Avatar
Avatar is one of the most hotly anticipated films in years, for a number of reasons: it marks James Cameron's return to fiction filmmaking after a long layoff; its motion capture techniques were the subject of intense pre-release press; and it's the most expensive movie ever made. And now, the verdict is in: critics say Avatar is indeed a visionary picture, a movie of such sensorial power and majesty that you won't mind too much that the plotting and characters aren't quite as state-of-the-art. Sam Worthington stars as an ex-Marine who has replaced his twin brother as an Avatar driver in the alien world of Pandora; he soon finds his loyalties divided between the military and the Na'vi, the indigenous species on this strange planet. The pundits are wowed by Cameron's phantasmagorical visuals, which many agree mark a giant leap forward in the realm of special effects, and for that reason alone, you should probably see the Certified Fresh Avatar. (Check out this week's Total Recall, in which we take a closer look at Cameron's career, as well as our video interview with Worthington. In addition, watch this episode of Unscripted on Moviefone., in which Worthington and Saldana interview each other.)
Did You Hear About the Morgans?
Fish-out-of-water comedies are so prevalent at this point that any new entries in the genre need to bring something fresh to the table. Unfortunately, critics say the appeal of Hugh Grant and Sarah Jessica Parker is not enough to elevate Did You Hear About the Morgans? above its middling script. Grant and Parker star as a big-city married couple on the rocks; upon witnessing a murder, the Witness Protection Program relocates them to Wyoming, where they relearn to love each other. The pundits say Morgans is utterly generic, with shopworn stereotypes about small town folk, and little chemistry between its two leads; worse, it's almost laugh-free.
Also opening this week in limited release:
- Crazy Heart, starring Jeff Bridges as a down-on-his-luck country singer looking for a last shot at love, is Certified Fresh at 96 percent.
- A Town Called Panic, a surreal, wacky, and brightly-colored stop-motion animated film, is at 80 percent.
- The Young Victoria, starring Emily Blunt as the woman who would be queen in the midst of a power struggle for the throne, is at 69 percent.
- The French import Ricky, a comedy about an oddly gifted infant, is at 43 percent.
- Nine, starring Daniel Day-Lewis and Penelope Cruz in an adaptation of the hit Broadway musical, itself a take on Fellini's 8 ½, is at 34 percent.
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(1-20 of 314 posts) | Reply
on Dec 17 2009 05:11 PM Is it worth fighting all the crazies at Midnight tonight? (Reply to this) |
on Dec 17 2009 05:12 PM thank god. all this waiting to see the movie only for it to turn out to be nothing but a big pile of crap would have been very disappointing. (Reply to this) |
on Dec 17 2009 05:15 PM Columbia Pictures probably thought that it was a smart marketing move to release "Did You Hear About the Morgans" as a bit of counter programming for Avatar. But I've got news for them, MANY ladies are spending their time in Pandora this weekend. (Reply to this) |
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on Dec 17 2009 05:16 PM It's nice to know that I'll probably get more satisfaction out of Avatar than any of the other new releases that came along with it! (Reply to this) |
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on Dec 17 2009 05:24 PM Ahh yes. And a big fat well-earned F-you to the haters. :D (Reply to this) |
on Dec 17 2009 05:29 PM Still, 82%? Not much impressed (Reply to this) |
on Dec 17 2009 05:38 PM 82% is awfully low given all of the hype. But that is still very Certified Fresh, and I will be checking Avatar out. This is a little off topic, but look at Cameron's picture on the James Cameron: Total Recall column. Dexter fans, doesn't he look eerily like Trinity? I'm shocked that Nine has such a low rating. It's got Daniel Day-Lewis in it, and it's still at 34%! It must be terrible! (Reply to this) |
on Dec 17 2009 05:39 PM Got my tickets to the midnight IMAX showing. I'll be getting to the theater four hours ahead of time to get a somewhat decent seat. It will be sure to be the movie of the year, right up there with District 9. Looks a few websites will be reevaluating their Top 10 of the Year/Decade that they published in October. I also love how Nine is Rotten but is getting all these award nominations. Are they jumping the gun or do the award nominators see something the critics don't? (Reply to this) |
on Dec 17 2009 05:48 PM Mata, how crude. lol. Actually, I think it'll fall to around 78-80% before it's all over with, which is almost exactly where I predicted it to fall a few weeks ago. Even the critics that liked it still say its more style than substance, but I'm going to see it the day after Christmas in IMAX just to see how 'groundbreaking' it really is. I really doubt that I'll be blown away though. (Reply to this) |
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on Dec 17 2009 05:56 PM I'm sure its good so don't call me a hater but I'm glad that its lower than TDK. Of course as we have seen from last year's best film nominations the Oscars don't pay attention to how many good reviews there are. Otherwise The Reader wouldn't have been nominated. (Reply to this) |
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on Dec 17 2009 05:59 PM Saw Avatar yesterday and really liked it. Was a slight feeling of "this is it?" early on when he first entered his avatar and it still had that slightly-off mo-cap look, but as soon as the story kicks in and they get to the native environments it was just a case of "sit back and enjoy". Definitely the new benchmark in visual effects. In saying that, I'm still unsure if the Stereoscopic 3D is going to take off. While it's interesting at first, I find myself forgetting about it once you get absorbed in the story. The quality of the CGI is much more important, and what makes the movie for me. Don't think I would have enjoyed it any less if I had seen it without the 3D. It's even slighly annoying/distracting sometimes, when they've thrown something in the foreground but made it out of focus, so you instinctively try to focus on it, which of course doesn't work, resulting in a total mind-*****... (Reply to this) |
on Dec 17 2009 06:00 PM Damn, I have to wait one more day before I get to see it. I would have been regardless of the T-Meter. (Reply to this) |
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on Dec 17 2009 06:02 PM Females going to see Avatar? Y (Reply to this) |
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on Dec 17 2009 06:02 PM Def going to see this. I know I will love it since he made my 2nd fav movie of all time (T2). And I have loved all his work. There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that I will love it. It is going to be great. btw, metacritic.com has avatar at universal acclaim. Just saying. (Reply to this) |
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on Dec 17 2009 06:03 PM Damn, I have to wait one more day before I get to see it. I would have been there* regardless of the T-Meter. (Reply to this) |
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on Dec 17 2009 06:04 PM not many movies r at universal acclaim. cutler, go watch new moon. (Reply to this) |
on Dec 17 2009 06:07 PM I'll see it tomorrow in the matinee, I have to go work tonight. I wish I could go to IMAX and see it but all I have are the crappy, wannabe IMAX near by. (Reply to this) |
on Dec 17 2009 06:08 PM In reply to this comment (#2574349) I'm not watching it tonight because of the crazies, but tomorrow night is my Avatar 3D night! I will not miss it. (Reply to this) |
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on Dec 17 2009 06:11 PM Titanic was 82%... same result? (Reply to this) |
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on Dec 17 2009 06:16 PM In reply to this comment (#2574367) @rle4lunch "I really doubt that I'll be blown away though." Dude, why bother? You already have set your mind or expectations on pretty much disliking it. So, your going into the film already with the expectations of not liking it pretty much so, your more then likely not going be in awe by it. P.S. People 82% isn't awful by any means. Okay maybe the hype makes it look somewhat disappointing to a small extent but come on...I mean the top critics' T-Meter is at a high of 96% (which I think that one says more then the overall critic T-Meter which includes the average if not moderate critics). I will be honest though that the 22 negative reviews that are up? A good portion of them are shoddy if not just simply faulty reviews. (Reply to this) |
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