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[Sir T]

The Avalanche has already started. It is too late for the pebbles to vote [/Kosh]

[Khaldun]

I find a plot that hinges on the stupidity of a person in charge completely credible. Or for that matter, a plot that argues that a technologically superior society might underestimate the capabilities of other societies for a few battles. See Isandlwana. Or for that matter GW Bush's "Mission Accomplished" speech. But that doesn't mean that you get an automatic pass on that kind of plot: you need to explain why the stupidity of the person in charge has authority, or why the technologically dominant forces are underestimating the locals. Those aren't givens. Neither of those are static situations, either: usually when the dumb guy in charge gets enough people killed, he isn't in charge anymore (a point to Aliens) and usually when a technologically dominant power gets caught with its pants down, the next time around they come back with their big guns and fuck the locals up for real  (a point to WUA). Unless there's some non-technological non-technobabble reason why they can't do so (political opposition at home, legal or moral constraints, a need to preserve the political or social infrastructure of the indigenous society so that it can be of use to the colonizers).

[Venkman]

It is a really great episode and it's interesting to see someone actually tackling an aspect of how language works relating to a 'universal translator'.

Been more than a few years since I've seen it, but iirc, the concept was better than the execution. I think there were only five lines total, the ones that confused Picard until the end when he used the exact same ones with the rest of the crew left behind. A truly metaphorical language for a space-faring race would have a lot more source material from which to work.

Also, unfortunately it was about the only episode that dealt with the intrinsic problems of a universal translator that does little more than Google translate does today. Another lost opportunity to actually be sci-fi.

[Abagadro]

There was a lot more than just one metaphor. There were 8 or so. You really couldn't get more or the audience would get confused. It is a really good episode actually. Paul Winfield is great in it.

[Venkman]

Five, eight, the few metaphors didn't bother me as much (since I agree with you about audience confusion) as the fact that Picard used the exact same ones at the end to communicate with the remaining crew on the other ship.

[Abagadro]

What other ones was he supposed to use? Those were the ones he learned the meaning of so it was the only way he could communicate with them. The whole point was that the other captain tried to recreate the metaphor to create understanding and in the process he taught Picard some basics. It's like complaining the the kindergartner couldn't quote Shakespeare to you when you taught him Goodnight Moon.

[ShenMolo]

This looks like it should be called "Dances with Aliens".

Injured white soldier goes to live with the injuns. He falls in love with the simple, peacefeul, obviously-superior-in-every-way, culture of said injuns, and helps them fight the greedy, rapacious, technologically superior white-capitalist-imperialist military industiral complex [insert favorite anti-revolution boogeyman here].

The whole idea seems kinda tired to me.

[Mattemeo]

Empire's review

Despite the fact that I do agree with some of the more facetious Dances with Thundercats/Smurfgully comments made over the last year or so, I was never not going to see the movie, and while Empire's reviews are not always spot-on (they're doing a grand job lately of pretending they didn't over-criticise Iron Man in 07 with the sequel hypemachine in full gear now), this one certainly has me hungry for next friday.

[Lakov_Sanite]

All I had to read of that review was the top where it says '5 star, instant classic' to know it was full of shit.  Hell I'm even willing to believe it will be a good movie, one i may even enjoy but giving it full marks is just plain bullshit, this is not going to be a cinematic classic.

[Abagadro]

Not an indication of how it will all eventually play out, but it is running 100% fresh with 8 reviews in on rottentomatoes.

[Tale]

Simon Pegg (Shaun of the Dead) on Twitter after seeing premiere: "Avatar ........................ tweetless. Just tweetless in the best possible way."

"The movie is a game changer. Still buzzing."

[Goreschach]

Are we actually supposed to give two shits about the opinion of someone who non-ironically uses the phrase 'tweetless'?

[Tale]

Please catch up with the internet. We got over the ridiculousness of the word tweet some time ago. Simon Pegg has his wits about him and would tend towards scepticism, not hype. Therefore his opinion got me interested.

[Riggswolfe]

Please catch up with the internet. We got over the ridiculousness of the word tweet some time ago. Simon Pegg has his wits about him and would tend towards scepticism, not hype. Therefore his opinion got me interested.

Same here. If Shaun is floored by it then I may have to check it out.

[UnSub]

All the buzz I've heard about "Avatar" is good. I'm looking forward to seeing it and hope it really is something a bit different.

[HaemishM]

If it really is as good as the first few trickling reviews I've heard, then the marketing department should be fucking fired. The trailers have all made the movie look really trite and uninspiring.

[Riggswolfe]

If it really is as good as the first few trickling reviews I've heard, then the marketing department should be fucking fired. The trailers have all made the movie look really trite and uninspiring.

It wouldn't be the first movie that marketing fucked up on. Hell, by the marketing I thought GI Joe was going to be unwatchable shit and was pleasantly surprised to find an enjoyable popcorn flick. (not the greatest example but the first one that came to mind.)

[Mattemeo]

Are we actually supposed to give two shits about the opinion of someone who non-ironically uses the phrase 'tweetless'?

Considering this is a man who has made no secret of his revulsion of the Starwars Prequel trilogy in his personal life or indeed in the second series of Spaced, and considering the derision heaped on the Avatar footage seen in the last three months is of a very George Lucasian vein, I'll just focus on the positive nature of his first impression than worry about a stupid net-word.

[Brogarn]

If it really is as good as the first few trickling reviews I've heard, then the marketing department should be fucking fired. The trailers have all made the movie look really trite and uninspiring.

Words stolen straight from my brain.

[Sheepherder]

I was thinking that too but a babelfish is essentially the same as star trek in how it operates, thus creating the same problems with translation when you think about it.

The Hitchhiker answer is to not think about it.

[Vision]

Apparently Hollywood is having trouble marketing films without Paul Walker in them to lend his incredible acting ability and voice talent.
Oh Hollywood, send us more plastic robots so that emasculated men can make impulse purchases during Best Buy DVD sales. 

[Vision]

sorry about double post, accidently quoted myself and wasn't sure how to delete.

[Merusk]

Actually reading the reviews at RT, it looks like all the positives are for the technology (the movie is in that new 3d, that apparently most folks haven't seen.) while references to the story and characterizations all pan it.   The movie should be getting a MUCH lower rating than the 91% it currently holds, but once again teh shiny wins.

[Ratman_tf]

Hippy Dippy.   I love it when someone like Cameron uses their money and technology to tell us a story about how money and technology are bad. 

[WindupAtheist]

I find a plot that hinges on the stupidity of a person in charge completely credible.

Yeah, I should point out that I don't need the humans to somehow do everything without making any mistakes. As long as they restrict those mistakes to a somewhat believable "Dude Gorman, flamethrowers alone weren't going to be enough!" magnitude, and don't just have the entire army go full retard and forget that missiles can travel more than 500 feet, I'll be a happy enough camper.

But leaving technical nerd shit aside, this movie just ain't grabbing me. I couldn't give a fuck less about the effects technology. We're pretty much at the point where Hollywood can create any arbitrary image in convincing fashion for enough money anyway, and we know they spent enough money. I like Star Wars because I like that sort of quaint pirates-and-knights space opera feel, at least in small doses. Not because I fap to CGI. And nothing about the feel of this movie so far is tickling me.

[Gutboy Barrelhouse]

I live in the real world..... it's in the best 3D already 24x7.

[MrHat]

So does this mean that if you're going to watch this, you should drop the 20 bucks or whatever it costs to see it in 3D?

[Merusk]

That's certainly what I get out of the reviews.

[Draegan]

A newish Imax theatre was built near my dad's house.  I'm gonna take him sometime next weekish and see it in 3D.  Havn't seen a movie in 3D yet.

[Vision]

I've heard it compared by some to be this generations Wizard of Oz. Apparently the story is meh, but the technology alone makes it an instant classic.
I'd like to see it in IMAX.

[WindupAtheist]

Are there some uber effects we're just not seeing in the trailers that are supposed to OMG CHANGE EVERYTHING or is this it? So far it looks no better or worse than any other CGI-laden would-be blockbuster with a multiple hundreds of millions budget.

[Ingmar]

Are there some uber effects we're just not seeing in the trailers that are supposed to OMG CHANGE EVERYTHING or is this it? So far it looks no better or worse than any other CGI-laden would-be blockbuster with a multiple hundreds of millions budget.

3D.

[Samwise]

Isn't the current 3D fad already a few years old at this point?

[Merusk]

I've heard it compared by some to be this generations Wizard of Oz. Apparently the story is meh, but the technology alone makes it an instant classic.
I'd like to see it in IMAX.

Nothing that relies on technology that can't be replicated in the home can be an 'instant classic.'   The Home DVD will be in that awful red-blue 3d IF it has it at all, and that will be total crap as it always has been.

Isn't the current 3D fad already a few years old at this point?

It's only about a year and a half old for the "new" tech.   Brendon Frasier was the first guy I heard pimping it out, with Journey to the Center of the Earth.  He talked up the tech in a few interviews I'd heard, and how that movie was really just a testbed for the projectors and glasses tech, to shake out bugs before the "big" films started using it.   

[Sheepherder]

The deal is this incarnation supposedly doesn't cause nausea, vomiting, and headaches.