the Avatar sequels have most of the same problems as the Star Wars prequels. they’re terribly written - with bad plotting and pacing, weak dialogue and characters I couldn’t possibly care about. at the same time, they’re visually stunning spectacles that push the boundaries of what can be achieved with computer graphics - tech demos for the future of digital cinema. which I’m all for, but unless the movie is good we’re just watching grown men play with their toys

both series of films are centered around antifascist / anti-imperialist themes which makes their utter mediocrity all the more disappointing. Avatars 2-3 are especially disappointing given Cameron’s track record with sequels. it does seem that once your net worth surpasses a certain point you become incapable of making good art

  • came_apart_at_Kmart [he/him, comrade/them]@hexbear.netEnglish
    11·
    3 months ago

    no fucking joke.

    i started trying to watch Fire and Ass or whatever it’s called, and i legit got bored 15 minutes in. it’s just sitting there in my queue like “continue watching” and i can’t bring myself to select it.

    oh no, traumatized soldado can’t let go of his shit (again) and traumommy is a dick to the human adopted kid. this cultural divide is tearing us apart, lisa!

    it’s literally the same tension & conflict all over again. didn’t we do exactly all this already? can’t characters grow and find new challenges while fending off militaristic expansionist exploiters? seriously, they’re going to spend a billion and burn a ton of carbon to tell a story with crazy visuals, can you at LEAST find a story to tell? i know there’s only one archetypal hero story, but if i recall, it’s supposed to have many faces in the retellings.

    it IS totally like star wars, because holy shit the sequels were totally the original trilogy all over again. i was so jazzed to see who the new Big Bad would be: whoops, we said it was this weird guy, but it’s literally a CLONE of the old bad guy. but they’ve got a new super weapon! it’s pretty much the old weapon but bigger. oh and the fight of good v evil is really just a family conflict between kids and their parents. AGAIN.

    come the fuck on.

    i did give Avatar: Fire Stuff only like 15-20 minutes, so maybe i acted too hastily, but i just felt it all happening again with stale tropes and hit the eject button because i lack the fortitude to sit through the same 2.5+ hour story.