Avatar takes $242m globally in first weekend

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/94f9e866-ee99-11de-944c-00144feab49a.html?nclick_check=1

I can't wait to see this movie. I love Fantasy/sci-fi. My son went to see this in Perth last weekend at an IMAX cinema. Haven't heard how he liked it. Has any member seen this new movie?

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0499549/

Candy has been to see it and commented in Movies - discuss them here section

It looks dreadful.

For once I agree with you, Dara. Looks like a load of typical overhyped Hollywood hogwash. Even the ads I've seen on TV are cringeworthy and frankly, embarrassing to sit through.

The last high budget film I'd seen was also devoid of a decent plot (and the dialogue was even worse ). Sure, I'll concede that the special effects were very well done, but it simply wasn't enough to distract attention away from the film's glaring shortcomings. Give me memorable dialogue and well constructed characters anyday.

That said, I have no interest in seeing Avatar. I'm sure that it's a technical achievement, but that's to be expected from a film with such an obscenely high budget. Give it another week, coupled with all of the rave reviews and the film will break even in no time.

OMG!!!! Guys this movie is AWESOME!!!!!!!  

You guys... Dara and Silly, have NO TASTE! I bet neither of you like Fantasy/Sci-fi!
I will be paying attention to Candy and Taz' opinions of the movie

If you haven't seen it Suzi that's a bit unfair to just knock our opinions
I actually do like fantasy and sci-fi. I grew up with sci-fi, that's my dads thing.
I just thought Avatar looked.. if you take out the special effects and everything, and just leave in place the plot, acting, script etc.. it looked pretty rubbish. Mainly the trailer was bugging me, it just made me think, here is a totally hyped up movie and the dialogue sounds like something a 12 year old would have come up with.

I was only having a friendly dig Dara.   I know I have not seen it but since my taste in Movies are in keeping with Taz and Candy I reckon I will love it. If my son who hasn't commented yet as he works 12-18 hour days, liked/loved it then I know I will also.  
Candy, I have heard that the 3D experience in an IMAX can be very motion sickening.

I went and saw it last week and I thought it was great. The 3d effects were cool and maybe it was just me but the 3d effects seemed to be more evident in the first 40-60 minutes of the movie and then kinda dropped off and was only noticeable here and there throughout the rest of the film. The battle scenes at the end seemed to be more vibrant when viewing the screen without my glasses on and I noticed others in the theatre taking them off in some scenes aswell. If I went and saw it again I'd see a normal screening but thats just me and don't let this discourage you from seeing it 3d, some of the things were pretty cool and you'd probably enjoy as much as I did.

As for the movie itself I thought it was good. The acting was solid and although the script could have been better the dialogue was good enough to carry the story through. Seeing the native race on Pandora, the Naa'vi, and the world they live in was absolutely breathtaking. The Naa'vi culture appears to be a melting pot of primitive cultures from around the world and you get the sense that that was the idea James Cameron was trying to put across to the viewer as if to say that in a sense we were the the Naa'vi once but advancement in technology has grown us apart from mother nature.
I remember coming out of the cinema thinking that I've seen this movie before and I have, and this may sound wierd but if someone asked me to describe this film with the title of 3 other movies I'd say 'Apocolypto', 'Dances with Wolves' & 'The Last Samurai'.

This movie is not without its faults and for a 3 hour movie I would have expected abit more character development with more of the secondary characters. Unless James Cameron decides to bring them back and flesh them out abit more in a sequel, I felt that he could have done more in the way of trying to get the viewers invested on a characters well being a bit more. Sometimes I didn't care whether he or she died because I just hadn't known them well enough. Also the Battle scenes at the end while visually stunning were imho technically clumsy and could have been thought out abit more since they apparently had almost a decade to think this all through.

All in all I thought it was a great film and one you should really watch on the big screen to truly appreciate. As I said before its a story full of cliches that we've all seen before but the its done so well you just don't care.

Thanks for that great review CS!

I saw it today with my sister, my cousins and their friend. $20 each, and the big cinema was sold out hours in advance so we had to go to some Mandarin cinema next door. Anyway it wasn't as bad as I made out, it was quite good. There'd be no point seeing it not in 3D. That was the best bit I guess, although 3D does compromise the picture quality a bit. Storyline, predictable, acting quite good on the whole, graphics great. Not worth $20 though, and I agree with the above about character development. They killed my favourite character [the pilot girl].

Overall - 6/10 - "ok"

I saw the 2D on the Vmax screen and even the 2D was worth seeing.  I think I agree with Complicatedsimplicity and may also add tinges of Titanic (the lowly 2nd class Naa'vi and then he changes his mind when he becomes one).

And perhaps even a little Abyss

My son has given me his opinion on AVATAR and said it is very good and he enjoyed it immensely BUT when Independence Day first came out it was just as good as was LOTR Trilogy. I know I will enjoy it like he did because we have the same tastes in Movies.

I'm looking forward to hearing your review Suzi. I do think Complicated summed it up very well!!  

Australia's Sam Worthington has certainly made a big splash with this one!!

maybe in a few weeks I will see it. My chauffeur doesn't want to see it. Not to her tastes

I will have to wait to see it by other means.