Avatar - James Cameron Returns! (Spoilers in thread, obviously!)

[Sad Max]

What are people's feelings about the score?

I didn't really absorb much of it in the movie; my visual cortex had basically locked my auditory cortex in the spare room and stuffed a rug under the door. But I put the CD on today for another listen.

In some places it's James Horner, well, being James Horner; you know what I mean. But in others, particularly Becoming One of the People it's new melodic ground, with beautiful choral and orchestral restatements of the main theme; it just soars.

Wonder how it's ear-smacking others.

 

[Rodney V. Smith]

there was music?

 

[Sad Max]

there was music?

:thumbsup:

 

[Nektonic]

Just Imagine 3D porn.:shocked: you know....if I actually watched porn.

Gives the silly and overused meme, "poo pooing your eyeballs" that people were using to hype up Avatar's visuals a whole new meaning.

I think that the "memories" it produces, is more of your body recalling the tremendous release of endorphins (also called opioid peptides) that is happening due to the 3d sensory experience. Any activities that have such big and long releases are usually habit-forming.

That warm feeling is the same reason you reach for chocolate or a cigarette. TV has been an opiate for the masses for a long time now, the new 3d experience is just anther step into increasing the addictive high when doing this kind of activity.

Very interesting. Could be the case. However, I don't think that is all that is going on with Avatar. I personally liked the story, characters, and the theme. To me, those elements were enhanced by the 3D experience, but not dependent on them. I think this would've still been an amazing cinematic experience in 2D. Of course, the 3D certainly adds a lot to the experience though.

What are people's feelings about the score?

I thought the score was excellent. I didn't absorb it much at all on my first viewing, but I did notice it on my second and third viewings.

Spoilers

Probably my favorite pieces of music were the parts that were not as much like Horner's previous work. The scene where Neytiri has Jake follow her to Hometree. The synth style sound went well with the bioluminescent nighttime forest setting. Then the scene with Quaritch's strike on the Hometree, which was repeated later during the low point in the final battle. I suppose at that point though, the music stands out a bit more because they dropped out the ambient audio track for about 20 seconds.

Also, the music for the scene where the tribe gathers around the Tree of Souls to transfer Sigourney's mind/soul from here human body to her avatar body. That was some good stuff. The combo of the music, sound design, and visuals made that whole scene feel like some of the amazing and transcendent imagery of Baraka, but in a sci-fi world.

 

[mikkowilson]

[possible spoilers in my post, if you haven't seen the movie yet; what are you waiting for?]

One ruler I've always used to measure a film is how much I'm still thinking of it a few days or weeks after viewing it. It's been three days and the movie is still consuming much of my thoughts.

That's a pretty good ruler; and this one certainly measures.

Local movie theater doesn't do 3D, or even digital. So I already know my experience was far from what it could have been; but I will say that it was a fantastic movie, and I'm considering go seeing it another time anyway.

One of my favorite shots was the close up of the foot in the mud at the end of the "first run" sequence. How cool was that feeling? Kinda summs up the whole movie in a way.

But "Unobtanium", really?

There where various times where direct current social commentary burst through the 4th wall and hurt the movie in my oppinion. I think that side of the movie could have been carried quite amply without having to rip us away from Pandora to tell us so bluntly.

But the eye-candy... wow!

One of the things that I rather liked was how the viewer was guided though the story. And how every little thing we saw early on was brought back later. Falling through the leaves was funny, but we already knew later when he needed it that he knew how. Even that little "background scene" sampling the tree's neurosystems came back later as critical. As the film progressed, it almost felt like the playing through Portal in the way every detail was important and perfectly delivered to guide you through. The last shot played out exactly as expected, and it really worked. It let you down with the exact closure the film needed, though the high from the ride continues well beyond end of the credits and the theater door.


- Mikko

 

[Batutta]

What are people's feelings about the score?

I didn't really absorb much of it in the movie; my visual cortex had basically locked my auditory cortex in the spare room and stuffed a rug under the door. But I put the CD on today for another listen.

In some places it's James Horner, well, being James Horner; you know what I mean. But in others, particularly Becoming One of the People it's new melodic ground, with beautiful choral and orchestral restatements of the main theme; it just soars.

Wonder how it's ear-smacking others.

It didn't do much to distinguish itself to me. As I mentioned in my review, I heard direct lifts from Willow, Aliens/Wolfen/Star Trek II, and a long melody during Jake's Na'vi initiation that was way too close to the Glory theme for comfort. But that's the kind of thing that's only bothersome to soundtrack nerds like myself. As a whole it does what a score should do, add emotional and visceral support to what's on screen. I won't be buying it though.

 

[Sad Max]

Also, the music for the scene where the tribe gathers around the Tree of Souls to transfer Sigourney's mind/soul from here human body to her avatar body. That was some good stuff. The combo of the music, sound design, and visuals made that whole scene feel like some of the amazing and transcendent imagery of Baraka, but in a sci-fi world.

That's funny, my wife and I thought of Baraka, too.

As I mentioned in my review, I heard direct lifts from Willow, Aliens/Wolfen/Star Trek II

Yeah, that's baseline most of the time with Horner's scores. I like the original stuff in this one, though, where we get to hear it.

Nice to meet another soundtrack nerd.

But "Unobtanium", really?

It's a joke, son. A funny.

 

[Nektonic]

But "Unobtanium", really?

I didn't mind the use of unobtanium. I took it as a wink wink to those who love old school science fiction. Same thing with the way Pandora was a crazy exotic jungle world. The whole film had a lot of roots in classic and golden age sci-fi, but rendered with cutting edge precision.

But one of the things that I rather liked was how the viewer was guided though the story. And how every little thing we saw early on was brought back later. Falling through the leaves was funny, but we already knew later when he needed it that he knew how. Even that little "background scene" sampling the tree's neurosystems came back later as critical.

Cameron really knows how to effectively set up character ticks and details, and then pay them off later. Things that seem simple and ordinary early on, like the mundane and somewhat humorous introduction of the Power Loader early on in Aliens is a perfect example.

 

[simonclivehughes]

Unobtanium was also use in "The Core" if I remember.

Cheers,

 

[Kholi]

Same here. Alita feels like it could be a wild action packed version of one of my favorite low budget sci-fi films, Hardware. For some reason I feel like they could be taking place in the same rusted, polluted, cyberpunkish future. I can't wait to see what Cameron does with it.

Also, is it just me, or did anyone get a big anime vibe from Avatar? Especially Sigourney Weaver's Avatar. She looked like a character pulled right out of an anime, except rendered in near 100% photo-realistic precision.

This is such a good time for Anime to Live Action conversions, so long as they're done with some ounce of respect for the original content. Alita is chilling, and yet "cool" in a teenaged way.

Properties like EVANGELION will be too much to cope with if they're taken care of.

And speaking of the anime vibe, I got a video game vibe as well. I'd like to ask Cameron if he's ever played my all-time favorite video game, Chrono Trigger.

(( SPOILER ))

When I saw the floating mountains, I was immediately sucked back to 1995/96 and this portion of Chrono Trigger. Floating mountains wasn't new to me, but the audience must've been like "That's cool as ****!"

It made me smile all big n'stuff.

 

[Batutta]

Yeah, that's baseline most of the time with Horner's scores. I like the original stuff in this one, though, where we get to hear it.

Nice to meet another soundtrack nerd.

You know what's hilarious is that I was editing a promo for this collection of short films made at AFI, and I noticed one of them made in 1979 had a theme that sounded uncannily like the theme for Glory. I checked the credits and sure enough, it was James Horner! So he's been stealing from himself since before he even had a professional career...My soundtrack nerd-dom has slowly waned over the course of this decade. The last soundtrack I bought was for Lord of the Rings. I'm not a huge fan of the Hans Zimmer school of scoring which seems to dominate these days, which I think arose because there is so much noise in modern sound mixes its hard for a melody to distinguish itself unless its a rhythmic pummeling of drums.

 

[Rodney V. Smith]

The "Unobtanium" line I think was handled very well, and wryly. The delivery was half-joke, half-irony especially considering the placement of the ore deposits. Quite apropos.

The one thing that I remember thinking when i saw the floating mountains (and I blame my analytic skills for this) is "where is all of the water coming FROM" for the waterfalls... For some reason I was able to accept flying mountains but the endless stream of water seemed impractical. Go figure.

 

[Nektonic]

This is such a good time for Anime to Live Action conversions, so long as they're done with some ounce of respect for the original content. Alita is chilling, and yet "cool" in a teenaged way.

Properties like EVANGELION will be too much to cope with if they're taken care of.

I thought that Avatar achieved a far more successful blend of anime and live action/photo realistic elements than something like Speed Racer, which shoved the anime style imagery down the audience's throat.

When I saw the floating mountains, I was immediately sucked back to 1995/96 and this portion of Chrono Trigger. Floating mountains wasn't new to me, but the audience must've been like "That's cool as shi*!"

It made me smile all big n'stuff.

The floating mountain thing wasn't Cameron's creation, but was really amazing to see and combined with the creatures, the bioluminescence, and a big ass gas giant in the sky, helped add just the right amount of awe to Pandora.

If there is a sequel, I'd love to see some floating mountain stuff at night with the bioluminescence.

 

[Kholi]

The one thing that I remember thinking when i saw the floating mountains (and I blame my analytic skills for this) is "where is all of the water coming FROM" for the waterfalls... For some reason I was able to accept flying mountains but the endless stream of water seemed impractical. Go figure.

It's the same way in Chrono Trigger, but the explanation might be simple: clouds? Haha. I'm not sure! Just like in that game, in AVATAR, you kind of just accept it because it's presented as plausible AND holy in that world. Anything Holy is generally scientifically inexplicable anyway (or wants to be), we're more inclined to accept it as it is because of that.

The same in Chrono Trigger, ZEAL was holy ground, the "chosen" people lived in the sky kingdom and the outcasts lived under the mountain in shadow.

 

[Sad Max]

To me floating verdant mountains with waterfalls means Roger and Martyn Dean.

My take is that the water feeding the waterfalls gets to the tops of the floating mountains the same way it reaches the tops of anchored ones: convection.

I think part of the reason that Pandora feels so consistent and naturally put-together is Wayne Douglas Barlowe's involvement. He's been creating really natural-feeling and compelling alien organisms for a long time...and Pandora critters have his style all over them.

 

[Kholi]

The floating mountain thing wasn't Cameron's creation, but was really amazing to see and combined with the creatures, the bioluminescence, and a big ass gas giant in the sky, helped add just the right amount of awe to Pandora.

If there is a sequel, I'd love to see some floating mountain stuff at night with the bioluminescence.

Ah! Nice. It was a pretty great touch within that universe. Also, I loved the Bioluminescence as well. Very well realized planet.

 

[Kholi]

To me floating verdant mountains with waterfalls means Roger and Martin Dean.

Do expound, Max. =D

 

[Rodney V. Smith]

It's the same way in Chrono Trigger, but the explanation might be simple: clouds? Haha. I'm not sure! Just like in that game, in AVATAR, you kind of just accept it because it's presented as plausible AND holy in that world. Anything Holy is generally scientifically inexplicable anyway (or wants to be), we're more inclined to accept it as it is because of that.

The ability to explain it all away with "magic" is a handy one. I just gotta not think of the how many tons of gallons of water are dumped from the sky every second... damn pink elephant! Now I can't NOT see it.

 

[Mark Harris]

To me floating verdant mountains with waterfalls means Roger and Martyn Dean.

My take is that the water feeding the waterfalls gets to the tops of the floating mountains the same way it reaches the tops of anchored ones: convection.

I think part of the reason that Pandora feels so consistent and naturally put-together is Wayne Douglas Barlowe's involvement. He's been creating really natural-feeling and compelling alien organisms for a long time...and Pandora critters have his style all over them.

Ha ha, people have a problem with waterfalls on the floating mountains and no problem with the...floating moutains?

 

[Rodney V. Smith]

Ha ha, people have a problem with waterfalls on the floating mountains and no problem with the...floating moutains?

like I said: go figure.