Big thanks to Factor for sponsoring today's video! Use code HOLDEN60 to get 60% OFF your first Factor box at bit.ly/3yUWm1K Thanks for watching everyone! We're going to be kickstarting our "alien" week with Avatar (2009). Over the next 2 weeks we'll be releasing 6 different alien-themed movies! About half are available now on Patreon if you'd like to watch them early. www.patreon.com/hthardman
It's as if they destroyed your cemetery, with just one difference you can hear the voices of the deceased who wished or prayed to.Thanks for watching Avatar and commenting.
holden knows what his audience values.... he'd never stiff them. he never fails to rise to the occasion with dirty jokes even if his wife will penalise him for it after.
If you read the backstory and watch deleted scenes you will see that Dr Grace had good relations with them prior to Jake ever being there. She opened a school and taught them English which is how the Navi can speak it. The school got shot up by humans (the machine guns Grace referred to) and that's where Neytiri's sister was killed. After that they didn't trust humans and swore to kill them if they came across them in avatar bodies. That's why she was gonan kill Jake, but the pure spirits stopped her saying basically Jake is a good person. That's why she saved his life and brought him back
@@Jabberwocky415 That is where the delema is mate. Film or Book, 1st rule any writer who knows a damn thing about their skills should understand is Show, Don't Tell. Films are a LOT harder to pull off purely without having TELL moments because of their limited run time. For that reason, I personally prefer TV shows but that is neither here or there. See, the difference between the extended cut and the original cut is that the original TELLS you what happened, but the extended cut SHOWS you what happened. Sorta. It doesn't have a clear flashback where you see what happened at the school, but we get a scene with Jake and Grace when they come across the old school and it is littered with bulletholes. There is a little more dialogue here to reinforce the gravity of the scene, but between the two, the extended cut hits harder with the added scenes. The original, while it TELLS you what happened, it only eludes to the event with very little detail, making the gravity of the comments not as impactful for the majority. Again, this is why I prefer TV shows over Feature Films because you get more time to develop between episodes where a Feature Film is limited to a specific runtime. Avatar was stretching that runtime already in the Original Cut and its not exactly common practice for a film to run three hours. Traditionally, its half that. At most 2 hours max, including credits/intros. TL:DR - It isn't about what is in the original vs what is not, just how the message is conveyed. The writers rule in question is Show, Don't Tell.
@@Jabberwocky415 uh i don't think they mention they neytiri had a sister, let alone that she was killed in the school by humans in the theatrical release. I sure as hell don't remember it. The school existing i remember them talking about quickly and i catalogued the fact that they just gave us a reason for the aliens to speak english but not it being shut down because humans shot it, just that it was shut down.
The zoom in on Holden after Jen says “ya know he’ll probably end up liking their way of life and wanna stay” just predicting the plot 😂💀 man can’t catch a break
This movie was made to be seen in theaters. It's extremely rare to have a must see movie for theaters and what Cameron did with the 3D is incredible. No other 3D movie comes close to it and watching it at home will never do it justice.
People really hype up this movie in 3D. I saw this movie in both 2D and 3D in IMAX, and I genuinely believe that the 2D version was better. So many small details that were added by the talented VFX artists are completely erased by the 3D. It looked neat, but so much was lost. An example is when they are landing the large ship in the beginning of the film, a tiny dude guiding in the ship on the tarmac is blown over by the wind. In the 3D version, he’s just a blurry smudge. Thousands of details put into the film that make it so much more special and immersive just get blurred out in the 3D. The only movie I truly believe was enhanced/elevated by digital 3D in the theater experience was TRON Legacy. Granted, it was a low bar to be elevated from, but it made the movie infinitely more beautiful and immersive.
@@thechad4485 While I have some disagreements and still think 3D is the way to go, you raise a great point in a lot of those details being erased by 3D
@@thechad4485 As it is impossible for me to see it in Imax again I'll have to take your word for it. But I remember seeing things in the 3D Imax version of the movie that I didn't see on the 2D version or the regular 3D version. And not on my 4k TV. The particle effects in particular. In Imax it feels like your in the movie A literal fly on the wall. I'd also like to add this is not true for most 3D movies which are converted into 3D. JC created the 3D cameras he used to film Avatar which is why it looks so much better then your Standard 3D. Lastly I'd like to say to each their own. I know a lot of people who just don't like 3D movies no matter how good it is. At the end of the day its all opinion.
My aunt that passed away from breast cancer a few years ago loved this movie. We would always watch it as a family together in the living room on the huge flatscreen whenever she’d come sleep over at our house, she would always bring the disc with her, the memories are so nice. Don’t have those family movie nights anymore. Wish she was alive to witness Avatar 2 I know she would be just as in love as she was with the first movie. Unfortunately though that’s life. If the afterlife is real hopefully auntie Mercia could see it from wherever she is❤️🌹
I just love the worldbuilding for Avatar. The animals, the world, Eywa herself - the moment Grace whispered 'She's real,' hits me hard, every time I see it.
I was 10 when my dad took me to see this movie. I'm 23 now, and we went to see Way of Water on Saturday. I bought the tickets this time :') The sequel is phenomenal. Amazing worldbuilding. It makes the first one feel like a prologue, & Way of Water is where the saga truly begins. 1000% recommend catching it in the cinema in 3D.
I was 14 when I saw the original and my experience was very similar. It's just incredible. Simple stories are just fine when you have world building like James Cameron has created and it's a unique environment that's just fantastic and interesting. I'm so happy that there are more movies.
@@bartUsiek10 thats enough for many people, I'm not too fond of it either but if people find it interesting because of the things you excepted, then all power to them.
What always struck me was the final battle when you’re reminded of the size difference between the Navi and the humans, since you don’t often see them side to side for most of the movie.
the second is probably one of the worst movies i've ever seen, it was pretty but . i loved the 1st so i was pretty sad when i walked out of the theater earlier today wishing i could get those 3 hours of my life back
You should definitely also see Alita: Battle Angel. It was Cameron's intent to do that movie after Avatar, as he expected the technology and experience of Avatar would help make Alita more credible.
@@Horracioz Really, Wow!! I had no idea what kind of movie it was when I went to watch it but I thought it was really cool and innovative, I really enjoyed it, I really hope they do a sequel! 🤞
I mean, it was pretty clear what the plot would be after the first 20 minutes, but that doesn't take away from the beauty of this film. A simple story told and shown in a unique way is always fun to watch.
By the way, if you did end up loving the movie I'd recommend the extended cut. Has a Opening that goes more detail on Earth, some unknown plot development for Zoe's character that explains more whys shes so distrustful of humans, a proper goodbye death scene for one of the major characters who just kinda died, a new action sequence and some other smaller character bit including the mating scene. Yes, that's thing. Its not the greatest movie in the world but its fun for the most part. Avatar 2 was fun. More of the same with some interesting elements regarding some returning characters and they did a interesting job with them and their arcs and Im curious where they go in the future of the series.
My grandma absolutely loved this movie. I wished she were here to see the new ones with me. I’m so happy that Avatar is becoming a franchise it is well deserved, and I’m happy the Avatar crew is taking their time and putting art over money.
Hey Jenn, as for your question about why the Na'vi would take to Jake so quickly, it's because he was the first "warrior sky person" to ever set foot into their camp. The first non-scientist in an avatar body. This intrigued them because they're also a warrior type culture, and they wanted to see what he was all about. Jake mentions that they wanted to study him and see if he was any different from the cold orderly scientists. As for them being attacked previously, there is a scene in the extended edition that shows Jake going into a school that Grace had set up, an you can see bullet holes in the walls and chairs Ect.. Suggesting that the army had a confrontation with the Na'vi at the school and some kids died. (It turns out, that it was Neytiri's sister. (The daughter of the elders of the village) A plot that was cut from the theatrical version.) And that's why all of the "sky people" were shunned from their society and why there is so much animosity between them.
Saw the 2nd in IMAX 3D the other day and it was an absolute mind f***! Truly a spectacular theatrical experience and one that must be seen in 3D to fully appreciate. The story and characters were well done and I actually teared up at one point.
Absolutely agree with all your points I've saw it in 3D the biggest IMAX screen in the UK and it's a visual masterpiece the scenes that featured humans and Navi in the same shot are absolutely seamless and perfect. I teared up on a couple of occasions and I wasn't the only one.
This film is so underrated, the story and attention to detail, from the human military to the world of Pandora is unique and you can tell James Cameron tries to make it perfect.
I'm very excited to hearing/seeing your reaction to Way of Water. I think Cameron did an amazing job taking some of the best aspects of the first movie, and tuning them to be even better, while also toning down on some of the in-your-faceness of some topics in this movie, all while re-immersing us into his world. The 2nd movie felt almost as alien to me compared to the first, as the first did for me compared to anything else. Glad you guys enjoyed it.
Words cannot express how much I adore this franchise. I know it divides a lot of people in terms of story and run time, but I just find the world and characters too enjoyable. The Way of Water is a fantastic sequel and is worth the theatre watch once again.
holden spoke of there not being a cultural impact from this movie, but a lot of the modern tools they use for good cgi and vfx was actually invented for this movie, one of the reasons the second movie took so long to make is bc of the inventing of new tech that was needing for a real underwater filmed movie, love the content and keep it up.
Norms avatar did die and he was ejected out of the avatar body and woke up in his own realizing he had just died moments ago and still feeling the pain from it with a bit of a panic attack
This is going to sound stupid but bare with me. I think why Avatar didn't have a bigger impact on the cultural zeitgeist is because it's a movie about the actual core values of everyone and everything on earth. No matter what country or what politics you play, it's why it was popular literally everywhere, everyone understood the story. Like telling a story about how great insolation and redundant brake lines on your car is, how important a library is. No matter how amazing you make it look showing people freezing to death and a family dying in a car crash we know insolation and redundant brake lines are great. Like you can't argue or quote or philosophize about it, when was even the last time you thought of any of it. Not just the things we do for ourselves or kin but things we would do for anyone, even for people who will be born long after we're dead. Cameron just showed us how awesome insolation is, the thing I think most artists strive for, teasing out the beauty in the mundane. I could go on, anything from "The Selfish Gene" to "Foundation", "Meditations" to "Avatar 2" ;)
I've never understood why people don't like 3hr long movies. If a movie is good I want to stay seated and never stop watching. I just want to immerse my self in the world as much as possible.
The Na'vi taking Jake in so quickly because Eywa told them to can make much more sense to us when you realize that they don't just believe Eywa is real. Eywa is 100% verifiably real and interacts with them all the time.
Fun fact: those shrinking plants from the beginning are just enlarged versions of sea creatures called Christmas tree worms. They’re beautiful and really do shrink away like this at almost any stimulus.
Maybe story was not original, but it was still a good story. And the beautiful scenery made it even better. Its effect indeed died down after 12 years, but i remember rewatching it at home every other day 5 times in a row after watching it in the cinema :)
I watch this movie once a year. I absolutely love it. It's gorgeous, has great characters, great action and phenomenal world building. It's easily in my top 10 favourite movies.
This movie is beautifully done. The animation, the music, the acting. I love all the action sequences and the heart to heart moments between Jake and Neytiri. Out of all the creatures, apart from the Na'vi, I'd have to say my favorite is Toruk.
Well, if you love this one then prepare for the second movie, Avatar way of the water also blew my mind I don't really have a favorite yet (although I love forests more than water) but so visually amazing. One movie is also not better than the other, James Cameron did an outstanding job!
There was a book released the same time the movie first came out, called "Avatar: A Confidential Report on the Biological and Social History of Pandora: that gives a lot of the (fictional) background on the native culture as well as the equipment and hardware used by the RDA. It is explained that the Navi allowed Sully to join them because - unlike Grace and the rest of her scientists, who the Navi looked down on as useless - Jake was a fellow warrior, which was highly respected in their culture. If Jake's brother had gone to Pandora as planned, he would have acted as, and been regarded no better, than the other scientists. It was the fact that Jake was Marine and lived that warrior culture, along with Eywa's endorsement of him through the tree spirits, that prompted the Navi to trust him enough to bring him into their culture.
I really love this movie. It is widely successful but it also does get quite a lot of hate saying "It's just space Pocahontas" lol, I 100% agree it is space Pocahontas but I don't see that as a bad thing. The visuals were top notch, they still hold up today. The music is epic! And as yall said, it just works. I love the world they created and I can't wait to see the sequel.
The fact that she had to ask was that all CGI at 14:03 just shows how advance the work on Avatar were. When people say it was ahead of its time it really were.
Actually Norm's Avatar dying isn't the only way he would be knocked out of it, it could have been the shock of being wounded. We see Jake come out of his on his own two different ways, by going to sleep and also look how Jake woke up from the shock of his human body not getting enough air in the battle with Quaritch. (From a planning and technology standpoint it would also be incredibly stupid to have a system where the user cannot get out without outside help!)
Holden you should have watched the extended version with Jen. Its 20 mins longer and it does add more to the movie especially to the story. Just like a pasta with exact amount of sauce but the extended version is the extra sauce added to it.
James Cameron mentioned in an interview how monumental Avatar was for him. It was one of those movies that didn’t have the technology necessary to even think about, let alone sit down and make it. James put himself in a chair and literally wrote films to help develop the technology and digital infrastructure to start developing Avatar. It was after Gollum, a fully 3D character (as you already mentioned), James Cameron said to himself “we’re ready”. James created whole companies dedicated to the development needed to create this film it’s called Digital Domain. Weta Digital (who created the Pandora world and other Avatar VFX) had to invent new technologies. One really cool technology Weta pulled out their asses was one for Avatar 2. That one close up water scene that everyone thinks is real. The Patent described how water would stick to rough surfaces like what happens when you drop a backpack in water and pull it out again. They created loads of small, and very large and complex technologies (that the whole industry heavily relies on) just to create Avatar, and Avatar 2. James Cameron also perfected the technology needed to film Motion Capture under water which took a decade which is why the second movie took so long to come out. I just find it so inspirational. Just James Cameron as an idea, a concept. So inspirational.
Thanks for doing this one. With the sequel coming out, it was nice to get the refresher. And genuinely I'd forgotten a lot of what makes this film exciting. Appreciate it.
I think it's certainly implied that if you die in the body then you die, since they were so worried about Jake in the forest. Grace specifically said, "he won't make it till morning". When they managed to get him awake in the lab they were clearly very worried, so if not death of the body then the death of the brain/mind. Norm's body didn't die it just sustained enough damage that it fell unconscious. Avatar drivers can remove themselves from their bodies, and it's the safest way to do it. They just go to sleep or, like Norm, get knocked unconscious. Being ripped from the Avatar, like what the soldiers did to them, can be damaging to the brain or avatar (implied by the scientist's panic). Why do I know this movie so well? It's my dad's favourite movie, and I've definitely seen it more than most people.
Saw this one in theaters. It was an incredible experience. It understandably gets flak for its story, but I enjoyed it regardless. Definitely a 9/10 for me. Hope to hear your thoughts on Avatar 2!
I would just like to note- Cameron actually offered the role of Jake Sulley to Matt Damon first, along with 10% of Avatar. Damon was doing work for Bourne at the time and couldn’t do it, and laments it to this day.
44:36 “that’s a big woman” 😂🤣 being a little over 6’1 myself, I giggled hearing that. I dated a guy who was about 5’7 once, and I felt like Neytiri in this scene quite often, not gonna lie 😂😂
Turns out there are a lot of silent fans out there as the sequel crosses a billion dollars worldwide in just 12 days. It truly speaks and made for the general audience.
In the Extended version its established there was an altercation at Grace's English teaching school where Natyri's sister was caught in the crossfire. It seems like there was a bit of fault on both sides but the humans ended up killing some kids on accident. Hope that clears up the back story why there is deadly animosity but not like actually war.
People always compare Avatar's story to many different things but I never see anyone compare Ito to The Last Samurai. This movie's plot is literally The Last Samurai in space (and that's not necessarily a bad thing lol)
Very Impressive when you think there were only 30% shots that weren‘t cgi. After all the years we must say that Cameron‘s a genius, he wanted to do this movie so many years ago but waited and waited till the right moment would came. It took years for the second movie but that was because Cameron didn‘t plan one until 2012-3. it took 4 years for the script for 1-4 and then there came the production. After the wait well it didn‘t disappoint.
Wish you had watched the extended cut, flushed out a lot of details and shows much more of the movie’s beauty. Still good, glad you liked it and the sequel was damn good too hope you go see it.
Everyone and their mom watched avatar back in 2009, the reason no one is talking about it online is mostly because most people that ARE terminally online aren’t old enough to have experienced the big event avatar was back then. A lot of the boomers especially love it and are raving about watching the sequel, and most of them aren’t online! Also it’s been 13 years, cinema has changed a lot! There hasn’t been any avatar content in 13 years, that’s probably why people are saying it lacks a cultural footprint. Honestly i rewatched it and i think it’s really good, and it’s a certified sci fi classic and there is absolutely no surprise it made that amount of money
It is so funny that she is wearing a Cirque du soleil pullover for this movie because there is actually a show from them inspired by James Cameron's Avatar haha you should totally watch that as well! It is amazing
They said that they had let scientists into their tribe in the past, but had never tried letting someone military in, which is why it was decided that Neytiri would teach Jake, to see if he was capable of learning what the others could not.
I was 5 when this movie came out in 2009, yet I still remember seeing in a theaters and my reactions to certain scenes. I think that says a lot about the movie
I watched this just last week (for the first time as well). I was interested in the sequels because I've been into VFX lately and supposedly Avatar was way ahead of it's time back then. And buddy it was true. Weta blew it out of the park. A 2009 movie looking better than a lot of movies today is crazy. I'm mostly excited for the sequel to geek out and see what kind of insane visuals Weta and ILM pulled off this time. I heard a bunch of new patents were made for the insane new simulations that Weta made. Can't wait to watch it!
Oh man, stills blows me away. This movie brought in the technology that is used in VFX and even video games now, and was so new that Cameron and his team was inventing some of the tech on the fly. There are movies that push aspects of VFX in assorted ways; Fire, Hair, Water. Things that are hard to do, and I think this movie pushed the bar for expression in CGI, and having just seen way of water last night, it definitely pushed the bar for water effects. Milestones in vfx history these are.
Perfect timing for this YT vid. Seeing it later today from when this was posted. Great way to watch it summarized seeing one of my favorite couples react to it. ❤️
The 2nd film most definitely MUST be viewed at an IMAX theatre just like the 1st movie. Didnt think Cameron could top the 1st one from a pure spectacle standpoint but hes once again done it and somehow raised the bar.
I remember seeing the trailer for this and thinking there was no way it was real, because I saw the trailer in an episode of _Bones_ and then I realized it was real and thought "This is genius. They're not only just showing the entire movie because the purpose of Avatar isn't really to get sucked into the PLOT but the WORLD, but they're basically saying "Hey go see this movie, you know it'll be good, because James Cameron made all these OTHER really good movies!" and that kinda marketing just isn't seen these days. I mean sure you'll see "from the studio that did this" but to have ONE trailer just go "y'all are gonna see this movie anyways." is next level confident marketing. I respect that.
Avatar was my favorite movie when it released, and it's definitely top tier sci-fi. You guys are probably already done recording Alien Week, but I highly recommend "District 9." One of the most realistic depictions of aliens visiting Earth I've seen depicted in any form of media. Great sci-fi, 10/10. Also, even 13/14 years later, there is still talk from the creator and desire from fans of a possible sequel.
Stephen Langs character in this movie would be a PERFECT version of Cable in Deadpool 2. When I heard they were bringing him to the theater, I pictured Stephen Lang.
Avatar 1 was impressive. But The Way of Water totally knocked me out. Not everyone likes the story. But visually in IMAX 3D is one of the best I've seen so far.
So happy the kick-off of Alien Week 👽 is this film. I’ve loved this movie and watch it few times a year. It will always hold a special place in my heart, because I went to a holiday potluck at my hometown theatre (small gathering with friends and family since we knew the owner) and watched this film on opening weekend. It blew me away with the special effects, colorful world, and moving storyline. Very much looking forward to watching Avatar 2 and the other alien movies in your line up!
"Shaved tail louie": -Shaved tail: new recruit, not yet trained; in 19th century new cavalry recruits were given horses with shaved tails -Louie: a lieutenant, the least experienced of the levels of officer James Cameron was behind a lot of the dives to Titanic, actually going down to look at it. He drew a lot from sea creatures for the development of the lifeforms on Pandora. Also, there is actually some science behind the idea of interconnected individuals making for a shared consciousness and communication; there are readings suggesting a specific species of mushroom is interconnected all over the earth, so could be considered just one organism. Also, there seems to be faint electrical energy that interconnects plant life, especially trees, that also suggests communication. In addition, there's a current theory that the archeopteryx (the fossil 'first feathered bird') may have had 'wings' on its rear legs that aided in its flight. There's an extended version of this film that provides more info, like Grace running a school for the Navi children and the school getting shot up. Neytiri's sister is killed in this ambush of the school. Jake was welcomed in only because Eywa demonstrated a strong acceptance of Jake by COVERING him in those floating seeds of the sacred tree. If they had not done that, Neytiri would have left Jake to figure out for himself how to get back to camp. If one of the seeds had not landed on Neytiri's arrow, she would have happily shot and killed Jake. These were, after all, the people who killed her sister. Agree with Holden that the storyline is a conceit used in literature over centuries of the Western European joining an ancient culture and, by dint of his superior white-manliness, rises to the very top to become a leader of the indigenous population. Yes, "Dances with Wolves", but also "John Carter [of Mars]", "Tarzan", "The Last Samauri", "Lawrence of Arabia"...basically, it's a tired and arrogant trope. It's saying drop a white man into any indigenous culture, and he will learn all the depths and nuances in record time and advance to prime leadership position.
I know y’all are Florida people, so next time you’re at Disney I highly recommend waiting and riding Flight of Passage at Animal Kingdom. Honestly an amazing experience and really reinforced my interest in this universe
The whole concept of the planet being alive, and the souls of living beings being borrowed energy from it and eventually returning, is also explored to great effect in the Final Fantasy game series and movie... As well being based on a real theory: the Gaia Theory. I like it... I find it reassuring.
12:40 --- Popped in for a moment to see your reactions and ended watching this entire video. Well done! The movie itself is still a visual spectacle. My only pet-peeve when watching something with someone who has already seen it... they announce a second before something is obviously gonna happen, what is going to happen. Yes, my brain will register that that is Sigourney Weaver in her avatar... but let me do it... Lol. Since you liked the first one, there is no doubt you will love the 2nd. It's 10x the visual spectacle, and more.
I love how with all the creativity in this movie, creating an entire language, species, lifestyle and history of these people, and they called the unobtainable substance unobtanium. lol
The length of these movies NEED to be this length for Avatar to be what it is. If sequences were cut, I don’t think Pandora would be as immersive as it is.
In the episode of Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee (with Jerry Seinfeld and Joel Hodgson), they do a random improvised bit about the Colonel drinking his coffee on the way to the final attack. It's right around the 10:30mark. The title of the episode is "A Taste of Hell From on High".
This was one of my first ever 3D movies I saw in the theater. It's AMAZING in 3D, particularly the flying and running on trees so high up; the depth of field is breathtaking. I highly recommend it.
This was a def must see in imax 3d. I remember going and being really impressed. The only thing I can say after a couple watches is that it is very heavy handed with the story. Could have been more subtle. Great video!
Robert Zemeckis's Beowulf was the prototype of Avatar's new mo-cap system, But James ofcourse went a step further with the virtual camera jigg, where a monitor would be tracked by the mo-cap and would then send a feed to that monitor showing the pre-recorded performance and Cameron would use the monitor as the camera, as it would allow him and other operators to have a more natural movement of the camera.
The only cultural impact I can think of that this movie had, is the language created for it, Na'vi. Though it is very very niche, for people like me who like to spend their free time creating languages (conlangs), Na'vi was actually quite influential. To have one of the main aspects of the highest grossing film ever be conlangs, is actually a huge blessing for people like me! It’s the same as with Game of Thrones, Star Trek, or Lord of the Rings.
That was a great reaction!! Thank you so much! When your wife made a comment and the camera zoomed in on you I nearly pissed myself laughing! You guys are an awesome couple! One small thing to say for possible future videos being wicked successful . No yawning !! walk off camera if you have to! If your yawning during a movie that is supposed to be very exciting then something is not right. God bless you guys! loved it!
If you're watching the Alien series make sure to watch the following versions: Alien Director's Cut Aliens Special Edition Alien 3 Assembly Cut (Which is actually a pretty decent film) Alien Resurrection Extended Cut (Honestly, there's like one scene added thats worth it otherwise the rest of the film doesn't really change much.) I'd skip Prometheus and Alien Covenant unless you want to see Michael Fassbender act whose the best character in those films.
Big thanks to Factor for sponsoring today's video! Use code HOLDEN60 to get 60% OFF your first Factor box at bit.ly/3yUWm1K
Thanks for watching everyone! We're going to be kickstarting our "alien" week with Avatar (2009). Over the next 2 weeks we'll be releasing 6 different alien-themed movies! About half are available now on Patreon if you'd like to watch them early. www.patreon.com/hthardman
Are you guys going to watch Avatar 2 in theaters or are you going to wait and do a reaction to it when it comes out on digital
Reaction to The Thing
WATCH LEGEND OF KORRA AFTER AVATAR THE LAST AIRBENDER PLEASE
I'm pretty sure the re-release was about reminding people what Avatar is.
It's as if they destroyed your cemetery, with just one difference you can hear the voices of the deceased who wished or prayed to.Thanks for watching Avatar and commenting.
before watching this reaction I can already think of all of the “Holden Thomas Hardman”’s that’ll be said
😂
🤣🤣🤣
bahaha fr
holden knows what his audience values.... he'd never stiff them. he never fails to rise to the occasion with dirty jokes even if his wife will penalise him for it after.
@@vkdeen7570 "he'd never stiff them."
... or Would he...? 😏 heh heh heh
If you read the backstory and watch deleted scenes you will see that Dr Grace had good relations with them prior to Jake ever being there. She opened a school and taught them English which is how the Navi can speak it. The school got shot up by humans (the machine guns Grace referred to) and that's where Neytiri's sister was killed. After that they didn't trust humans and swore to kill them if they came across them in avatar bodies. That's why she was gonan kill Jake, but the pure spirits stopped her saying basically Jake is a good person. That's why she saved his life and brought him back
You don’t even need to read backstory or watch deleted scenes. They tell you that stuff in the movie.
it's way better watch this movie in extended edition these "deleted scenes" are in the extended edition in fact first scene takes places in Earth
Thats in the extended cut too!
@@Jabberwocky415 That is where the delema is mate.
Film or Book, 1st rule any writer who knows a damn thing about their skills should understand is Show, Don't Tell. Films are a LOT harder to pull off purely without having TELL moments because of their limited run time. For that reason, I personally prefer TV shows but that is neither here or there. See, the difference between the extended cut and the original cut is that the original TELLS you what happened, but the extended cut SHOWS you what happened. Sorta. It doesn't have a clear flashback where you see what happened at the school, but we get a scene with Jake and Grace when they come across the old school and it is littered with bulletholes. There is a little more dialogue here to reinforce the gravity of the scene, but between the two, the extended cut hits harder with the added scenes. The original, while it TELLS you what happened, it only eludes to the event with very little detail, making the gravity of the comments not as impactful for the majority.
Again, this is why I prefer TV shows over Feature Films because you get more time to develop between episodes where a Feature Film is limited to a specific runtime. Avatar was stretching that runtime already in the Original Cut and its not exactly common practice for a film to run three hours. Traditionally, its half that. At most 2 hours max, including credits/intros.
TL:DR - It isn't about what is in the original vs what is not, just how the message is conveyed. The writers rule in question is Show, Don't Tell.
@@Jabberwocky415 uh i don't think they mention they neytiri had a sister, let alone that she was killed in the school by humans in the theatrical release. I sure as hell don't remember it. The school existing i remember them talking about quickly and i catalogued the fact that they just gave us a reason for the aliens to speak english but not it being shut down because humans shot it, just that it was shut down.
The zoom in on Holden after Jen says “ya know he’ll probably end up liking their way of life and wanna stay” just predicting the plot 😂💀 man can’t catch a break
Nor that much of a twist
Honnestly if not for amazing 3d, avatar is an extremely basic cliche movie.
Because the plot is unoriginal and easily predictable.
@@jofloch9955 I see what you’re saying forsure, but I was just pointing out how often she does this 😂
@@williamroper5422 it may be predictable but she does this all the time so I just think it’s funny when those moments get highlighted
This movie was made to be seen in theaters. It's extremely rare to have a must see movie for theaters and what Cameron did with the 3D is incredible. No other 3D movie comes close to it and watching it at home will never do it justice.
When watching the new movie in theaters, it literally felt like the cinema screen was a window, a truly incredible experience
I also agree with this. Must see Imax 3D in a theater. It loses something otherwise.
People really hype up this movie in 3D. I saw this movie in both 2D and 3D in IMAX, and I genuinely believe that the 2D version was better. So many small details that were added by the talented VFX artists are completely erased by the 3D. It looked neat, but so much was lost. An example is when they are landing the large ship in the beginning of the film, a tiny dude guiding in the ship on the tarmac is blown over by the wind. In the 3D version, he’s just a blurry smudge. Thousands of details put into the film that make it so much more special and immersive just get blurred out in the 3D.
The only movie I truly believe was enhanced/elevated by digital 3D in the theater experience was TRON Legacy. Granted, it was a low bar to be elevated from, but it made the movie infinitely more beautiful and immersive.
@@thechad4485 While I have some disagreements and still think 3D is the way to go, you raise a great point in a lot of those details being erased by 3D
@@thechad4485 As it is impossible for me to see it in Imax again I'll have to take your word for it. But I remember seeing things in the 3D Imax version of the movie that I didn't see on the 2D version or the regular 3D version. And not on my 4k TV. The particle effects in particular. In Imax it feels like your in the movie A literal fly on the wall.
I'd also like to add this is not true for most 3D movies which are converted into 3D. JC created the 3D cameras he used to film Avatar which is why it looks so much better then your Standard 3D.
Lastly I'd like to say to each their own. I know a lot of people who just don't like 3D movies no matter how good it is. At the end of the day its all opinion.
My aunt that passed away from breast cancer a few years ago loved this movie. We would always watch it as a family together in the living room on the huge flatscreen whenever she’d come sleep over at our house, she would always bring the disc with her, the memories are so nice. Don’t have those family movie nights anymore. Wish she was alive to witness Avatar 2 I know she would be just as in love as she was with the first movie. Unfortunately though that’s life. If the afterlife is real hopefully auntie Mercia could see it from wherever she is❤️🌹
🙌🏾
This was a beautiful story. Thank you for sharing.
Beautiful story…Thanks for sharing! Also sorry for your loss!
Fuck cancer. Rest in Peace to your aunt 🙏
R.I.P.🙏🏽🙏🏽❤️❤️
I just love the worldbuilding for Avatar. The animals, the world, Eywa herself - the moment Grace whispered 'She's real,' hits me hard, every time I see it.
People who support the Navi are like rl people who support 'human rights' yet walk round with a phone of cobalt mined by a child in a pit of hell.
The extended edition definitely adds a lot more to the beginning
way more to important information also
I was 10 when my dad took me to see this movie. I'm 23 now, and we went to see Way of Water on Saturday. I bought the tickets this time :')
The sequel is phenomenal. Amazing worldbuilding. It makes the first one feel like a prologue, & Way of Water is where the saga truly begins. 1000% recommend catching it in the cinema in 3D.
Exactly my experience only I was 11 and I’m now 24 😅. And yeah, just saw Way of Water yesterday in IMAX and god damned, it was mind blowing. Loved it!
I was 14 when I saw the original and my experience was very similar. It's just incredible. Simple stories are just fine when you have world building like James Cameron has created and it's a unique environment that's just fantastic and interesting. I'm so happy that there are more movies.
This movie aged beautifully
It's still boring as fuck tho...
@@bartUsiek10 for u
@@ezrathirunavukarasu2155 There's absolutely nothing creative or interesting about this movie apart from the graphics and special effects.
@@bartUsiek10 thats enough for many people, I'm not too fond of it either but if people find it interesting because of the things you excepted, then all power to them.
@@bartUsiek10 that‘ just…plain wrong
What always struck me was the final battle when you’re reminded of the size difference between the Navi and the humans, since you don’t often see them side to side for most of the movie.
Both the first and second movie are some of my favorite movies of all time.
W
shhhh haters will shut you up
the second is probably one of the worst movies i've ever seen, it was pretty but . i loved the 1st so i was pretty sad when i walked out of the theater earlier today wishing i could get those 3 hours of my life back
@@ikingipapa What didn't you like about it? I thought it was great
You should definitely also see Alita: Battle Angel. It was Cameron's intent to do that movie after Avatar, as he expected the technology and experience of Avatar would help make Alita more credible.
Yes!!!!!!
Great movie!
I hated Battle Angel, and I really wanted to like it too ☹️
@@Horracioz Really, Wow!! I had no idea what kind of movie it was when I went to watch it but I thought it was really cool and innovative, I really enjoyed it, I really hope they do a sequel! 🤞
30:25 This is without a doubt one of my favorite moments in Holden-Jen history
Fun fact: tsu tey (the one na vi who was originally supposed to mate with neytiri) is actually played by laz alonso, who plays MM in the boys!
Holden, trying to maintain a straight face after Jen predicted the plot of the movie, was priceless.
I mean, it was pretty clear what the plot would be after the first 20 minutes, but that doesn't take away from the beauty of this film. A simple story told and shown in a unique way is always fun to watch.
By the way, if you did end up loving the movie I'd recommend the extended cut. Has a Opening that goes more detail on Earth, some unknown plot development for Zoe's character that explains more whys shes so distrustful of humans, a proper goodbye death scene for one of the major characters who just kinda died, a new action sequence and some other smaller character bit including the mating scene. Yes, that's thing. Its not the greatest movie in the world but its fun for the most part. Avatar 2 was fun. More of the same with some interesting elements regarding some returning characters and they did a interesting job with them and their arcs and Im curious where they go in the future of the series.
I saw The Way of Water this weekend and it was amazing
My grandma absolutely loved this movie. I wished she were here to see the new ones with me. I’m so happy that Avatar is becoming a franchise it is well deserved, and I’m happy the Avatar crew is taking their time and putting art over money.
I’m sorry abt your loss. It’s beautiful how movies can bring people together. This next sequel has a big message on family which is comforting
I love this movie so much, I don’t understand the over hate it gets.
Hey Jenn, as for your question about why the Na'vi would take to Jake so quickly, it's because he was the first "warrior sky person" to ever set foot into their camp. The first non-scientist in an avatar body. This intrigued them because they're also a warrior type culture, and they wanted to see what he was all about. Jake mentions that they wanted to study him and see if he was any different from the cold orderly scientists.
As for them being attacked previously, there is a scene in the extended edition that shows Jake going into a school that Grace had set up, an you can see bullet holes in the walls and chairs Ect.. Suggesting that the army had a confrontation with the Na'vi at the school and some kids died. (It turns out, that it was Neytiri's sister. (The daughter of the elders of the village) A plot that was cut from the theatrical version.) And that's why all of the "sky people" were shunned from their society and why there is so much animosity between them.
Saw the 2nd in IMAX 3D the other day and it was an absolute mind f***! Truly a spectacular theatrical experience and one that must be seen in 3D to fully appreciate. The story and characters were well done and I actually teared up at one point.
Absolutely agree with all your points I've saw it in 3D the biggest IMAX screen in the UK and it's a visual masterpiece the scenes that featured humans and Navi in the same shot are absolutely seamless and perfect. I teared up on a couple of occasions and I wasn't the only one.
I remember seeing the first in IMAX 3d. Sadly it's not there anymore, probably the most immersive experience I'll ever have
This film is so underrated, the story and attention to detail, from the human military to the world of Pandora is unique and you can tell James Cameron tries to make it perfect.
I really can't stand the movie but to call it underrated? You have no idea what your talking about.
Did you mean Pocahontas?
I'm very excited to hearing/seeing your reaction to Way of Water. I think Cameron did an amazing job taking some of the best aspects of the first movie, and tuning them to be even better, while also toning down on some of the in-your-faceness of some topics in this movie, all while re-immersing us into his world. The 2nd movie felt almost as alien to me compared to the first, as the first did for me compared to anything else. Glad you guys enjoyed it.
Honestly can’t count how many times I’ve seen this film 😂 ages like fine wine
Words cannot express how much I adore this franchise. I know it divides a lot of people in terms of story and run time, but I just find the world and characters too enjoyable. The Way of Water is a fantastic sequel and is worth the theatre watch once again.
Can you call 2 movies a franchise? It divides because it is basically a western Indians v Rail road.
@@yousuck6222 this is a franchise. There’s 2 or 3 other movies made. They just haven’t been released yet
@@JulyIzHere its not hard to guess though. The yoomans are due a win. I'll class that as the end of the 'franchise'.
holden spoke of there not being a cultural impact from this movie, but a lot of the modern tools they use for good cgi and vfx was actually invented for this movie, one of the reasons the second movie took so long to make is bc of the inventing of new tech that was needing for a real underwater filmed movie, love the content and keep it up.
Norms avatar did die and he was ejected out of the avatar body and woke up in his own realizing he had just died moments ago and still feeling the pain from it with a bit of a panic attack
This is going to sound stupid but bare with me. I think why Avatar didn't have a bigger impact on the cultural zeitgeist is because it's a movie about the actual core values of everyone and everything on earth. No matter what country or what politics you play, it's why it was popular literally everywhere, everyone understood the story.
Like telling a story about how great insolation and redundant brake lines on your car is, how important a library is. No matter how amazing you make it look showing people freezing to death and a family dying in a car crash we know insolation and redundant brake lines are great. Like you can't argue or quote or philosophize about it, when was even the last time you thought of any of it. Not just the things we do for ourselves or kin but things we would do for anyone, even for people who will be born long after we're dead. Cameron just showed us how awesome insolation is, the thing I think most artists strive for, teasing out the beauty in the mundane.
I could go on, anything from "The Selfish Gene" to "Foundation", "Meditations" to "Avatar 2" ;)
I've never understood why people don't like 3hr long movies. If a movie is good I want to stay seated and never stop watching. I just want to immerse my self in the world as much as possible.
Facts the new did not feel that long
People who watch it at home should always watch the special extended cut. It adds a lot.
The Na'vi taking Jake in so quickly because Eywa told them to can make much more sense to us when you realize that they don't just believe Eywa is real. Eywa is 100% verifiably real and interacts with them all the time.
Eywa is like God. People always go nuts for a person chosen by God. But Unlike God we can dissect Eywa in a lab to know what it is.
Fun fact: those shrinking plants from the beginning are just enlarged versions of sea creatures called Christmas tree worms. They’re beautiful and really do shrink away like this at almost any stimulus.
Maybe story was not original, but it was still a good story. And the beautiful scenery made it even better. Its effect indeed died down after 12 years, but i remember rewatching it at home every other day 5 times in a row after watching it in the cinema :)
I watch this movie once a year. I absolutely love it. It's gorgeous, has great characters, great action and phenomenal world building. It's easily in my top 10 favourite movies.
This movie is beautifully done. The animation, the music, the acting. I love all the action sequences and the heart to heart moments between Jake and Neytiri. Out of all the creatures, apart from the Na'vi, I'd have to say my favorite is Toruk.
Well, if you love this one then prepare for the second movie, Avatar way of the water also blew my mind I don't really have a favorite yet (although I love forests more than water) but so visually amazing.
One movie is also not better than the other, James Cameron did an outstanding job!
There was a book released the same time the movie first came out, called "Avatar: A Confidential Report on the Biological and Social History of Pandora: that gives a lot of the (fictional) background on the native culture as well as the equipment and hardware used by the RDA. It is explained that the Navi allowed Sully to join them because - unlike Grace and the rest of her scientists, who the Navi looked down on as useless - Jake was a fellow warrior, which was highly respected in their culture. If Jake's brother had gone to Pandora as planned, he would have acted as, and been regarded no better, than the other scientists. It was the fact that Jake was Marine and lived that warrior culture, along with Eywa's endorsement of him through the tree spirits, that prompted the Navi to trust him enough to bring him into their culture.
I still think of Avatar. Because i wish humans could connect their hair and understand eachother completely.
Never forgotten.
I really love this movie. It is widely successful but it also does get quite a lot of hate saying "It's just space Pocahontas" lol, I 100% agree it is space Pocahontas but I don't see that as a bad thing. The visuals were top notch, they still hold up today. The music is epic! And as yall said, it just works. I love the world they created and I can't wait to see the sequel.
The fact that she had to ask was that all CGI at 14:03 just shows how advance the work on Avatar were. When people say it was ahead of its time it really were.
You can't have a better timing than this. I just watched it for the first time this morning.
The dog watching the movie at 10:20 😂😂😂 like solid watching for a while
Actually Norm's Avatar dying isn't the only way he would be knocked out of it, it could have been the shock of being wounded. We see Jake come out of his on his own two different ways, by going to sleep and also look how Jake woke up from the shock of his human body not getting enough air in the battle with Quaritch. (From a planning and technology standpoint it would also be incredibly stupid to have a system where the user cannot get out without outside help!)
Holden you should have watched the extended version with Jen. Its 20 mins longer and it does add more to the movie especially to the story. Just like a pasta with exact amount of sauce but the extended version is the extra sauce added to it.
I still can't believe they waited 12 years to make a second avatar movie, be lucky people didn't forget about the movie itself
James Cameron mentioned in an interview how monumental Avatar was for him. It was one of those movies that didn’t have the technology necessary to even think about, let alone sit down and make it.
James put himself in a chair and literally wrote films to help develop the technology and digital infrastructure to start developing Avatar. It was after Gollum, a fully 3D character (as you already mentioned), James Cameron said to himself “we’re ready”.
James created whole companies dedicated to the development needed to create this film it’s called Digital Domain. Weta Digital (who created the Pandora world and other Avatar VFX) had to invent new technologies.
One really cool technology Weta pulled out their asses was one for Avatar 2. That one close up water scene that everyone thinks is real. The Patent described how water would stick to rough surfaces like what happens when you drop a backpack in water and pull it out again.
They created loads of small, and very large and complex technologies (that the whole industry heavily relies on) just to create Avatar, and Avatar 2.
James Cameron also perfected the technology needed to film Motion Capture under water which took a decade which is why the second movie took so long to come out.
I just find it so inspirational. Just James Cameron as an idea, a concept. So inspirational.
Thanks for doing this one. With the sequel coming out, it was nice to get the refresher. And genuinely I'd forgotten a lot of what makes this film exciting. Appreciate it.
I think it's certainly implied that if you die in the body then you die, since they were so worried about Jake in the forest. Grace specifically said, "he won't make it till morning". When they managed to get him awake in the lab they were clearly very worried, so if not death of the body then the death of the brain/mind. Norm's body didn't die it just sustained enough damage that it fell unconscious. Avatar drivers can remove themselves from their bodies, and it's the safest way to do it. They just go to sleep or, like Norm, get knocked unconscious. Being ripped from the Avatar, like what the soldiers did to them, can be damaging to the brain or avatar (implied by the scientist's panic).
Why do I know this movie so well? It's my dad's favourite movie, and I've definitely seen it more than most people.
Saw this one in theaters. It was an incredible experience. It understandably gets flak for its story, but I enjoyed it regardless. Definitely a 9/10 for me. Hope to hear your thoughts on Avatar 2!
I would just like to note- Cameron actually offered the role of Jake Sulley to Matt Damon first, along with 10% of Avatar. Damon was doing work for Bourne at the time and couldn’t do it, and laments it to this day.
44:36 “that’s a big woman” 😂🤣 being a little over 6’1 myself, I giggled hearing that. I dated a guy who was about 5’7 once, and I felt like Neytiri in this scene quite often, not gonna lie 😂😂
Turns out there are a lot of silent fans out there as the sequel crosses a billion dollars worldwide in just 12 days. It truly speaks and made for the general audience.
Avatar The Way of Water is absolutely incredible. Movie of the year. 10/10
How much is James paying you to spread lies???
@@JohnDoe-bz4yl how much hate is in your heart for a simple enjoyment of just a film?
@@AlterEgo756 it's not hate it's my opinion man and we all have them
@@JohnDoe-bz4yl it was a 10/10 film
@@JohnDoe-bz4yl it was a dope movie
In the Extended version its established there was an altercation at Grace's English teaching school where Natyri's sister was caught in the crossfire. It seems like there was a bit of fault on both sides but the humans ended up killing some kids on accident. Hope that clears up the back story why there is deadly animosity but not like actually war.
People always compare Avatar's story to many different things but I never see anyone compare Ito to The Last Samurai. This movie's plot is literally The Last Samurai in space (and that's not necessarily a bad thing lol)
Very Impressive when you think there were only 30% shots that weren‘t cgi. After all the years we must say that Cameron‘s a genius, he wanted to do this movie so many years ago but waited and waited till the right moment would came.
It took years for the second movie but that was because Cameron didn‘t plan one until 2012-3. it took 4 years for the script for 1-4 and then there came the production. After the wait well it didn‘t disappoint.
I think the first one is alright but the second one I liked a lot more. More personality, more emotion (i cried a ton). both have stellar music too.
Wish you had watched the extended cut, flushed out a lot of details and shows much more of the movie’s beauty.
Still good, glad you liked it and the sequel was damn good too hope you go see it.
Everyone and their mom watched avatar back in 2009, the reason no one is talking about it online is mostly because most people that ARE terminally online aren’t old enough to have experienced the big event avatar was back then. A lot of the boomers especially love it and are raving about watching the sequel, and most of them aren’t online! Also it’s been 13 years, cinema has changed a lot! There hasn’t been any avatar content in 13 years, that’s probably why people are saying it lacks a cultural footprint. Honestly i rewatched it and i think it’s really good, and it’s a certified sci fi classic and there is absolutely no surprise it made that amount of money
It is so funny that she is wearing a Cirque du soleil pullover for this movie because there is actually a show from them inspired by James Cameron's Avatar haha you should totally watch that as well! It is amazing
Rewatched the 4K version just before I saw The Way Of Water last week and man does this movie still hold up in 2022.
i love the Avatar movies. You guys should do an RRR reaction, there’ll be a whole lot of excitement in your living room lol
12:44
Holden: Sigourney???
Sigourney: Well who did you expect numbnuts?!
🤣🤣🤣
They said that they had let scientists into their tribe in the past, but had never tried letting someone military in, which is why it was decided that Neytiri would teach Jake, to see if he was capable of learning what the others could not.
I was 5 when this movie came out in 2009, yet I still remember seeing in a theaters and my reactions to certain scenes. I think that says a lot about the movie
I watched this just last week (for the first time as well). I was interested in the sequels because I've been into VFX lately and supposedly Avatar was way ahead of it's time back then.
And buddy it was true. Weta blew it out of the park. A 2009 movie looking better than a lot of movies today is crazy.
I'm mostly excited for the sequel to geek out and see what kind of insane visuals Weta and ILM pulled off this time.
I heard a bunch of new patents were made for the insane new simulations that Weta made. Can't wait to watch it!
Oh man, stills blows me away. This movie brought in the technology that is used in VFX and even video games now, and was so new that Cameron and his team was inventing some of the tech on the fly. There are movies that push aspects of VFX in assorted ways; Fire, Hair, Water. Things that are hard to do, and I think this movie pushed the bar for expression in CGI, and having just seen way of water last night, it definitely pushed the bar for water effects. Milestones in vfx history these are.
@@tristanpicotte7784 It's so satisfying and inspiring to see the result of all that hard work and problem solving!
The sad thing about this is that everyone watching this movie will be sad about the behavior of humans. But we behave in real life exact the same way.
Perfect timing for this YT vid. Seeing it later today from when this was posted. Great way to watch it summarized seeing one of my favorite couples react to it. ❤️
Well thank you!
The 2nd film most definitely MUST be viewed at an IMAX theatre just like the 1st movie.
Didnt think Cameron could top the 1st one from a pure spectacle standpoint but hes once again done it and somehow raised the bar.
The 3D in this movie was mind blowing in theaters. I have yet to see a single other movie come close.
Woah! This was great. I've never seen someone react to both the first and second movie at the same time.
I remember seeing the trailer for this and thinking there was no way it was real, because I saw the trailer in an episode of _Bones_ and then I realized it was real and thought "This is genius. They're not only just showing the entire movie because the purpose of Avatar isn't really to get sucked into the PLOT but the WORLD, but they're basically saying "Hey go see this movie, you know it'll be good, because James Cameron made all these OTHER really good movies!" and that kinda marketing just isn't seen these days. I mean sure you'll see "from the studio that did this" but to have ONE trailer just go "y'all are gonna see this movie anyways." is next level confident marketing. I respect that.
Avatar was my favorite movie when it released, and it's definitely top tier sci-fi.
You guys are probably already done recording Alien Week, but I highly recommend "District 9." One of the most realistic depictions of aliens visiting Earth I've seen depicted in any form of media. Great sci-fi, 10/10. Also, even 13/14 years later, there is still talk from the creator and desire from fans of a possible sequel.
Stephen Langs character in this movie would be a PERFECT version of Cable in Deadpool 2.
When I heard they were bringing him to the theater, I pictured Stephen Lang.
Avatar 1 was impressive. But The Way of Water totally knocked me out. Not everyone likes the story. But visually in IMAX 3D is one of the best I've seen so far.
The 2nd one is all about family and I spent half the movie in tears. It's so sad but it's good and has some humor to ease it up. Really enjoyed it.
So happy the kick-off of Alien Week 👽 is this film. I’ve loved this movie and watch it few times a year. It will always hold a special place in my heart, because I went to a holiday potluck at my hometown theatre (small gathering with friends and family since we knew the owner) and watched this film on opening weekend. It blew me away with the special effects, colorful world, and moving storyline. Very much looking forward to watching Avatar 2 and the other alien movies in your line up!
"Shaved tail louie":
-Shaved tail: new recruit, not yet trained; in 19th century new cavalry recruits were given horses with shaved tails
-Louie: a lieutenant, the least experienced of the levels of officer
James Cameron was behind a lot of the dives to Titanic, actually going down to look at it. He drew a lot from sea creatures for the development of the lifeforms on Pandora. Also, there is actually some science behind the idea of interconnected individuals making for a shared consciousness and communication; there are readings suggesting a specific species of mushroom is interconnected all over the earth, so could be considered just one organism. Also, there seems to be faint electrical energy that interconnects plant life, especially trees, that also suggests communication. In addition, there's a current theory that the archeopteryx (the fossil 'first feathered bird') may have had 'wings' on its rear legs that aided in its flight.
There's an extended version of this film that provides more info, like Grace running a school for the Navi children and the school getting shot up. Neytiri's sister is killed in this ambush of the school. Jake was welcomed in only because Eywa demonstrated a strong acceptance of Jake by COVERING him in those floating seeds of the sacred tree. If they had not done that, Neytiri would have left Jake to figure out for himself how to get back to camp. If one of the seeds had not landed on Neytiri's arrow, she would have happily shot and killed Jake. These were, after all, the people who killed her sister.
Agree with Holden that the storyline is a conceit used in literature over centuries of the Western European joining an ancient culture and, by dint of his superior white-manliness, rises to the very top to become a leader of the indigenous population. Yes, "Dances with Wolves", but also "John Carter [of Mars]", "Tarzan", "The Last Samauri", "Lawrence of Arabia"...basically, it's a tired and arrogant trope. It's saying drop a white man into any indigenous culture, and he will learn all the depths and nuances in record time and advance to prime leadership position.
“You gotta do what you gotta do, fellas.”
“What?”
“What? Nothing.”
Nice one Holden 😂😂😂
I know y’all are Florida people, so next time you’re at Disney I highly recommend waiting and riding Flight of Passage at Animal Kingdom. Honestly an amazing experience and really reinforced my interest in this universe
Fun fact Tsu’tey the standoff is Navi male is played by the same actor as MM from the Boys
The whole concept of the planet being alive, and the souls of living beings being borrowed energy from it and eventually returning, is also explored to great effect in the Final Fantasy game series and movie... As well being based on a real theory: the Gaia Theory.
I like it... I find it reassuring.
This movie is decent in 2D, but 3D IMAX is really what elevates it to something incredible. Pleeeaaasee see the sequel in 3D IMAX!!
12:40 --- Popped in for a moment to see your reactions and ended watching this entire video. Well done! The movie itself is still a visual spectacle. My only pet-peeve when watching something with someone who has already seen it... they announce a second before something is obviously gonna happen, what is going to happen. Yes, my brain will register that that is Sigourney Weaver in her avatar... but let me do it... Lol. Since you liked the first one, there is no doubt you will love the 2nd. It's 10x the visual spectacle, and more.
I love how with all the creativity in this movie, creating an entire language, species, lifestyle and history of these people, and they called the unobtainable substance unobtanium. lol
The length of these movies NEED to be this length for Avatar to be what it is. If sequences were cut, I don’t think Pandora would be as immersive as it is.
In the episode of Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee (with Jerry Seinfeld and Joel Hodgson), they do a random improvised bit about the Colonel drinking his coffee on the way to the final attack. It's right around the 10:30mark. The title of the episode is "A Taste of Hell From on High".
This was one of my first ever 3D movies I saw in the theater. It's AMAZING in 3D, particularly the flying and running on trees so high up; the depth of field is breathtaking. I highly recommend it.
I think avatar deserves its position it’s on another level in my opinion it’s soooo good x
the way she just predicted what would happen not even halfway through ( 25:34 ) was so funny lmao
This was a def must see in imax 3d. I remember going and being really impressed. The only thing I can say after a couple watches is that it is very heavy handed with the story. Could have been more subtle. Great video!
Robert Zemeckis's Beowulf was the prototype of Avatar's new mo-cap system, But James ofcourse went a step further with the virtual camera jigg, where a monitor would be tracked by the mo-cap and would then send a feed to that monitor showing the pre-recorded performance and Cameron would use the monitor as the camera, as it would allow him and other operators to have a more natural movement of the camera.
Avatar is basically Ferngully and Pocahontas(Dances with Wolves) combined!
The only cultural impact I can think of that this movie had, is the language created for it, Na'vi.
Though it is very very niche, for people like me who like to spend their free time creating languages (conlangs), Na'vi was actually quite influential.
To have one of the main aspects of the highest grossing film ever be conlangs, is actually a huge blessing for people like me!
It’s the same as with Game of Thrones, Star Trek, or Lord of the Rings.
Im just gonna say this! Avatar 2 is the best movie I have seen in years!
That was a great reaction!! Thank you so much! When your wife made a comment and the camera zoomed in on you I nearly pissed myself laughing! You guys are an awesome couple! One small thing to say for possible future videos being wicked successful . No yawning !! walk off camera if you have to! If your yawning during a movie that is supposed to be very exciting then something is not right. God bless you guys! loved it!
Yesterday for the first time ever I heard someone say this was their favorite movie.
Ugh I wish people would watch the uncut version, it's 16min longer but really worth it and showing more insights.
If you're watching the Alien series make sure to watch the following versions:
Alien Director's Cut
Aliens Special Edition
Alien 3 Assembly Cut (Which is actually a pretty decent film)
Alien Resurrection Extended Cut (Honestly, there's like one scene added thats worth it otherwise the rest of the film doesn't really change much.)
I'd skip Prometheus and Alien Covenant unless you want to see Michael Fassbender act whose the best character in those films.