Settle an arguement: Avatar vs Prometheus

[Ozymandias]

Avatar is one of the greatest sci-fi movies of alltime.

Thats a bit of a reach. Even most James Cameron fans admit its his weakest script and screenplay. Analyzing Avatar is like analyzing a beach ball. Its just solid entertainment, nothing more. And thats coming from someone who liked Avatar enough to see it 5 times and will be there at midnight on OW for Avatar 2 when I'm and old man. Edited October 18, 2012 by Shpongle

[The Toymaker]

I'd love to see the poll results of this. I'm thinking it might be one-sided as hell.

[Noctis]

I saw Avatar four times in theaters, but Prometheus stayed with me. It was thought-provoking and far more intense. I still really like Avatar, though, it just resonates less and less with each viewing.Prometheus, for sure.

[Noctis]

Sam Worthington was horrendous in Avatar. Just so annoying. Thank God Zoe Saldana gave a very strong performance.

[Ozymandias]

Sam Worthington was horrendous in Avatar. Just so annoying. Thank God Zoe Saldana gave a very strong performance.

Lol, I wouldn't call him bad, just nothing special.

[vc2002]

Thats a bit of a reach. Even most James Cameron fans admit its his weakest script and screenplay. Analyzing Avatar is like analyzing a beach ball. Its just solid entertainment, nothing more. And thats coming from someone who liked Avatar enough to see it 5 times and will be there at midnight on OW for Avatar 2 when I'm and old man.

IMO Avatar had a solid plot. The structure was good. There was no plot holes. And unlike many sci-fis, its theme got a strong connection with our real world. Sure its dance with smurfs in space, but just like a love story, it's a classic story that people will always enjoy if you tell it well. And damn the storytelling in Avatar is brilliant, especially the last 40 minutes or so. A film is not a novel. How to tell the story is just as important as the story itself (sometimes more).(Prometheus got a very pretentious plot. It only works in the way the we audience believe in those scientists' idiotic moves that carry the plot on, and so in a way the wrtier and the director treat the audience like idiot as if we are supposed to believe those nonsense. Besides, it didnt succeed on being a horror like Alien either. It was just a huge let down for me.)Also, Avatar is the most detail-oriented film I've ever seen in quite some time. For example, there was a monkey-like animal showing up for like only a second when Jake went to the forest for the first time. Its upper 4 legs were unioning into 1 pair, and it served as a great explanation to why Navi had 2 legs 2 arms while other creature had 6 legs. Well, does this help your first viewing? No, you wont even notice that. But when you see it for the 3rd and 4th time, you start to dig into little details like that and appreciate them, as they are the keys to make this world believeable. Cameron's attention to details in Avatar is fascinating, and I highly apprecaite that.Do I have complaints on Avatar? Of cause I do. My biggest complaint is comparing to other Cameron's works, it got weak characters. But this is the cost one must pay to introduce a new world. In a way Avatar is just like A New Hope, that when you have to spend half of the movie introducing the massive pieces of the new world, you just dont have time to take care of the characters. And that's why I'm looking forward to Avatar 2, because Cameron will have enough room in the film to work his magic. Edited October 18, 2012 by vc2002

[The Toymaker]

Personally, Avatar was Sam Worthington's best performance of his career. He didn't annoy me and he played the role normally. Whereas in all of his other movies, he's atrocious.

[Ozymandias]

IMO Avatar had a solid plot. The structure was good. There was no plot holes. And unlike many sci-fis, its theme got a strong connection with our real world. Sure its dance with smurfs in space, but just like a love story, it's a classic story that people will always enjoy if you tell it well. And damn the storytelling in Avatar is brilliant, especially the last 40 minutes or so. A film is not a novel. How to tell the story is just as important as the story itself (sometimes more).(Prometheus got a very pretentious plot. It only works in the way the we audience believe in those scientists' idiotic moves that carry the plot on, and so in a way the wrtier and the director treat the audience like idiot as if we are supposed to believe those nonsense. Besides, it didnt succeed on being a horror like Alien either. It was just a huge let down for me.)Also, Avatar is the most detail-oriented film I've ever seen in quite some time. For example, there was a monkey-like animal showing up for like only a second when Jake went to the forest for the first time. Its upper 4 legs were unioning into 1 pair, and it served as a great explanation to why Navi had 2 legs 2 arms while other creature had 6 legs. Well, does this help your first viewing? No, you wont even notice that. But when you see it for the 3rd and 4th time, you start to dig into little details like that and appreciate them, as they are the keys to make this world believeable. Cameron's attention to details in Avatar is fascinating, and I highly apprecaite that.Do I have complaints on Avatar? Of cause I do. My biggest complaint is comparing to other Cameron's works, it got weak characters. But this is the cost one must pay to introduce a new world. In a way Avatar is just like A New Hope, that when you have to spend half of the movie introducing the massive pieces of the new world, you just dont have time to take care of the characters. And that's why I'm looking forward to Avatar 2, because Cameron will have enough room in the film to work his magic.

What is and isn't pretentious is completely subjective.I actually do agree with a lot of what you said about Avatar. The problem with that film though is once its visuals become dated(and they eventually will), there is not gonna be anything left because of its simplicity and recycled story. This is why I think a sequel is going to make or break Avatar.

[The Stingray]

Prometheus.

[Noctis]

Also, the "green" message was shoved so far down my throat...not that I minded that.

[vc2002]

What is and isn't pretentious is completely subjective.I actually do agree with a lot of what you said about Avatar. The problem with that film though is once its visuals become dated(and they eventually will), there is not gonna be anything left because of its simplicity and recycled story. This is why I think a sequel is going to make or break Avatar.

Generally speaking, Avatar had pretty much the same reception as Titanic. A chick flick. Became the highest grossing film of all time. Won a lot of awards (not as many as Titanic had tho). The same RT rating. Average score on IMDB. Pissed of a lot of people including fans of well-known franchises. And people were calling its success due to only one lame factor (3D for Avatar, teen girls for Titanic).

[fishstick]

Avatar is criticized for simplistic script but it pulls off everything it intended to do.And, yes, Worthington was perfect everyman to project yourself into to guide you through the world of Pandora.OTOH, prometheus was insansely ambitious in themes it tried to tackle but failed on every level. I`m sorry but pulling off something less complex is better than totally fucking up a complex thing. prometheus failed epically. In the end of the day, execution and result worth more than idea that didn`t deliver.Also, I didn`t give a shit about any prometheus character save david who was kinda villain so you weren`t supposed to like him but I did cause eevryone else was stupid as fuck and deserved to be fucked over by David. I liked Avatar characters a lot, especially Grace and Neytiri. Avatar women are so much stronger and better written than that stupid bitch with douchebag boyfriend and stitched tummy.

Edited October 18, 2012 by fishnets

[ThatMovieGuy]

both are good films and very different, I'm not gonna compare the two because there has already been enough of that abovebut lets talk about the strong points in them alright lets start with avatar, Avatar tried nothing more then to be exactly what it was and that's a good thing, all thought I wish they would have cleared a few things up, you can just say it's part of the fiction in the story. But Avatars most impressive moments is when it was showing off the beautiful visuals which we all know it does this a lot. I really don't think avatar is not gonna be remembered I mean in 30 years there is gonna be movies that have greater visuals but those movies will most definitely be inspired in someway or another by some of these great shots in the movie. I've only seen it twice once when it first came out and then once again almost a month ago now. So I've let go of the things bothering me and just try to enjoy it for what it is, I do understand that this is not the movie to be analyzing where Prometheus is much more fun to get into and talk about. where Avatar there isn't very much to be said. but still great visuals and storytelling with great camerawork really made this film what it is considered today.Now Prometheus, good film, a few problems but name me one Sci-fi movie there hasn't been? So gotta say it doesn't have the charm that avatar does but it's just not that kinda film, it's a more serious, mysterious and dark film which is much more interesting to be analyzed. And bringing the Alien world into it was a great idea which opens up idea's for interesting sequels, and clearly lots of discussion over the internet which is forming quite a following and making it one day anyways, a Cult film. a few things about the film you can say "Well that's just stupid" and I did to but it's not gonna ruin all the things I liked in it, and I liked the Story, I liked the Characters and I liked the development, where it goes and where it could go.good movies both approx 8/10 movies but very different, gl with the debate.

Edited October 19, 2012 by ThatMovieGuy

[ky02121]

I don't particularly care for either film but Avatar was more engaging.