant, this movie wouldn't have been all that great. Where District 9 succeeded so well in capturing the realism and brutality of humanity and the race issues within South Africa so well within it's story - James Cameron's Avatar failed to capture any importance, reality and brutality to the blatantly obvious message it was giving out and descended into the cliche white man going after the cliche coloured race trying to obtain... unobtainium?!?... how original...

I feel the key to Avatar's success was definitely not it's story but most definitely the look and the spectacle. Pandora looked stunning, the whole movie looked stunning and relied heavily on the old tricks of the Disney trade - the victim race looking like cute cats (anyone see the similarity between the Na'Ve and Puss-in-boots from Shrek?), it was in many ways a CGI disney film which is ironic since Cameron seems to have lifted the story from Pocahantas.

It's unfortunate these tricks along with the stunning special effects won so many people over because although i enjoyed it and is certainly a technological feat of filmmaking - it doesn't deserve to have been nominated for best picture because it simply isn't even close to being that good. Had i got my way i would have replaced it with Star Trek - Star Trek did something that it made no bones about doing - it took a 43 year old dead horse and gave it life again through a thoroughly enjoyable, exciting, and totally unashamed at being Star Trek story and where as i feel Star Trek was a good film all round - Avatar was only good because of the spectacle of it and the technological feat's Cameron took it to - oh and it made a mint at Box Office. However as is with the Academy - they rarely go for films that are genuinely all-round good but if there is to be a Sci-Fi winner this year it should be District 9.

#49 TheHSBR

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Posted 12 February 2010 - 10:12 AM

Well it depends on what Best Picture is. Is it all about the story? CGI? I think Best Picture is what overall had the best aspects. The CGI was so overwhlemingly good did that make up for a pretty mediocre story? Thats really the only explanation I can come up with besides the Academy being ridiculous and expanding to 10 films.

#50 Gothneo

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Posted 12 February 2010 - 10:34 AM

Avatar gave me something to at least think about. Star Trek... not so much...

I rented and watched "A Serious Man" the other day.

A bit of a thought provoker, but I think Avatar or Hurt Locker are still the top contenders for Best Picture IMO.

I really don't think the story is Avatars weak link though... its the acting. I think the story works well. People may not like the story... but that's different it not working or being weak.

I think if it has a weakness its the acting. the actors do a really good job... especially Salandera! But I felt something a bit lacking from them...

For me, if I come away from a movie feeling like I could connect with or might want to be the protagonist (or sometimes the antagonist!!) then that means that the story worked for me. I can see people connecting with both the protagonist and antagonist in Avatar.

Consider for a moment a movie like Star Gate. Great idea. Cool effects... but I never connected with any of the protagonists! The TV show was done much much better in this respect.. and fixed those problems.



#51 JulesLuvsShinzon

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Posted 25 February 2010 - 11:03 AM

Star Trek and Avatar aren't even in the same league.

In spite of Avatar not being exactly Shakespeare and stretching what was essentially a cowboys and injuns story out for well over two hours, it was by far the better and more involving experience.

Star Trek made the franchise essentially popular again and did so with a degree of efficiency, but budget and the time spent in realising Avatar really shows. This movie is Cameron's first in ten years, Star Trek was only about four years from conception to release, and the engineering section of the ship was basically shot a brewery!

I don't think Cameron was peddling his movie as Tolstoy, but nevertheless if did seem to advance a social and environmental message which, honestly, Orci and Kurtzman did not trouble themselves with. If Cameron's message of respct for difference and the environment was laid on with a trowel, it did at least make a pleasant change from the usual popcorn mindlessness of dumb blockbusters like Transformers 2 and the like.

Avatar more than delivered what it said on the tin. Nobody should be surprised that this was essentially a fantastic fairground ride in which nobody is looking for award-winning or career defining performances from the actors, they were pretty much only there to model their CGI alter-egos upon.

Avatar has effectively provided a new benchmark for action and popcorn blockbusters. Expect many more to be made in 3D - something I am amazed has not become an industry standard long before now.

#52 JulesLuvsShinzon

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Posted 25 February 2010 - 11:11 AM

QUOTE (Gothneo @ Feb 7 2010, 11:48 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
Sorry Jules, I didn't see your post until now.

Basically the main difference is the way the technology works. IMAX 3D comes out of the plain of viewing towards the audience, whereas REAL D goes into the plain of view... adding depth. But I simply found that the sharpness of IMAX was better. Real D had more of tendency to blur in high action.

Now, don't get me wrong, I thoroughly enjoyed both viewings. And it should be a testament to the movie that I wanted to see it twice... so I thought this was a great opportunity to see the same movie in both formats so that I could compare the technology on it's own merits.


Oh that's really interesting!! I saw a few 3D movies at the local IMAX years ago and it was too far back in my memory to remember it well, but now you say that I do remember a greater degree of projection out into the audience space at the IMAX. I wish I could see the movie in IMAX 3D now, because I think it would be an even better experience.


#53 Totalus_Kat

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Posted 27 February 2010 - 12:36 PM

Just for those who like to have there humorous (sp?) tickled aka the funny bone.

How Avatar Should Have Ended!

regs,
TK




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