Why I’m Not Seeing Avatar
I first heard of Avatar several months ago, possibly more than a year.
Normally, there would be nothing remarkable about that; after all, I search for information about the barely-greenlit Ghostbusters 3. I read HPANA (on RSS, even). I follow the development of rumored movies for embarrassing amounts of time, and I’m one of the three people who noticed there was a Lost Boys sequel.
No, what was notable about the first mention I saw of Avatar was that it was a mainstream news article. And it claimed that the sci-fi fanboy community was buzzing.
Oh, really? I wondered. I looked it up and determined it was some James Cameron film that promised to be epic. Since there was virtually no buzz at any of the sites I frequented, it slid out of my mind. Months later, I caught the trailer at either a showing of Inglourious Basterds or District 9. Visually, it sort of reminded me of Fern Gully, but I felt like the trailer showed the whole film. I was mildly interested, but soon forgot about it.
Then, in November, the media blitz began in earnest. And I began to get annoyed.
It wasn’t the constant commercials that were the problem – lots of big-budget movies advertise ad nauseum. It wasn’t even the numerous appearances of the film’s stars and Cameron himself on talk shows – that, too, is pretty standard.
It was something about the attitude of the talk show hosts, of the mainstream media. It said to me, Here’s some science fiction that’s not too weird – science fiction with the James Cameron name. It was like watching someone’s parent, or your fifth-grade teacher, try to be cool and knowledgeable about what the kids like.
That, coupled with the constant references to the fanboy buzz that still didn’t seem more than what you would expect with the constant hype – it began to rub me the wrong way.
Then I was faced with the ultimate insult.
Avatar infiltrated Bones.
For those who don’t watch TV, Bones is a cute procedural TV show based on the life and writings of forensic anthropologist Kathy Reichs. It airs on Fox, which unfortunately seems obligated to hype Avatar in any way possible, and one of the minor actors on the show has a role in the movie.
So, the B plot of an entire episode featured some supposedly nerdy scientists trying to sneak out of their jobs to wait in line for more than a day – to see Avatar. Complete with “fanboys” in blueface.
Product placement is obnoxious in almost every context, but this was over-the-top. Drooling adults watched the trailer on the show. They said the name of the movie with reverence that would seem weird even in the context of Star Trek or Harry Potter. And maybe I could have even stomached that, if this were truly a movie with a movement that devoted and widespread – but I have yet to witness this in person.
Now, I understand, maybe the Bones writers were misguided. Los Angeles is a completely different world, where so many people are in the entertainment business in one form or another, with a completely different culture. Maybe, in the writers’ worlds, there was that much buzz and anticipation going on. But to the rest of the country (unless I live in some strange, Avatar-less bubble), it was ridiculous and came off as pandering to the mother company.
It was like that episode combined the two elements that were bothering me the most – the hype, and the furthering of the myth of some grassroots Avatar fanbase.
I acknowledge that maybe I simply missed the boat completely on this fanbase. I know there certainly are fans out there, but I wouldn’t have put them on the level of people who looked forward to Watchmen or even a big-budget film like The Dark Knight. Still, I know I don’t have eyes everywhere on the internet, and I’m not personally insulted by the idea that there might be fan movements I don’t know about. It’s just that this one seems so… fabricated.
I also acknowledge that now that the movie has come out, a few of my friends have said that the movie is even good. I might check it out when it’s on DVD or HBO. But for now, I’m not paying ten bucks to go see it in a theater. I don’t want to support bloated, unnecessary advertising and word-of-mouth from Kathie Lee and Hoda.
And I want Fox to keep their movie-of-the-season the hell away from one of my favorite TV shows.
J is the Assistant Dream Girl. When she's not writing, helping her wonderful geeky clients find love, or playing the French horn, she's usually glued to a video game controller. (Email j, or follow @jdreamgeek on Twitter.)
Contextual ads are hitting all channels: video games, TV, movies, internet, etc.
The latest to antagonize me is radio traffic reports. The dude in the chopper gives his report, and without taking a breath and still using his authoritative radio voice he dives into a spiel about a local lube and muffler shop.
The nuances of context are still being figured out. I call it the uncanny ad valley.
I’ll be on my laptop while my wife watches TV (she watches Bones too) and some ad or product placement will tick me off and I’ll yell at the TV. Wife says shut up. I take my context and go.
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Its amazing how many people don’t know about “lost boys 2″ even those who are major fans of the 1st one.
You are right, that episode of bones was annoying, At times it was more about Avatar than solving the crime.
I would agree with and completely understand your frustration with over-hype and/or manufactured hype of movies…or any media these days. I miss a lot of it because I canceled my cable years ago and only watch shows I download or through Hulu. That being said, just last night I found myself getting slightly pissed off at the gratuitous use of the Palm Pre (the phone I own I might add) in the latest episodes of Flashforward. They actually zoomed in to show the person flipping through “cards” in the OS…annoying and unnecessary.
However, despite how annoyed you are with the marketing blitz, I still highly recommend seeing this movie before it leaves theaters. Highest on the list of reasons why would be the 3D aspect. For the record, I am still not sold on the idea the 3D is as hot as the industry seems to think we think it is. But for this specific movie, it is THE WAY to see it and is totally worth your ten bucks.
Forgive the shameless self promotion, but I can’t really say anything here better than I said it already in my review, so check it out if you’ve the time.
http://taooftrav.blogspot.com/2009/12/avatar-perfect-movie.html
I feel a bit torn on the subject as well. And I complete agree with J that I didn’t see any grassroot fans myself. Now I must admit that I was really excited about the pre-commerical hype for Avatar (I thought they were talking about the new Avatar the Last Airbender live action movie which is coming out summer of 2010, so I thought it was coming out early. Now in my defense it had the same font as the Avatar I was thinking of).
My husband and I are both big sci-fans and well versed in classic science fiction novels. Now when we heard the movie was based on a book it was a big turn off for me (I rarely find a movie that does a book justice). But my husband is still dying to see it. I have heard great things from most of my friends but I guess I am still reluctant (I haven’t seen Bones but if my favorite TV show got changed into a commercial for a movie, I would be pissed too).
I think the reason I will ultimately breakdown and see it because my husband hasn’t been to an IMAX movie before and really really wants to (now if we miss it in IMAX, I will be off the hook). But then again I have never seen a movie see out into 2 IMAX movie theaters every showing since it came out.
I do have to agree with Johnn in that contextual advertising is still finding its place, but product placement in shows like Bones is old hat. Friends had a “Pottery Barn” episode that was nothing but a large product placement for the prodcuts. TVTropes (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/ProductPlacement) has a detailed list of where this is parodied, lampshaded and seriously placed.
So while I understand your point, how it grated on you, and admit it would have grated on me as well it’s only going to get worse as more and more companies try to place products on shows to sell products.
Personally if I had the advertising budget I would do the same thing, hopefully just in a more graceful manner.
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I can respect your position on this, but I too simply have to say “go see it”. It’s an experience not to be missed. Among my group of geeky friends, the question is not “have you seen Avatar yet?”. The question is “How many times have you seen it so far? Want to see it again? I thought so”.
I fully support your decision not to see it because of the overabundance of marketing. I’ve made decisions like that myself. Sadly, those kinds of decisions won’t effect change for the majority is easily swayed. You can piss off 10,000 people with your marketing and usually be guaranteed that 10 million will respond to it.
As for the movie: Fancy graphics, yes. Quality … meh. I did go see it, in 3D even. It was fancy but lacked any kind of substance. If the movie ended 3/4 of the way through it would have been a great story. As is, it equated to pretty hypnobabble that needed that much marketing to get people hyped about it. My opinion might be harsh, but that is really the impression it left me with.
It was a movie that was easy to immerse in for me. If I was to venture an opinion, and have that opinion matter, then it would be this.
I think you need to relax and enjoy life a little more. You using this blog to get people *not* to see it because you have a readership that listens is no different than them paying to advertise it on a show that has a high number of viewers. Both of you want to sway people to an action.
I saw that Bones episode and, although it was an ad, it was *funny* to me. My entire family watched it and laughed. We also watched Avatar in 3D and it floored us. Fern Gully was a great comparison to this one, as the plot was similar. Simple. Powerful.
This is the kind of movie that made me want to go there, to live on Pandora as one of the Nabi (however it’s spelled). Lord of the Rings did that as well — although they butchered the plot and characters.
As to the plot, again I say, “So what?” It is for entertainment and I was entertained. It was worth more than what I paid for it and I will see it again, possibly after I get done writing this. I think you are just spouting anger at not having the same old show on Bones. The focus was not on Avatar, but on the three fanboys trying to hide it from their co-workers. I have done that very thing — although without quite so much subterfuge — and I though the ordeal was hilarious.
So, if I had an opinion that matters – which I am aware it doesn’t – that is what I would say. And also this.
Go see it. In 3D. It is worth it.
Thanks for listening!
@Mhoram – Thanks for your thoughts.
First of all, I’d like to mention that I’m NOT trying to dissuade others from seeing this movie (and I wouldn’t presume my opinion would make anyone do anything). I’m explaining why I’M not seeing it (because I’ve been asked when I’m going to see it quite a bit lately). I’m all for supporting good films, but to me, this film’s popularity has seemed due more to a fabricated hype and less to a movie people are really excited about (compare this with the buzz of District 9 earlier this year – another movie with famous names behind it). My issue is not with the movie, but the way the distributors have chosen to promote it. Do I honestly think I will make a difference? No, and that’s not even my goal – but it would literally make me feel icky to pay off their efforts, at this point.
Ever since I had my heart broken by The Phantom Menace (*sob*), I’m extremely wary of any movie that receives an exceptional amount of hype. I’m even more wary of it when it’s a science fiction movie, since it means that the general public will judge all of SF (almost always unfairly) by this one example.
So I was already on the fence about Avatar when I saw the Bones thing. “Gee,” I thought to myself, “isn’t it great how commercials are only limited to a few minutes between programming segments and… heeeey, wait a minute!” So I suffered through the (*ahem*) less than flattering depiction of SF fandom, my desire to see this film decreasing all the while (even though the “fangirl” in the episode was super cute, if crazy and slu–uh, “liberal in her sexual mores”).
But the final nail in the coffin was when I starting hearing the reviews, even though those reviews were mostly positive. See, all the reviews, including the ones the commentors have posted here, say “Go see the movie. No, don’t watch it, go see it.” Everyone’s gaga over the visuals, the 3D, the special effects, et cetera, et cetera, ad nauseam. But the plot, I’m told, is not only predictable but also utterly forgettable. (Even worse, I’m told it’s nothing but Dances with Aliens, subtitled “What These People Need is a Honky.”) And that’s why I’m not seeing it.
I see movies for the same reason I read books: because I like stories. A movie’s special effects can look like a 5-year-old’s finger painting waved in the background, yet still enthrall me with its story. (The same holds true for TV shows. I’m looking fondly at you, classic Doctor Who.) I’ll happily watch a movie over and over that’s nothing but twelve men talking for an hour and a half, as long as what they’re saying is interesting. But try to wow me with your CGI wizardry, and I’ll be bored after ten minutes.
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If it makes you feel better, the actor who plays Fisher on Bones is in Avatar. I cracked up when I first saw him on screen in Avatar – it made me see that Bones episode in a whole different light.
You’d be missing the experience of a lifetime if you didn’t see it in theaters. Seriously.
I thought it would be the stupidest tree-hugger movie I see in my life. I was totally mistaken.
It may seem like another movie that mindless lemmings flock to because a talk show host or a flashy advertisement(or as you have mentioned a respectable TV show) told them to, but I swear with every fiber of my being that it is not.
Sure, the story is familiar, and the script(sans cursing) is kinda laughable, and the plot develops like a run-of-the-mill Disney story, but the visuals… oh man…
You could’ve told me that the things I saw on that screen were not happening before my eyes. I wouldn’t have believed you. Sure, there was somewhere in my mind where I was thinking, “This is all done on a computer” but every other part of my brain was being totally immersed in the pure awesomeness that is Pandora. It was not your usual expensive explosions or your kinda-realistic Gollum. It was fantastic.
I felt, throughout the entire movie, that I was a part of it. I wasn’t sitting in a theater, looking at a projection screen. I was peering through a window to another world.
Seeing this movie was not about getting an original story, hearing the best scripting, or even learning an important life lesson. It was about the totally captivating and mind-blowing world that James Cameron has dreamed up to amaze the world.
Go see it. In 3d. Over 9000% worth it.
Lost Boys Three!~
Warners has given the go-ahead for another sequel, and have hired Evan Charnov (Fearless) to pen the script.
I just wanted to add that I went to see Avatar again this morning, a Sunday morning 4 weeks after the film’s debut. I wanted to see the 11:30 showing… it was sold out until 7 pm at night.
That’s not hype driving that, that’s an outstandingly good movie that people are paying to see, over and over again.
I finally went to see Avatar yesterday and while it was beautiful and there were interesting bits and pieces about it, the plot was soooooooooooooooooo soooooooooooooooo obvious, it was painful. And I kept thinking about Pocahontas. And Fern Gully. Yeah. It was good, but not what it could have been with a decent script.
I don’t know if this influenced my decision or not, but one thing I keep hearing is that I must see it “In 3D! or IMAX!” Well, I don’t have any of those theaters within a reasonable distance, so I’m even less inclined to see it at a regular theater that’s only one step above my TV. Then there’s the economic component; I’ve been making an effort to only see movies in theaters that I’m really excited about. I don’t want to spend my money on something out of spite, or boredom, and really, that’s the way I should be. So while I don’t think I’d be seeing it anyway, the practical aspects make it a lot easier.
@ J – Don’t feel that bad about it. I refused to watch Titanic. I still haven’t seen it.