Here at DoG central this afternoon we were huddled around Simon's screen to watch James Cameron finally give up the goods as the publicity machine for Avatar begins what we suspect will be an extended autumn campaign.
I don't know how to put this, except to say that after the benchmark set by Benjamin Button, the VFX in the Avatar trailer don't look very good.
The very first VFX shot, showing a large ship leaving orbit, had the glossy sheen of high-class CGi animation, and if Cameron is using any of the famous 'real-tech' that distinguished Aliens, Terminator and The Abyss, he's sure gone to great trouble to make it look like it was made with a computer.
Things got worse pretty quick, as the trailer rapidly turned into a what appeared to be a cross between Lord Of The Rings and Attack Of The Clones.
The trailer shows us what appears to be the creation of Sam Worthington's genetically-tailored amanuensis, a Pan-like creature initially seen as a prosthetic in some kind of incubation tank, and then revived/brought-to-life by the medics on board Worthington's military-style spaceship. From here on the creature is CGI, and there is one spectacular, Cloverfield-style match-movement shot where a documentary-style camera walks around the creature. Thereafter things take a dive...
We get a look at an array of those power-loaders we're now fairly familiar with; it all looks pretty Aliens by now, and all looks pretty good.
Then comes the CGI-fest in the forest, and it becomes apparent that the Pan creature, now controlled by Worthington is facing the greatest nemesis any sci-fi protagonist can hope to avoid: a Cameron-penned love-story. Worse than that, the CGI of the creatures looks like an animatic for The Two Towers. The movement looks tweened and fake, the finish glossy and Bryce-like, the eyes dead and cartoony.
It feels as if The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button never happened, for most of the Avatar footage. For some of it, it feels like Lord Of The Rings never happened.
Since these VFX have entered the most-anticipated trailer of the year, I can only assume they're fully finished and offered as some kind of prime example of what we can expect in Avatar.
I'm sure the 3D glasses will help, and I'm curious, in fact, as to whether Cameron's revolutionary new 3D camera has made CGI work so problematic as to preclude the very best character animation.
I wonder, in fact, if this trailer is being released to actually tone down the incredible excitement that has built up for the movie in the last twelve months, rather than accelerate it. Perhaps we need to start getting realistic about Avatar; it's certainly wanting realism, from today's evidence, one or two shots aside.
Bad visual effects will not kill a movie any more than good VFX can save it, but all I can say is that the story needs to be a corker, because there's a hell of a lot of people who won't get to see this in 3D, and I'm beginning to wonder if Avatar is going to need the after-market after all.
Re: The Avatar Trailer: Oh dear
Posted By Vinnydoz007 1 August 20, 2009 04:38:08 PM
Im in full agreement. I guess we really cant judge until we see the 3d version, but im a little dissapointed. The CGI looks way too fake. I will say the human tech looked really cool, and the battle scenes look like they will be a crazy sight. Plus I love the Human tech vs the Alien tech. Aliens are tribal and seem to use elemental types of weapons. Animals, fire, and such. Where as humans have missles and mechs. This dichotomy I very much like.
Re: The Avatar Trailer: Oh dear
Posted By bobajim 1 August 20, 2009 05:40:31 PM
Hi there. Mmm yes it does all look a bit Jar Jar but the shots almost certainly won't be fully finished. FX shots have a trailer deadline and are nearly always worked on still right up until the final deadline. Although they'll need a lot of work!
Re: The Avatar Trailer: Oh dear
Posted By bobajim 1 August 20, 2009 05:41:38 PM
Although I'd also like to say that Cameron could crap in a jam jar for two hours and I'd go and see that!
Re: The Avatar Trailer: Oh dear
Posted By cress 1 August 20, 2009 06:27:46 PM
This looks amazing! Don't know what teaser you we're watching. "It looks too cartoony" "The CGI looks fake" Go watch a Ray Harryhausen film dude and continue to gripe about "them damn kids and their high-fangled, new age, computer gimmickry!" I'm sure dinner is served at 4PM for you with bedtime soon to follow.
Re: The Avatar Trailer: Oh dear
Posted By SamTyler 1 August 20, 2009 07:23:12 PM
Thank God it's not just me then! I've previously been putting off all pant-wetting exploits regarding this film, deciding to await footage before exclaiming it the greatest thing ever ... only having now seen the trailer I can't say it looks any more exciting than the decidely lame "Star Wars" prequels. Okay, so the initial build up is promising but the second the lanky blue buggers show up it all turns into a Lucas-fuelled nightmare and disappears under layers of decidedly average CGI. Considering T2 is now over 10 years old this supposed "revolutionary" new film lacks any of the impact that film had on me as a child ... perhaps it's because we're so inundated with CGI laden blockbusters now that none have any spark or wow factor. Compared to the wonderful "District 9" which fuses FX and intelligence to stunning effect I'm going to have to see a LOT better than this to change my modd from that of bitter disappointment. Sure, so it may look great in 3D but three dimensions maketh not a great film ... takes a great deal more than technical wizardry to impress me Mr. C ...
Re: The Avatar Trailer: Oh dear
Posted By menrad 1 August 20, 2009 09:39:25 PM
I reacted like that the first time I watched the trailer on an italian website. Then I got back from work and downloaded the 1080p trailer from Apple, and watched it again a couple of times. With the benefits of a higher definition, CGI looked better. Then I transferred the trailer on my HTPC to view it on a projector, and I got really excited. This is far better than in a little quicktime window, and it looks really amazing. I'm still OK to admit there are some flaws (the spaceships at the beginning, the sequence where Worthington gets off the spaceship and discovers the planet). Thus, I will wait for the 15 minutes tomorrow in digital 3D to make my final judgement on the CGI. I hope I won't be disappointed !
Re: The Avatar Trailer: Oh dear
Posted By bytat 1 August 20, 2009 09:50:20 PM
what annoys me isn't that the blue smurf in the picture to the right is cgi.. that's pretty obvius, it being a giant blue smurf.. no what gets me is the cgi-people standing next to it.. why, oh why, do cgi-people when they look fake like that when you easily could've just filmed the real thing?
and about it looking better in 3d and high def.. No, what u need is a low-quality youtube-clip. Then maybe, just maybe, it´ll look like the real thing. What you don't need is to see it in high def. And hey, if you cover up your left eye and what you see is crap, guess what you´ll see if you watch it with both eyes?. Yep that's right, crap in 3d.
Re: The Avatar Trailer: Oh dear
Posted By capt_1ntens0 1 August 20, 2009 10:16:40 PM
I have been as excited as anyone about this and yes my first view of the HD trailer had me fearing, not for the spectacle or the originality but form the sheer CGI sheen of it all. I just wasn't that blown away. Cue disappointment.
Then I watched it again and I was more impressed at the quality of it- yep it wasn't going to change my life but damn it looks fun! Looking at some stills for the trailer also made me realise the sheer level of detail that's in some of the shots and then it hit me- a trailer is NEVER going to do this justice. If I'd seen a few 2sec clips of Gollum I'd have thought that looked shiny and shit. But it was the performance, the dialogue, the little touches that had me within about 5min of Two Towers forgetting he wasn't actually there.
So, I am going to trust JC. He's never let me down before (yeah and screw anyone who tells me the last hour of Titanic isn't one of the tighest directed action thrill rides ever) so I trust him. This film will live and die on the performances- the effects will support it and within 5min if the characters are there, you'll not even think of it as CGI. That never happened with Jar Jar because let's face it, he was a c*** and an unbelievable one at that. Same with most of the other one dimensional Star Wars goons those films were filmed with.
Re: The Avatar Trailer: Oh dear
Posted By 1tango13 1 August 20, 2009 11:18:27 PM
There's been a lot of hype over Avatar, but to be honest, I've been completely underwhelmed so far. The plot sounds like a generic videogame & this trailer has reinforced that in my mind. It'll need either stellar reviews or a mind-blowing demo of the 3D effects to convince me it's worth seeing.
Re: The Avatar Trailer: Oh dear
Posted By opiate1138 1 August 21, 2009 12:08:14 AM
*Phew* I was beginning to feel like a dirty film snob for thinking it looked pretty cheeseball. Good to know others feel the same. It's a new James Cameron flick, I should be stoked, no? But so far . . . not so much.
Re: The Avatar Trailer: Oh dear
Posted By monomatt 1 August 21, 2009 12:51:27 AM
i agree with most of comments above, it looks like a cut scene from one of the final fantasy video games. This is really dissappointing, i hope the final film as a whole outweighs the shiny graphics.
Re: The Avatar Trailer: Oh dear
Posted By picknmix 1 August 21, 2009 07:26:39 AM
I had issues with the overly extended time before the release of the trailer, and now I've got a hint as why they've held it back. It looks like a computer game, and not a super-exciting one. It will be interesting to see that based on the reaction this one gets (and it's not so great from what I've seen) if they put out something different soon. But on a completely practical level, why do the space scenes not look as good as those created for Mission to Mars (2000)?
Re: The Avatar Trailer: Oh dear
Posted By GlenChapman 1 August 21, 2009 07:33:12 AM
Looks a bit like one of the Monstars from space jam in that pic.
Re: The Avatar Trailer: Oh dear
Posted By blindfold11 1 August 21, 2009 07:53:17 AM
Oh dear!
I'm off to see 3D footage tonight: Probably best I have low expectations then!
Re: The Avatar Trailer: Oh dear
Posted By Reformed_Geek 1 August 21, 2009 08:23:35 AM
I can't say I've had any high expectations for this film to start off with. Figured it getting a little over-hyped and after that trailer... oh boy... A trailers job is to sell a film, all this did was push me further away.
The visuals, while nice, look like they are from a CGI cartoon film. Story looks boring and the big fight between technologically superior forces and the natives has been done before by Ewoks and Gungans.
I might be tempted to go see it in 3D as I have yet to make it to see a modern 3D film in the cinema, but the 3D is the only selling point for me so far. 10 years in the making… what a waste of 10 years.
Re: The Avatar Trailer: Oh dear
Posted By shadowmantis 1 August 21, 2009 12:30:10 PM
Bad CG? Are you guys watching the same thing I am? Benjamin Button may have extraordinairy effects, but you can't put the amount of special effects from that movie on the same scale as Avatar. What Cameron is doing is creating a colorful world that feels warm and nice to look at. Have you ever (EVER) seen a CG model that you thought was a real human for more than 2 seconds?
Another thing that irks me is that people complain that it looks like a video game. That's the kind of movie Avatar is! You can't have the gritty, dark theme in every single movie. That'd be boring, right? If you really don't agree, then I'm sure rewatching Batman reboots will ease your thirst for the noir.
Re: The Avatar Trailer: Oh dear
Posted By ayemack 1 August 22, 2009 12:58:38 AM
Completely inevitable that some people would be dissapointed. I seen the 3D preview earlier after seeing the trailer and there is a HUGE difference between watching the footage on a PC to seeing it on the big screen. Don't be disheartened, I just hope the movie has a story I can get involved in and a heart at it's centre.
Re: The Avatar Trailer: Oh dear
Posted By mugwump 1 August 22, 2009 03:26:15 AM
For my money, it looked bitch-slap awesome.
Re: The Avatar Trailer: Oh dear
Posted By syrdax 1 August 26, 2009 09:22:20 AM
Looking at the picture (didn't watch the trailer) it seems to me that the 2 people there aren't looking at that blue.. thing. So, as I didn't watch the trailer, are those people looking at something behind blue boy? If not, then, it's really a bad job. I can't understand why is so hard to put something there where actors are supposed to look so when you put the CGI it doesn't look so "what the heck I am looking at?"
Oh, I'm still waiting to watch the movie ^^
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A mess of the blues in James Cameron's Avatar
