MODEST SUCCESS AVATAR TO BE SEQUELIZED TWICE

Oh, Jim.

Anyway, this should be a surprise for no one. Let's hope this gets closer to actually being great.

Oh, whoo. Jake can mindrape some sealife this time!

AVATAR was enjoyable, but should have been better. He might still do Cleopatra, maybe before Avatar 2 & 3 but I'd guess not:

"I haven't made any decisions about that," Cameron said of 'Cleopatra.' "But here's a decision - I'm not going to work on a film between ['Avatar'] two and three. It's really a question of whether or not I do [another film] between now and when we start two."

http://blog.moviefone.com/2010/10/20...r-2-cleopatra/

As an Ancient Egypt geek I'd be happy for him to do it.

While I question the need to revisit those specific characters again, I'd certainly be down for some sweet 3D underwater battles by Cameron. Consider me mildly interested.

I hate to do this here but what are your thoughts on Pixar's Cars?

I'd rather sit through the shitty first 20 minutes of Phantom Menace. In 2D. Kiss my balls, James Cameron.

Has no one seen what happens when you do two sequels at the same time? The Matrix, Pirates of the Caribbean, Critters 3 & 4 (thanks Wikipedia!), and Back to the Future (and look, I know the third is enjoyable but not nearly as strong as it should be).

The latter film of the sequels is a lot more likely to be a misstep.

Mr. Nunziata, I like what you write, and I enjoy your website. But at this moment, I am strongly of the mind you have poor taste in alien space flicks.

Good DAY sir.

You're entitled to that.

My problem with Avatar is never that it reused old ideas (the very nature of genre storytelling requires the recapitulation of old tropes and themes) but rather that it doesn't do anything with them at all. It just puts them up on the screen and says "look at them!" There's no original creative spark behind the charazterization and thematics. Its just "mean military guy" "military guy who gets natives" "corporate prick" "hippie scientist" "corporations are bad". Its totally half baked.

I'm with Nick on this. I loved Avatar, and I'm not going to apologize for it. Is it great or classic? Nope. Was it entertaining? I thought so. I mean, I love me some good, thoughtful, intelligent, meditative hard SF, but every now and then, I'm content to just kick back with some pulpy spectacle. At least I could see what was going on at all times, unlike some other ADD addled directors who get passes for making two and a half hour toy commercials.

Anyway, I'm down. Bring on the sequels.

You have my sword, Nick. Still enjoy the fuck out of that film, with every single sentiment you listed.

Now, having said that, screw the other projects. Any time Jim wants to dust off A Crowded Room, feel free.

I'm actually cool with the idea of sequels, because I'm hoping Cameron can work in all the cool ideas that were bafflingly cut from the first movie, leaving a plot skeleton in place of a script.

I liked Avatar so this is good news to me. I guess Cameron likes the ideas for the sequels or I don't think he'd be this enthusiastic about it. I just hope he can manage to make them visually distinct from the first film if they are still going to be set on Pandora. I guess we'll get the oceans of Pandora in one of the sequels. Then what? And how can he keep exploring environmental themes without becoming redundant?

Unless Pandora's oceans aren't blue we're going to get more of the same.

I'd be more interested in an indepth nature-show-style Discovery channel series ala THE FUTURE IS WILD or ALIEN PLANET. But whatev. I'll watch'em.

To clarify my feelings on this, I'm rather disappointed Cameron's going directly to Avatar sequels. I get that the money is good for them, there's no one else to do them, etc...But I would rather see this Cleopatra project, or Battle Angel Alita first. Those sound like infinitely more interesting projects for anyone, let alone Cameron, than followups to Avatar.

I will not raise arms against you all, good sirs, but if Kate comes in, there will be blood.

Nick,

I think my reputation as an AVATAR supporter is well known around these parts and beyond reproach. I loved the film, and am one of the most militant 3D Revolutionaries you'll find on this or any website (I like to think so, anyway). I harbor no resentments towards it, and don't really get the backlash.

With that said, I think this is pretty shitty news. Pandora was cool, but I have no desire to spend six more hours there (if we're going on the runtime of the previous entry in the series).

The idea of King James setting his sights on Ptolomaic Egypt with CLEOPATRA had me giddy with excitement. I wanted to see Comrade Cameron tackle something new and bring the Revolution to new genres and audiences. Even BAA sounded pretty neat. What doesn't sound neat though is to see him return to AVATAR to wallow in Pandora and generate pointless sequels for reasons purely economic instead of creative. There is no where left to take the story that I'd find particularly interesting. I don't give a crap about undersea Navi or whatever the next one will focus on. AVATAR was fantastic, but I've had my fill of that universe. Cameron is too talented to waste his time with turgid retreads, and I can't help but be disappointed by this announcement

At least he might still do Cleopatra one day, and by that time, Ms Jolie will be too old for the role. I'll try to take comfort in that

I wonder if a trilogy will spawn a true fandom/cult on the level of Trek or Star Wars. The fandom that came out of Avatar was...interesting, to say the least. And unexpected.

I spent some time on a French film website earlier this year, and everyone there was head over heels in love with AVATAR. The "backlash", such as it is, is a purely American phenomena I think. The French seemed to be part of the whole "Why isn't Pandora real !?" crowd

The Matrix and Pirates sequels were always going to be crap. Their scripts were poor, I don't think being shot back to back had anything to do with their poor quality. Lord of the Rings proves being shot back to back doesn't lead to poor films.



I really don't think Avatar will lead to an enduring level of fandom because it was the technical detail and 3d that impressed people foremost. Whereas with Star Wars and Star Trek, the stories were what people loved.

You missed the main point of my argument, which is that when you film them back to back, you don't have any chance to step back and address unforseen issues. In both Pirates and the Matrix sequels, it seems like a chance to respond to critical feedback and work on the script for the third film would have resulted in better movies.

And LOTR was a gamble that worked, and BTTF one that mostly worked. Still, a ~50% success rate is not amazing.

I see your point, and I mostly agree. If they have an opportunity to change the director in a franchise I think they would have a chance to change direction. But in franchises like Avatar and the Matrix where its the same people directing and writing it all, I don't see them making significantly better or even different films with a break. Similar to how Lucas couldn't make better films despite having lots of criticism and feedback after every prequel.

Having received reams of hate mail, and enjoyed a fair share of Twitter harassment when I dared to analyze it on a racial basis, I can honestly say there was no such thing as an American backlash.

The letters I got were terrifying. I don't think I've ever seen a film inspire such a persecuted majority complex before.

But people on a French film website loved it ...

Whoever loved it, I'm happy for them. I just don't want them harassing me if I didn't! That made for one scary December.

Cameron really disappointed me with Avatar. Yes, the effects and action were pretty great, but the story was truly dull and the characters (other than Weaver's character) weren't engaging at all. It was a masterfully crafted bore fest. I have no confidence in Cameron anymore and no desire to see the sequels.

Avatar is the "30 Days of Night" of sci-fi movies.

Yeah well the French think Jerry Lewis was a comedic genius so ya know, watchagonnado...

As an epic, visual spectacle Avatar worked for me. The story and characters were thin and weak even the story just doesn't linger.

I like it for what it is but even for Cameron it was a step down plot wise.

Devin's Project 880 script review cemented how watered/dumbed down Avatar was compared to Cameron's more complicated original draft.

Personally as far as these sequels go I have very little interest and would have liked to have seen what he did with Battle Angel Alita. Oh well nice move securing Cameron Fox.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PAljum3boB0

Pretty cool from him. Some real-life activism and a nice cameo by a certain cyborg.

I love the classic Arnie laugh at the end... sounds like he's getting ready to eat Jim.