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[Realmfighter]

When we don't even understand conditions on planets outside of our solar system and having no real understanding of other planets like ours existing, all bets are off and all assumptions we have on life can be changed.

 Unless Kirk is involved.

Jude was getting angry because others assumed that life would take a form that we already know exists, because its the only lifeforms we know about and therefor biased or something.

[Blacken]

Is it good? I'm still not sure. The story was competently told, if a bit Narm'd, if that's what you're asking.

Should you see it? Without question. It can carry itself for two and a half hours on visual appeal alone.

See it in IMAX. You will appreciate it.

[fenrif]

I really enjoyed it, the story isnt really anything new... If you've ever seen a sci-fi film before you'll be able to predict the plot after about 20 minutes. Its not really bad, just derivative.

But the visuals are what you're paying to see here, and unlike alot of other films that sell themselves on the visuals, avatar doesnt sacrifice coherency for it.

If you're going to watch it definatly go see it on the big screen.

[KaelGotDwarves]

I was making the point that there's almost no chance alien life forms would look like us, but according to our current knowledge of biology, conditions for life, including water, amount of pressure, DNA or rudimentary forms of it are necessary for "life".

That's the standard we're looking for on mars and europa.

Outside of that is purely speculation. If someone could synthesize DNA/RNA-less or non-carbon lifeforms... we would then have some interesting developments.

[Jude]

I was making the point that there's almost no chance alien life forms would look like us, but according to our current knowledge of biology, conditions for life, including water, amount of pressure, DNA or rudimentary forms of it are necessary for "life".

Wtf are you serious

I can't even think of an analogy for how ridiculous that is

[KaelGotDwarves]

I'm serious. Are you trying to discredit the entire branch of science known as biology and NASA's research into life not on our planet? I'm curious.

[G-Flex]

"Amount of pressure" is kind of a strange prerequisite, though. There's no reason to assume that even Earth-similar life could survive under different atmospheric pressure; hell, deep-sea life survives pressures much, much greater.

[Neruz]

The reason the aliens are humanoid is because humans are the intended audience.

Did you notice how the rest of the creatures on Pandora were all based around 6 legs, 4 eyes? Logically the Na'vi should have 6 legs and 4 eyes too, but that would make them too alien.

You want your aliens to be alien enough to seem alien, but not so alien that it's difficult to empathise with them, the director wants you to empathise with the aliens, to understand them, to feel sorry for them, the movie is supposed to tweak your emotions. It's extremely difficult to feel sorry for ravenous bugblatter beasts. Even District 9, with it's aliens that were essentially prawns, had to make them have a humanoid stance, mannerisms and eyes in order to let you empathise with them (and they did a truely supurb job).


The fact that the aliens are not very alien is not some sort of error or mistake on the part of the author, it's a restriction of the media, and it's deliberate, since the rest of the life on Pandora is cohesive, it's ovbious that the Na'vi were deliberately made humanoid due the fact that the intended audience is humans.



I really, really wish people would stop running around screaming that X sucks because the aliens aren't alien enough.


There's nothing wrong with the story, it's not a new story, but it's solid, implimented well and there are no major plotholes. The story is competant and polished rather nicely, if lacking in originality, but then again there are only about half a dozen unique story threads, so a lack of originality isn't surprising.

The visuals are stunning, absolutely stunning, i'm going to need to buy the DVD and watch it several times just so i can get the full idea of what's going on in some of the scenes; so much is happening, the backgrounds are beautiful, with the characters moving around purposefully and actually -doing- stuff instead of just sort of aimlessly ambling.


Avatar is beautiful; yes the combining alien and human DNA thing is rediculous, but that's why it's called fiction.

[KaelGotDwarves]

@gflex: Even the most extreme locations on earth are nothing compared to the big scheme of things in the universe. Earth is a very unique balancing point, which is why we are looking for "earth-like" planets.

However you want to look at it, we won the universal lottery for conditions of life to arise, and that's part of the beauty of being alive.

@neruz: I'm not saying the movie sucked or that the aliens aren't too alien enough, I just responded to claims about alien visual appearances and DNA.

[LegoLord]

The conditions on earth that created DNA aren't necessarily necessary for life.  Something of a similar nature of DNA - something that can self-replicate and carry information - is necessary for what we, in general, consider life.

Anyway, I haven't seen it, but I've heard from plenty other sources pretty much what's been said here.  Except that some wouldn't recommend seeing it in 3D.  Gave them headaches.

[Neruz]

The 3D is very good, to the point where lots of people complain of motion sickness and headaches, which i think is a pretty impressive achievement.

[JoshuaFH]

"Oh look, our 3d has made a lady vomit"
"Our work is done here."

[Neruz]

Hey; think about it. If you were flying on a four winged bird lizard thing through a battle like that with guns blazing all around you and missiles exploding left right and center, you'd probably vomit too.

[Vitamin P]

The posters in the bus shelters turned me off a bit... "islands in the sky" with trees growing on them has to be one of the oldest visual fantasy cliches. Plus mysteriously attractive human-like aliens.

[Jude]

I'm serious. Are you trying to discredit the entire branch of science known as biology and NASA's research into life not on our planet? I'm curious.

I'm not trying to discredit biology at all but it's just a real dumb assumption to assume that life on another planet would take the exact same form as life here. There's no reason why replicators have to take the exact same form as they did here. Who knows, other proto-life may well have formed on earth at some point that didn't use DNA/RNA and didn't last long enough to develop into anything.


Also to the long post about "aliens being alien enough" I never said anything like that, human-looking aliens are par for the course. Nice rant directed at nowhere though.