It's amazing the difference that a bit of dialogue can make

[andrewducker]

I wasn't very impressed when I first saw the trailer for Avatar (the new James Cameron movie).  It looked too much like a computer game, and I came away without any real feel for it.

Then I saw the trailer at the cinema, and that was better, because it just looked _better_ in 3D on the big screen.  Still not amazing though.

This trailer has a lot more dialogue, and is finally starting to click with me.  It now looks like a movie I'd like to see.  Full of cliches, and pretty simple by the looks of things, but like it might at least be a lot of fun.

Comments

[drainboy.livejournal.com]

I feel the same. Looked cartoony and cliched, though I always wanted to watch it just for the visual experience (one of the few films I'd bother making a bee-line for the 3D screen for).

Whilst I think the proper trailer is better I'm still expecting cliched cartooniness.

Watched Cloverfield last night for the second time and it reminded me what you could do with interesting sci-fi (much like District 9). Given the man helped make the genre what it is, I'm surprised Cameron hasn't offered up something better from Avatar....then again, he still might.

[andrewducker]

Except that, say, Terminator and Aliens are both also terribly cliched. Simplistic plots, over the top dialogue and lots of explosions are the order of the day.

But he takes those things, sucks you in, and makes them fun, because he's damn good at it.

[drainboy.livejournal.com]

True, to some extent. Unfortunately my knowledge of film history is pretty rubbish, maybe you (or someone else) can name prior films with
a) a proper war film against aliens
b) planet terraforming (I'm guessing this will be an easy one)
c) hydraulic suits (with fighting action)
d) liquid metal reforming into different shapes (with or without actual special effects)
e) AI taking over the world
f) ...and sending cyborgs back in time to win a future war
g) a role that could make Schwarzenegger look like a competent actor

I'm not saying they don't exist, obviously (except g), nor that there weren't aspects of his films that were highly cliched (especially the war aspects) and the dialogue wasn't cringe worthy in places. Hopefully avatar will have as many un-cliched parts as his other films as well :)

[andrewducker]

Oh, he absolutely takes existing things and puts a cool spin on them, and makes good use of new tech in cinema. The CGI in T2 still stands up because it wasn't overdone.