Avatar [2009]

[Bmat]

I was wondering about both of these films. The Sherlock one seems high in computer graphics, judging by the ads on TV, which I think I would find unpleasant in a film supposedly set in pre-computer times.

Avatar is doing remarkably well for its second weekend, taking in a whopping $75 million and only dropping 3% in its second week. Its likely that folks in the now storm-free eastern USA helped boost that figure. Sherlock Holmes also opened quite strong as the two films lead the way to a new box office record for the weekend. Excerpts from Yahoo:

It was a memorable and merry Christmas in Hollywood as moviegoers shattered box-office records, responding in droves to a diverse array of high-profile releases over the holiday weekend.

The estimated $278 million in weekend box-office revenue broke the previous record of roughly $253 million set in July 2008, the weekend "The Dark Knight" was released.

A diverse group of films drew throngs to the multiplexes: James Cameron's "Avatar" pushed strongly into its second week while "Sherlock Holmes," "Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel" and "It's Complicated" all opened.

"Avatar," the 3-D epic, topped them all, earning $75 million for 20th Century Fox, according to studio estimates Sunday. Remarkably, that was only a 3 percent drop from its opening weekend total of $77.4 million. (Blockbusters typically drop 30-50 percent in the second weekend.) In its 10 days of release, "Avatar" has made $212 million domestically — and could be on its way to a worldwide gross of over $1 billion.

"This thing is going to be playing and playing, I can tell you that," said Bert Livingston, 20th Century Fox distribution executive. "There's a lot of business out there. Everybody's got good movies out."

In second was "Sherlock Holmes," Guy Ritchie's reboot of the franchise with Robert Downey Jr. starring as Arthur Conan Doyle's detective. The Warner Bros. film opened with a weekend total of $65.4 million, including a record Christmas Day debut of $24.9 million.

It was a start that seemed sure to pave the way for sequels. Dan Fellman, head of distribution for Warner Bros., called the result "sensational."

<snip>

"It's an absolutely fitting end to the biggest box office year of all time," said Paul Dergarabedian, box-office analyst for Hollywood.com. "It's just been a total roller coaster ride. It's like audience members are on board."

2009 still has several days to go, but the year is already a record for domestic ticket sales with more than $10 billion at the box office. That surpassed the $9.7 billion mark of 2007.

<snip>

Hollywood also seemed to be offering good ol' spectacle to moviegoers. "Avatar" grossed $8.8 million in IMAX theaters, actually increasing from its opening weekend. IMAX chairman and president Greg Foster said they were operating essentially at capacity.

"There is no context," said Foster. "It's so far beyond where we've ever been. It's not eking past a record, it's shattering it."

[Ariel]

An amazingly beautiful world with highly imaginative creatures. Visually stunning! Highly imaginative and profound film. Must see!!!!!

[Curtisrj]

Yes Avatar is somewhat predictable( except for it's happy ending, which I loved) but that is because of its more a child of history than fantasy. If Avatar had been brutally realistic the natives would have been murdered and enslaved, their world strip mined and their culture and history corrupted and commercialized.
The most fantastic aspect of Avatar is its happy ending not its appearance which blew me away.
The only thing I really disliked about the movie was all G---Ds I heard in it. Why is it the only people Hollywood doesn't mind offending are Christians?
But writer's write from their heart. Mr. Cameron is obviously an unbeliever -a typical worldly artist. I should have remembered that. When one buys a movie ticket to a Hollywood movie one gets what they pay for.
Avatar was an entertaining movie a fast dazzling and dizzying 142 minutes. I'd pay to see it again but only if could delete the bad language. Ray.

[The Master]

I honestly didn't notice cursing but if you consider movie ratings that would be treated as a mild curse so it doesn't elevate the movie rating like say a series of F bombs (like you would expect to hear from a bunch of mercenaries) would.

[The Master]

The juggernaut continues, courtesy of MSN:

The big blue aliens of "Avatar" are still packing movie fans into theaters.

James Cameron's science-fiction epic took in $68.3 million domestically to remain the No. 1 movie for the third-straight weekend, raising its domestic total to $352.1 million in just 17 days. With $670 million more overseas, "Avatar" climbed to a worldwide total of $1.02 billion.

[spknoevl]

I found the Fern Gully comparisons pretty accurate - I kept thinking I had seen much of this before, albeit without the next generation computer graphics. I've read that Cameron originally planned this a part of a trilogy and a second film is already in the works.

[Bmat]

I hadn't planned on seeing Avatar today, but my husband and I were near the theater when the showing started, so we decided to go. It was thrilling, and thank goodness, predictable. The effects were so remarkable that I stopped seeing them as effects. The pacing was fast the whole way through. Very good movie.

[Spiderkeg]

I saw this movie last weekend in 3D, and was pretty pleased. I hadn't really felt like going, but was persuaded. When asked about the movie I was told, "Dances with Wolves... but in space!"

Pretty accurate description. I'd see the movie again.

[Starfire]

Over the holdiays watched this on streaming internet over a WII. (Have no idea how they pulled that off) Anyway, it was rather predictable and not a great story. As you can guess the image quality was rather bad on streaming. Perhaps without the visuals it's just not the same.

[Boikat]

Saw it again this morning. What can I say, I had a Gift Card, so it was free.

I still love the scene when Naytiri introduces Jake to the Banshees. That flight sequence is one of the most awesome flight scenes ever put to film, IMPO. The scenes with Naytiri and Jake flying the banshees together is also great, especially the "race down the cliff".

[guruhits]

Best movie of year 2009!

[Boikat]

Avatar on DVD. It didn't lose much sans the #D. I still was "emersed" in the movie experiance for the ntire 162 minutes. When Natiri showed Jak the Mountain Banshee and started to fly, it still sucked the air out of my lungs. Still spectacular effects, even on a 19 inch flat-screen. And not bad at only 16.00, and some change, at Wally-World (Wal-Mart) Blue-ray =standard DVD for about 20.00.