Star Wars News

[greenman]

Avatar was really a combination of being the biggest tentpole 3D film thus far and being Camerons return with the Titanic formula returning as well.

Not up to much as a film overall but the action scenes were excellent.

[mobias]

What are you talking about? There've been loads of them:

Spy Kids 3
The Adventures of Shark Boy and Lava Girl
The Polar Express
Chicken Little
Monster House
Meet the Robinsons
Open Season
The Ant Bully
Journey to the Centre of the Earth
Bolt
My Bloody Valentine
Coraline
Monsters Vs. Aliens
Up
The Final Destination
A Christmas Carol (the Jim Carrey one)
Beowulf
Scar
Fly Me to the Moon
Battle for Terra
Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs
G-Force
Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs

The technology used for the shooting of Avatar was different though. It was pretty much the first to use a 3D fusion camera system so the film was actually shot in 3D. Films that are retrofitted to become 3D never look as good as ones that are filmed with two image fusion cameras side by side. Also, projection systems have changed since Avatar came out to show 3D. Pretty much every major cinema is now fitted with RealD 3D projection technology.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fusion_Camera_System

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RealD_3D

[Bad Ambassador]

It wasn't the first and you're changing the subject.

[Kelvin]

It wasn't the first and you're changing the subject.

It wasn't the first, but it was pushed as the first "true" mainstream 3D film, made specifically with 3D in mind and mastering that technology. Other films had obviously come first, but for whatever reason, that was the first film that was seen as a 3D "event" film; the film you had to see in 3D and which was supposedly going to change the way we watched films forever. It was the first film where 3D wasn't perceived as a gimmick, but an essential part of the experience.

Turned out it was a gimmick and nothing really changed, but that was how it was promoted and talked about at the time.

[Default to the negative]

I wish I'd seen Avatar in the cinema, because I've heard that it was much better than the 3D films which came after it. All the 3D films I've seen have been blurry messes. This might mean that I'm one of those people who can't perceive it properly— makes sense, because I'm short-sighted and I have to wear the 3D glasses over my normal specs.

But the people who told me Avatar had good 3D, have also told me that all their subsequent 3D films have looked bad in comparison.

[St_Eddie]

I've re-watched The Force Awakens via a pirated copy.  I had completely forgotten that there's a little Welsh fellow at one point in the movie.  An odd directorial decision to be sure...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OZIEHzZwSao

[Default to the negative]

What if there had been an actual Welsh character in the film? Is the world ready for that?

Given the public reaction to the Scottish character, I would have to say no.

[Replies From View]

'Life of Pi' and 'Gravity' are the only two films I've seen in 3D.  I haven't even seen 'Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare'!

[Replies From View]

What if there had been an actual Welsh character in the film? Is the world ready for that?

Given the public reaction to the Scottish character, I would have to say no.

Welsh and Scottish people aren't in 3D yet, so it's pointless filming them that way.

[Pepotamo1985]

Bit late to the party on this as I've only just watched it. However...

I thought the first three quarters or thereabouts were fantastic. So fantastic, I not only forgave but completely ignored the obviously aimed at kids schmaltz, the farcical battles, the overly tidy narrative (it was all so fucking easy, and it all fitted together just so fucking neatly), the relentless deus ex machina, the farcical comedy spots, the plot holes, the direct lifts dressed up as reference, homage and contextual continuity. The kind of stuff that would really irritate me in most other films, to the point where I'd probably leave the cinema. But no - I gleefully and enthusiastically suspended my disbelief. It was easy to get emotionally invested in the characters in short order, and most crucially, what happened was actually exciting. I was suddenly a Star Wars fan again.

All this good will was pissed away in the last 30-40 minutes, to the point where I started to get retrospectively irritated by the ludicrousness I witnessed in the rest of the film, and started questioning it.

On balance though, I guess, it's a pretty good movie, with some great direction, top visuals and some fab turns. Here's hoping the inevitable sequel restores that initial goodwill...

[Mr_Simnock]

t wasn't the first, but it was pushed as the first "true" mainstream 3D film, made specifically with 3D in mind and mastering that technology. Other films had obviously come first, but for whatever reason, that was the first film that was seen as a 3D "event" film; the film you had to see in 3D and which was supposedly going to change the way we watched films forever

Sorry to side track but no it isn't as films released in the 50's and 60's were sold on and hyped up as what you state above films that were touted as events and would change the way films would be made forever and they too amounted to fuck all change. It's all been done before and I am baffled why anyone thinks Avatar was first in anything outside of a few technical production methods.

Back to the main topic Fortean Times magazine gives TFA quite a good review and gives it 6/10. It states it's much better than the prequels but misses too many opportunities to do more with the star wars universe and doesn't like it's heavy borrowing of the first trilogy.

[Kelvin]

Sorry to side track but no it isn't as films released in the 50's and 60's were sold on and hyped up as what you state above films that were touted as events and would change the way films would be made forever and they too amounted to fuck all change. It's all been done before and I am baffled why anyone thinks Avatar was first in anything outside of a few technical production methods.

I should have added "for modern audiences", probably.

It was promoted as - and became - the first must see 3D experience for modern audiences, and combined with the extortionate price of 3D tickets, that pushed the film to it's impossibly high box office, in spite of it not being a particularly memorable or good film.

[Glebe]

I thought the first three quarters or thereabouts were fantastic. So fantastic, I not only forgave but completely ignored the obviously aimed at kids schmaltz

BB-8 is not annoying like Jar Jar, despite being very prominent a lot of the time. I guess it's cause he's so sweet, and is mostly used to move the plot along. And also it helps that at least he's not actually Jar Jar...

All this good will was pissed away in the last 30-40 minutes, to the point where I started to get retrospectively irritated by the ludicrousness I witnessed in the rest of the film, and started questioning it.

Spoiler alert

The Starkiller Base and the way it's defeated, just like the Death Star

[close]

, is the worst thing in the movie. A cheap, obvious rethread.

[momatt]

I reckon you could edit the Starkiller out of the film completely, without it making much difference.

[checkoutgirl]

BB-8 is not annoying like Jar Jar, despite being very prominent a lot of the time. I guess it's cause he's so sweet, and is mostly used to move the plot along. And also it helps that at least he's not actually Jar Jar...

My favourite Jar Jar critique is this. As usual if you want to get to the nub of the matter you've got to ask a schizophrenic.

Wesley Willis - Jar Jar Binks

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_nrEwHVVcvU

[Pepotamo1985]

BB-8 is not annoying like Jar Jar, despite being very prominent a lot of the time. I guess it's cause he's so sweet, and is mostly used to move the plot along. And also it helps that at least he's not actually Jar Jar...

Yeah, I was quite fond of him/her. At least initially - all that shit with R2-D2...fucking awful.

Spoiler alert

The Starkiller Base and the way it's defeated, just like the Death Star

[close]

, is the worst thing in the movie. A cheap, obvious rethread.

Yeah. The immense ease with which it's taken down is almost insulting, as well.

[Shaky]

As an aside, I've just heard about some of Lucas' genuine, unused name suggestions for The Force Unleashed game (2008):

- BJ Dart
- Darth Insanius
- Darth Icky

Bloody hell.

[An tSaoi]

And the Emperor was originally going to be called Cos Dashit. That's right kids.

For fuck's sake.

[Default to the negative]

I don't know if George came up with this one himself, but he must have greenlit it.

http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Jizz

The "jizz" instruments sound like they're straight out of Roger's Profanisaurus.

Jizz-box
Kloo horn
Peel rod

[idunnosomename]

I don't know if George came up with this one himself, but he must have greenlit it.

http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Jizz

The "jizz" instruments sound like they're straight out of Roger's Profanisaurus.

Jizz-box
Kloo horn
Peel rod

Oh come on, you can't miss these out, which still sound pretty rude to me:
Fanfar
Clak Beepbox
Dorenian Beshniquel
Ploong sounder

And my favourite:
Slitherhorn (traz)

To be fair to George this is fancruft bollocks that he surely knows nothing whatsoever about, like what the buttons do on Darth Vader's chest plate ("Which one of these calls your parents to come and pick you up")

[Glebe]

They do sound very rude. I love the fact that one of the instruments is merely a 'mood synthesizer':

http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Mood_synthesizer

"Mood synthesizer" may very well be a reference to the real-world Moog Synthesizer.

Yes. Yes, it could well be.

[Onken]

[Replies From View]

Why do Stormtroopers have to stand in cat litter trays sometimes?  I've never understood that.

[mothman]

I saw a fun thing on YouTube where some redneck used one if those 3ft First Order stormtrooper figures to make a Halloween costume for his son. Heck of a lot of work but the end result was impressive.