AVATAR (2009) | FIRST TIME WATCHING | Reaction & Commentary | a feat in CGI!

[@ShanelleRiccio]

Offset your carbon footprint on Wren: www.wren.co/start/shanellericcio The first 100 people who sign up will have 10 extra trees planted in their name!

[@animexc5923]

Please watch RRR , i don't think u watch it but this movie is great and I love it 🙂

[@Lethgar_Smith]

When my 16 year old daughter saw this for the first time it generated deep feelings of hatred towards the military that she had never encountered before. She had never really thought about the military in anyway before but this movie was an eye opener for her her terms of the military mind set.

[@ErikD71]

When is the next live chat, I have my snack all ready.

[@versetripn6631]

How many emails do u send weekly? Hypocrite.

[@versetripn6631]

@@ErikD71 I aimed my comment at the Carbon Footprint girl

[@movieswithsammykitty]

I saw this in IMAX 3D, and it was an experience. When the tree was burning and coming down, it looked like the ashes were all around you. It was crazy.

[@Reno_Slim]

I saw this in 3D IMAX too and Avatar remains the best looking terrible movie I've ever seen.

[@Vulcanerd]

Yeah, watching this in 3D was definitely an experience.

[@GrayWoIf]

I saw the special edition in IMAX 3D and literally this very scene is engraved in my mind the ashes coming down blew my mind.

[@Deathbird_Mitch]

I loved how subtle the 3D was when I saw it. I just helped the immersion.

[@RandomNPC001]

Same here!

[@michaelroland5743]

This is my favourite film of all time. I've seen it hundreds of times and it never gets boring... It's visually and audibly magical. The imagination of mr Cameron boggles my mind

[@KarmaTheBot]

Literally this says all about me it never gets boring I watch over and over

[@arielklay23]

8:30 This scene always ALWAYS gets me because my late husband Tim, who was so active, became so weak because of AIDS, he had to get around in a wheelchair. So this, THIS moment when Silly stands and runs for the first time makes me think of Tim's first moment after he died and his spirit was set free from his body, he got out of his hospital bed and stood on the ground and then went to Heaven and felt grass under his feet, something he hadn't done for over a YEAR! Happy tears!

[@NathanS__]

There's an extended version where we learn more about Grace's history of the school and Netiri's sister. But how would Jake's brother talk to him? Eywa isn't the one true goddess of the universe. She's an organic lifeform who's brain is made of all the trees on the planet and which creatures can interact with. She's certainly the goddess of Pandora but Humanity has its own God-Emperor of Man (wait wrong universe)

[@SkageXL5]

Yeah, to be one with Eywa you have to die on Pandora, like Quaritch and an *awful* lot of soldiers did. I'm sure that's not gonna cause a problem though! Also, pfft, what has the God-Emperor of Man done for me lately? Eat a billion psychics so he can sit in his chair all day? Hey, The Inquisition is here, I wonder what they want?

[@SkageXL5]

@Darkstar it's just a movie bud.

[@andypham4216]

Sounds like Pandora needs a visit by some inquisitors.

[@SkageXL5]

@@andypham4216 "Knock knock Blue Aliens, we brought you a religion made of murder!"

[@jonessmith3187]

Might be reaching here, but maybe somewhere in one of the sequels we might see Jake look at a final video message left to him by his brother. As Jake might be raising a son or two on Pandora, he'll naturally be reminded of how he grew up and maybe look at such a message when remembering. Not saying I know anything about what the sequels will look like, but it seems very logical to include as I'm sure she's not the first viewer who wonders a bit about the other brother.

[@drewharter8028]

You call out the "documentary cam" a lot. I'm fascinated by how they made the choice that all of the camera movements are "practical" in that you can do them with traditional cameras. They avoided any super artificial camera moves because that would pull people out of the totally computer generated world, doubly so in 3D showings. I also love that in the big climactic battle, clarity is still king. Pandora's defenders typically move right to left while human attackers typically move left to right. This keeps you totally aware of which side is which throughout the complicated sequence. James Cameron knows how to shoot a trackable action sequence like few others. I remember seeing this in theaters in 3D and being amazed at just the holo displays throughout the movie. A minor detail that showed how much care was thrown into figuring out how to make a good 3D movie. The movie is lit very brightly to compensate for 3D glasses. Shot length is a bit longer than normal because the brain needs more time to process depth. It leans towards diorama 3D instead of pop-out 3D. All these things that need to be done for a convincing effect just work here. Real pity that big studios learned "3D makes money" instead of "here's how to do a good 3D effect" and killed the whole gimmick.

[@dash4800]

It was technically filmed with a camera. Cameron would film the 3d environments in the sound stage while capturing the mocap performances. The computer would render the shots in a crude way so he could see his composition live.

[@neil2444]

Consider the Na'vi say that you're born twice, and then the very first scene of him opening his eyes and the very last scene of him opening his eyes. It's very symbolic in my opinion.

[@keyman6689]

For more James Cameron extreme filmmaking you have to see The Abyss!!! You'll have to watch behind the scenes footage of the making of it, too. There has never been a production like it, and never will again with the advancement in CGI. It's a special gem in cinematic history.

[@CChissel]

That and the actors almost died several times, I remember them being very unhappy and were said to never work with him again. But that movie is great, probably my favorite movie of his.

[@paulfeist]

Totally agree with this! Watching the Abyss is a great movie... then, when you watch the Making Of the Abyss, you realize how incredible it was to make.

[@paulfeist]

@@CChissel Yes... there's even a part of the "making of" documentary when they ask the actors "would you sign on for a sequel?" - and some were more diplomatic than others, but, it was unanimous - NO. One of them said "Son of Abyss? Oh, HELL no!".

[@validadvil]

Shanelle, the pride of Long Island! Thanks for your fun videos!

[@pringals]

You mentioned at the end you wanted Jake to be able to talk to his brother through Eywa. That would not be possible. Jakes brother didn't die on Pandora so his electric life force wasn't absorbed into the Pandora biometrics. ... This movie was so mind blowing at the theater in 3D. When it gets re-released into the theaters in 3D later this fall before Avatar 2 comes out, you should really see the immersion the 3d effect had on this movie. All the colors and floating bits in the world of Pandora really pop in 3D. Don't expect cheesy 70s/80s 3d where the attempted to make you feel like something is coming at you. No, the 3d in here is all about subtlety and immersion and it was wonderfully done and really puts you into the film. ... The sequels have all been filmed basically at the same time. Cameron had delayed them because he was waiting for technology to catch up with his ideas. Then the pandemic hit which shifted the release dates. 2 will be out this year, 3, next, so on and so forth. I loved this first one and has a special nostalgia to it for me. I hope the sequels can hold up to it and not ruin it as all the Star Wars movies have killed my childhood nostalgia of the original 3.

[@houseofaction]

there is no "electric" life force nor is it pandoran biometrics

[@williamjefferson5200]

The climax. Eywa: "Fine. I'll do it myself"

[@tsogobauggi8721]

33:03 There is absolutely nothing "popcorn flick" about this truly well made fantastic movie.

[@jackson857]

I disagree. I think it definitely is a popcorn flick. The story isn't that deep and has been done before. A very predictable script. It's the visuals that make this movie transformative.

[@Eidlones]

It's extremely popcorn flick.

[@carm3d]

The light penetrating the ears is called Sub-Surface Scattering (SSS). It penetrates all of the flesh but it is most obvious where the flesh is thin. It makes the blood inside glow and really helps flesh look like flesh. The documentary-style camera work you mentioned was technology developed for this film. James Cameron wanted a physical hand-held device he could use to input camera zoom, focus, position and rotation values into the computer in real time. They could watch James Cameron's hand-held virtual camera work in real-time, showing the Pandora world and it's animated characters.. But it was a simplified version with proxy models. A friend of mine, Larry Schultz was on the team to build all of the 3D world models with simple proxy models. Every plant and flower he placed in the proxy scene was then re-crafted with high detail models. The proxy world he created was done with the same software I use, Lightwave 3D. Unfortunately Larry passed away in 2012. Miss you buddy. Yes that is the Papyrus font. Saturday Night Live did a hilarious skit on that: kzbin.info/www/bejne/oIfLnX2Ef9SjhbM This is funny too: kzbin.info/www/bejne/Y6Ccd6KabrCcnbc

[@3DJapan]

RIP Larry, he was a great guy.

[@3DJapan]

Speaking of Papyrus, remember this gem? kzbin.info/www/bejne/Y3umh3qrjt19o6s

[@stvbrsn]

“Good shot” to end on indeed. And full circle. The fist shot (ok, second after the CG forest flyover) of the film was Jake opening his eyes. “Sooner or later, you always have to wake up.” It seems to be popular to hate on this movie, but I like it. A lot.

[@LukeLovesRose]

Ha! I just realized that. Unbelievable. How awesome.

[@craigwells3655]

Your reactions and analysis are very attractive. An endearing mixture of deep sensitivity and sweet intellect. This movie was perfect for you, as it was for me. The message, the natural world, the amazing world created by CGI. It was a once in a lifetime experience that spoke to my soul and surely spoke to yours. Thank you for this gift.

[@lordrahl2345]

This is basically a scifi version of Dances with Wolves

[@Matej_Sojka]

Also Gorillas in the mists.

[@mmmmmduffbeer]

The scene where everything is on fire and there are embers drifting down is probably the most immersive experience I've ever had watching a movie. I remember watching that scene, engrossed in the characters, and I reflexively tried to shoo the falling embers away from my face. I immediately realized how stupid that was, but I still appreciate the cinematography that was able to draw me so completely into the environment of the film.

[@SkageXL5]

Me too!

[@Drummer4President]

Same! I went to see this with my dad and he told me to sit on my hands 😅

[@thunderstruck5484]

Saw this about 4 times in imax 3D and it was an Incredible experience, if they rerelease sometime I highly recommend watching in 3D , thanks Shanelle!

[@Luke_Balbino]

And it will be rereleased in September 2022. ;)

[@michaelvincent8208]

A little old lady, when leaving the theatre, told me she would love to live in a place like this. She was mesmerized.

[@ADifferentVibe]

This is the only movie that was filmed 3D that is just as amazing watching it in 3D (as opposed to filmed in 2D and converted to 3D). Must be watched on the big screen!

[@tyroneloki5131]

"They killed their mother" one of the most powerful lines In the movie.

[@joaosantos5503]

It's been more than 10 years, so some of the effects are starting to age a bit, and on a TV it just ain't the same thing, but I guarantee you, when this came out, it fucking floored everyone. Seeing this in a massive imax screen for the first time was almost a religious experience. It legitimized 3D as a feasible thing and it all looked fantastic.

[@LBrobie]

so true. i saw the director's cut at IMAX after watching the original in 3D but in a "normal" theater and it was aMAZing! i still love this movie and watch it regularly. ❤

[@mastes1]

I dont agree about the effects aging. I watched the BluRay the other day after a couple of years, and the effects at that quality still look absolutely gorgeous. Outside of a few explosions in the final battle that look a little weird today, everything else is still the benchmark all these years later. In fact the level of cgi in recent Marvel films looks a joke compared to this film.

[@FrancoisDressler]

@@mastes1 Marvel Studios try to cut corners whenever they can because their fans won't care. Far from a James Cameron mentality.

[@seanahern9511]

So much so that I watched the IMAX 3D version in Theatres 3 times

[@Reno_Slim]

Avatar is the best looking running cliche ever filmed.

[@3DJapan]

10:24 It's not particularly hard to make these "god rays" as we call them. It does take a lot of processor power though. In this case since the actors are walking through them it may well be practical. I'm not sure about these plants but a lot of these sets are fully CG, including the plants. Typically on greenscreen anything the actors touch will be real or at least the part they touch will be. For example a building could be fully CG exept the door they touch to walk in.

[@TwoMenandaCanoe]

It is a very simple story, but seeing it in the theatre in 3D felt so immersive. You would go back to watch it again just to be in that world.

[@belvagurr403]

Sam Worthington was in CLASH OF THE TITANS and the sequel WRATH OF THE TITANS. He was also in HACKSAW RIDGE.

[@LukeLovesRose]

Seeing Avatar in IMAX 3D was an experience like no other. Cameron with his talent for 3D cinematography literally transported me and everyone else to Pandora for 2 to 3 hours.

[@mikekay3313]

Great movie...I can't believe it has been 13 years! I absolutely loved Sam Worthington's performance in the lesser known spiritual movie "The Shack"

[@miahmassaro]

when you said sam worthington sounds australian it made me cackle because he is australian

[@Maya_Ruinz]

This movie is still the most incredible movie experience I have ever had. I saw it 6 times at 3D IMAX in Austin TX, I remember at the time my car was in the shop and I lived way across town, the bus system was notorious for being unreliable so I decided to walk 12 miles because I was determined to see it day 1.

[@zhubajie6940]

From Wikip: After relinquishing the record to Avengers: Endgame in July 2019, Avatar reclaimed it in March 2021 with a re-release in China.

[@chriskelly3481]

This is the movie that convinced me that 3D was the next inevitable film component after sound, colour, widescreen, surround sound, CGI, digital cameras etc. Then it just went away! And I was one of only about twelve people on earth who were sad about that. Sam Worthington is an Aussie. He was born in England and his family emigrated here when he was very young. Although he didn't have the global recognition he recieved from Avatar, he was certainly known and appreciated, AWARDED even, here in Australia. I certainly always liked him from his earlier stuff starting nearly ten years prior to Avatar.

[@lethaldose2000]

This movie was mind-blowing when it came out and even to this day. At first, you are impressed by the VFX, set design, world-building, and technical feats. But when the tree was taken down I was crying and so heartbroken. I said to myself this movie is some deep shit. What the hell is going on I'm crying in an action flick, James Cameron tricked me once again. This movie has some great themes interwoven into a spellbinding visual setting. What an absolute thrill ride.

[@kalen1702]

This movie had a profound impact on how I view movies today. There are definitely flaws (as all movies have), but this film is just a masterpiece on so many levels: scale, CGI breakthroughs, world building, characters, etc and it's still emotional for me to watch to this day. I'm almost hesitant to watch the sequels that are coming soon because I don't want them to change the way I feel about this deeply impactful movie. I'll still see them of course because I can't resist.

[@GaryLBlakeley]

I saw this in IMAX 3-D. And it was absolutely phenomenal. I love the fact that they didn’t overdo the 3-D effects like you see in so many movies. Absolutely amazing. And as other people who commented on the ashes floating down look like you’re gonna be covered in ashes in the little spirit seeds look like they were right in front of your face and like you wanted to be switching them away so you could see the movie. This is one of my all-time favorite movies and I can’t wait for the next one to come out.

[@timvanarsdel]

Shanelle, which will you prefer: experiencing Avatar 2 in the theatres, or saving your first-watch reaction for your channel?

[@willcool713]

This movie was the best 3D I have ever seen. The movie experience was like something from the future. In full IMAX 3D there were bits of char falling all around me during the Home Tree scene. Flying around Pandora, you could look down, out of the door of the Scorpion, for instance, because of the distribution of seats. It was fully immersive in a very literal sense. A lot of the movie was entirely CGI, but it never felt like watching a cartoon. I saw it again in a regular Digital 3D theater, which was also good, but the 3D started at the screen and was nowhere near as immersive. Beautiful still, of course, and I own a 2D copy. But do yourself a favor when the sequels come out: Regardless the cost, pay the arm and a leg and your first born child for the IMAX seats. It was an amazing experience for me that I will always remember. Hopefully the story will be better than B+ next time. The genius of mirroring the actors' mocap avatars with the hybrid alien clone avatars in the plot won't be new, so the neat-o factor won't be able to carry the movie as much. But by all accounts, Cameron has that handled. Looking forward to it.

[@jd-zr3vk]

The arrow through the chest in 3D was fantastic.

[@frankbowman9493]

Shan, when the Navi die they get uploaded to Eywa. Jake's brother died on a different planet, so that would not have been possible.

[@lethaldose2000]

Hey Shanelle, I highly suggest watching the Director's Cut/Extended Version. The director's cut flushes out a lot of details, particularly why Natiri wanted to kill Jake. Natiri's little sister attacked a bulldozer destroying the forest. In retaliation, the soldiers tracked the sister back to the school and ended up killing her and several other young Navi. There's a scene where Grace shows Jake the school building, all shot up, and explains what happened. IMO, this scene adds a TON to the story.

[@GoCrazyBaby3]

Yes they have a Pandora at Disney world with a flying simulator! It was so amazing, they had a tank with an incubating avatar that twitched, it was so cool. And the simulator has you strapped in front of this huge screen to really immerse you. They have smells and mist when you go over the ocean. 10/10 experience. Such a fond memory.

[@mena94x3]

Yes, Avatar world at Disney World in Florida was really well done and the main Avatar ride is _SO_ much fun!

[@T0MM1XD]

You really have to watch the behind-the-scenes, it's unbelievable how they made this movie and it makes it even more special how stunning it looked in 2009, it still looks better than most movies nowadays, can't wait to watch the sequel The Way of Water in IMAX 3D, it's going to be an incredible experience!

[@1TorukMellon]

Watch the Extended Edition of Avatar and you'll get more of the back story of Grace and her school.

[@briansrandomstuff76]

I was at CES in Las Vegas a few months before Avatar came out. They had a 3D TV showing the Avatar trailer. As soon as I saw it I called my best friend and told him that we had to see this in 3D. We were not disappointed.

[@caseyhedges5699]

They do all have the “ponytail”- it’s how they communicate through Eywa, connect to the wildlife and how they become one with their chosen mate

[@thomholbrook7286]

Cameron is trying to sell a fully CGI world of giant Smurf aliens with USB tails. He wants to use every tool he has to make that all feel real. That's why he includes the shakey cam documentary-style shots. Those say real and spontaneous rather than pre-planned and artificial.

[@mikebrown7799]

Great reactions to this film, Shanelle!!!🎬👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽 I saw this in Imax 3D when it came out at the theater. It was something else!

[@LukeLovesRose]

Does anyone remember "Avatar Day"? Cameron released the most anticipated footage for a movie in a long time. Only a certain group got to see 3D footage of Jake waking up in his avatar on the big screen. Someone snuck a camera into the theater. They filmed the footage and posted it online in poor resolution. But it was enough to get everyone hooked. Avatar is still the greatest 3D movie ever made.

[@Hiraghm]

When Jake is looking around the purpley, glowing nighttime landscape... I keep thinking... I saw this before... Oh yeah... WoW... and Everquest...

[@barrythatcher9349]

Shanelle; Sam Worthington was born in England and his parents moved in to Australia when he was 6 months old. He grew up in Perth, Western Australia.

[@techman2553]

The 3D viewing of this movie late at night had such a profound effect on me. I was so sucked in and immersed in that experience that I almost got into a car accident on the way home from the theater. After hours of being surrounded by action and explosions in 3D as a safe spectator, the sight of brake lights closing fast didn't trigger any sense of danger or concern. Luckily I stopped in time, but that was sooo surreal to be totally detached from reality after watching a movie. I literally had to pull over and give myself a minute to let go of the dreamscape and snap back to reality. I'll never forget the experience of seeing that movie in the theater in 3D for the first time.

[@stephenniehaus8635]

I love your reactions. Chock-full of movie knowledge and intelligence. You have such an educated approach

[@Navi.michael17]

Avatar 2 is coming this December so exciting yay 😀😀

[@shallowgal462]

THE MAKING OF AVATAR: BEHIND THE SCENES-- kzbin.info/www/bejne/lYqbc6ivasdperM I know "Jake" from Terminator: Salvation, "Corporate Guy" from Friends, Saving Private Ryan, and The Offer. There is more background on the school and Grace in the extended cut.

[@alfredvela369]

Can you even begin to imagine the tidal push and pulls on Pandora because of the Jupiter-like gas giant? Imagine the waves 🌊 on it’s oceans.

[@Im_The_Dude]

Also it’s funny how you mentioned Terminator. The main actor, Sam Worthington was in a Terminator movie.

[@mauz4588]

Cameron started production on Avatar in order to develop the technology he felt was needed to properly adapt a manga series known as Gunnm/Battle Angel Alita as a live action movie. But Avatar was such a runaway success that he stuck with working on Avatar sequels instead of making Alita next. So the project was eventually handed off to Robert Rodriguez to finish. The movie was delayed and eventually released around the time that Disney bought Fox. To avoid rivaling any Disney/Marvel releases, Alita got buried as a February release without much promotion, but it's a great movie and one you should consider watching for your channel.

[@ConnorEllisMusic]

The light shining through the cartilidge is called Subsurface Scattering.

[@elliotRust29]

im only a few minutes in but i already know im gonna love this and immediately subscribe, its so refreshing to finally watch a reaction from someone who clearly cares about the movie and not just a random person going ''woooow, so cool'' for an hour

[@chris...9497]

Gotta say... It's not 'spirituality' like has been specifically done before. Yes, it speaks of life as 'energy' that's borrowed, then given back, but the idea that individual identity is (for lack of a better term) 'recorded' in Eywah, in the network accessible from the trees, is a different concept than what we usually read as 'spiritual'. It's more like energy is a finite force shared by all, and that individuals 'ride' that energy before being absorbed and 'saved' in the network they reference as Eywah. Since energy is finite and shared, it deserves deep respect. And the ready access that all Pandorans experience makes for an awareness that we humans, being cut off from shared life, tend to forget and/or ignore. So easy to exploit if we can overlook or stay blind to that community of life. Really love the Voice of Science provided by Grace (almost 'Grace of God') that legitimizes that community of life that Pandorans share not by ESP but by actual chemical biology. Note: the exploitation by humankind comes with a history and current state of literally 'killing their Mother', using up the planet Earth. In this film, Mankind is an invasive, toxic species. It's a planetary parasite that devours worlds. Cameron put in a LOT of time world-building. Some of this grows out of lifeforms he saw in oceans, but also was adapted to a different atmosphere and a lower gravity. He worked through how the creatures would have evolved, what characteristics they would share, such as 6 limbs (legs, arms, wings) and 4 digits (Navi have a thumb and 3 fingers to Navi-human avatars' thumb and 4). The one problem I personally have with the story is a cultural one: the idea that white humans can master and lead better than native peoples. There are numerous stories where white humans have 'gone native' and proven more superior than the natives they live with in saving the native group from disaster. It's too much hubris and arrogance for my taste, a little too racist (or in this case 'speciesist'). The white male savior is an offensive concept. If they were that exceptional, their communities wouldn't be headed straight into self-made disasters. Jake's bother Tom would have never transferred to Eywah; Tom died on Earth, before traveling with his avatar to Pandora. Tom never connected to the energy network that is Eywah or (even if he had connected with it) was never close enough to Pandora to pass to Her. So Jake can never be in contact again with his brother; that's a voice that is lost.

[@t0dd000]

The communication between the trees ... We have determined that this is a real thing. Not as anthropomorphic as in this film, but we now know that it is happening underground between plants right now.

[@tracyoliver6648]

Reminds me of a cross between Dances with Wolves and Fern Gully.

[@kingscorpion7346]

when Jon Favreau made the Disney movie The Jungle Book (2016), he used many of the animators that had been involved with making Avatar.

[@blackbenetavo7715]

Another thing to remember is that Avatar really launched the whole 3D movie fad, because it was so well done. I originally saw it in theaters in 3D and was absolutely blown away by how it enhanced the experience. No 3D movie that ever came after it ever felt as *right* for 3D as this one.

[@AnthonyMartin-k8m]

The forest at night in 3D in the theater was an experience not to be missed

[@CB-ju4mz]

I saw this 5 times and each time I needed recovery time in my seat. As a person that went to one of the first earth days ,the ecological and social lessons resonated quite strongly. It made me want to do much better.

[@Im_The_Dude]

God, I see you post a video and I’m clicking it faster than an old lady with a fear of spiders pressing her life alert after seeing an ant on the kitchen floor. Love your reactions!

[@delskioffskinov]

I remember watching it back in the day in 3D with my wife! I loved it so much at the end of the movie I jumped up and cheered and clapped then the wife grabs me so hard to sit down that i fell over! she was so angry at me for embaressing her in the cinema that she never spoke to me all the way home! (red flag!) I know! didn't spot till 5 years later (now divorced!) Lol! And Avatar is the only movie I have ever jumped up and clapped at! Love it!

[@chefskiss6179]

SO many questions, it boggles the mind. I'm glad you got out of that one!

[@Kinkoyaburi]

Glad you ditched her. If someone cannot forgive you stuff like that, they have their priorities wrong.

[@orbislame]

SNL did a whole sketch about the fact that this movie used papyrus as its font. Ryan Gosling is in it. It’s hilarious.

[@josiahhill4993]

You had to see this big screen, dark theatre, 3D.

[@Eidlones]

"Do they have...? They must" Jake! Why did you pull out your soup drinker? We're not even drinking soup right now!

[@maxducoudray]

I saw this movie once when it first came to theaters. I don’t even remember it by now. Should be fun to rewatch through this reaction.

[@danh8804]

this reaction can't help but be more interesting than the film itself was, and I haven't even started it

[@maxducoudray]

@@danh8804 Ha! You aren’t wrong, sir.

[@atomicwest995]

This is Dances With Wolves / Pocahontas / Last Samurai, theme-wise. Also, watch the SNL sketch about Papyrus, it’s brilliant.

[@t0dd000]

"It's about domination" ... Kinda like how we break horses.

[@3DJapan]

27:57 That's called subsurface scattering. It was relatively new when this film came out and it's hard to get it right.

[@andypham4216]

Dances with wolves: In Space!

[@frankbowman9493]

You were right about the themes again, of course. There was a special video about the making of this. As to formula, this reminds me so much of The Last Samurai: Westerner lives among the savages, finds a better life there, becomes the best of them, fights for their survival (of course in The Last Samurai they could not win because of the historical setting).

[@tomnorton8499]

Jake's brother would have had to been buried on Pandora for Jake to hear him but you saw him cremated at the beginning of the movie.

[@radwolf76]

The trivia about him starting in 1999 goes back to one of my favorite 90s animes, Battle Angel Alita. Cameron had seen it and bought the live action movie adaptation rights to the anime and it's source manga. After Titanic, he gave an interview, where one of the questions was what his next project was going to be. He'd said that he wanted to do Battle Angel Alita, but he didn't think the CGI tech at the time could do it justice, so he was going to do another film, a personal project, first as practice, and to help advance the state of the art. But then his little CGI Tech Test Run of a movie took so long to make, plus made so much at the box office that he was instantly set to work on the sequels, which were also going to take forever to make that he decided to hand over the directing of Alita to his friend, director Robert Rodriquez, while retaining the executive producer credit. (He also changed the order of the title wording so that it'd fall into the pattern of all his films starting with either "T" or "A".

[@TheJamieRamone]

13:07 - Yes that clearly is Papyrus. And a good ol' James Rolfe "What the hell were they thinking?!"

[@Beathoaven12]

Very nice reaction. I saw this 3 times at the cinema when it came out. Used every oportunity to see the reaction of someone who didnt see it already :) and you have a very soothing voice. have a great day

[@NicholasMcClure]

For someone who never watched it, you nailed the synopsis at the top! Good job.

[@martinbraun1211]

Please give STAR TREK a chance!

[@arielklay23]

1:58 Avatar is AWESOME for themes, much like Cameron's other films. He doesn't shy away from using cinema as his personal soapbox, but he is such a good filmmaker people don't seem to mind getting a lecture with their popcorn 🍿.

[@nathanastruthers]

This movie was a 3D landmark. It was not simply offered in 3D as some movies were at the time. This movie was completely made and designed specifically to be watched in 3D and triggered about a 3 year period where all major TV manufactures made 3D capable TVs using either active or passive 3D glasses. It’s a little sad but true that for anyone who didn’t watch Avatar in 3D, they didn’t actually watch the movie at all. If they make a sequel, you must watch it in 3D.

[@jean-paulaudette9246]

28:47 Yeah, exactly...I just keep remembering a quip from Mystery Science Theater 3000, the episode "Megalon vs. Godzilla," when they riffed "ACtion sequences filmed in Confuse-O-Vision!"

[@johntnguyen1976]

I work in VFX...and yeaaaaahhhh...this is about as hard as it gets... on EVERY level. Every corner of the production had to be firing on all cylinders to make this happen. Not every shot is perfect (obviously)....but for it to come together as it did...a minor miracle. :)

[@LitMo03]

22:33 wasn’t expecting the “mini golf” 😂 respect

[@anthonydean1743]

Most movies I remember seeing Stephen Lang in he plays the same similar strong character good or bad. With the exception of his character in the movie Tombstone, which he is almost unrecognizable in.

[@richhold7775]

1990 Pump up the Volume staring Christian Slater. I think you will enjoy the movie and the sound track.

[@Hortonfantastic4]

Wow! Excellent suggestion and not one ever watched by reactors. Amazing. If we are going obscure how about Clay Pigeons.

[@kingjellybean9795]

Lolol when they marched everyone off at the hummingbird horse made a noise and I immediately clocked it as the velociraptor

[@DaleBurgess]

Dances with Wolves would be a similar plot line

[@onlythemarkk]

coming back after seeing the plant scene in 3D was mad crazy

[@lethaldose2000]

I do feel there is a missed opportunity in this movie. When Grace tried to explain the power of the neural connections between the Navi the trees and the animals what she feels capitulate is the economic benefits that could be gotten from learning and mastering their technology. Yes, the Navi have technology, they have the ability to upload Consciousness into a neural network of plants and animals that is unless. In other words, the human consciousness could be kept forever. What would some of the richest people in the world pay to have that opportunity? That's the real question.

[@houseofaction]

that isn't technology

[@lethaldose2000]

@@houseofaction The definition of technology is the application of scientific knowledge for practical purposes or applications. Technology uses scientific principles, and applies them to change the environment in which we live. The Navi have practiced and mastered unexplained knowledge for practical purposes. Humans can learn from their knowledge is what I was saying.

[@jalen2287]

I like how you noticed the Papyrus font. SNL literally did a skit on it lmao.

[@feldegast]

When I 1st saw this in the cinema it was mind blowing, the transparent screens, the quality of the 3D, the created world.... Amazing, I saw Alice in Wonderland the following week and the 3D used in Alice was amateurish in comparison, all glass you see on Pandora is CGI real glass would have had reflections they would have had to remove in post... Everything outside on Pandora is CGI... the making of is great, the documentary can is actually a virtual camera inside the 3D environment...

[@kebernet]

it's Ferngully. Honestly, the thing that stands out to me is how much this movie "borrows" from the Blizzard video games for environments and vehicles and such. Which is turnabout because the Blizzard video games have been "borrowing" from Cameron's movies for decades. Also, WRT the fake handheld camera, part of the reason I don't think it works here vs other places I have seen it used in big CG heavy things is because a lot of the time the "camera" isn't anywhere. It isn't placed on something in the environment, but is just free floating around. The "handheld" look divorced from human hand physics makes it seem weird.

[@Nathanscottphilipps]

Smallscreen doesn't do it justice but still an impressive feat. On another note your an adult now. Nothing to stop you from getting a hammock for yourself. 6 years ago I bought a beautiful one handmade by indigenous people in Mexico. I use it when camping mostly but I am tempted to get the indoor clamps because they're good for your back.

[@roycevannorman6632]

In general, I am not a fan of movies in 3D. However, Avatar I was able to see in iMax 3D and it was absolutely epic! I remember that what impressed me the most in this movie were the CGI of Pandora and particularly the animals... The animals, their movements etc. were so believable. A lot of care must have been taken in the movement of the animals to make them so convincing.

[@Luciphell]

"Dances With Wolves", IN SPACE! 28:50 It comes from your intimate familiarity with film making. For everyone else, it's great.