Avatar: Fire and Ash (aka Avatar 3)

[Cheesebeef]

Me and a bunch of fam gonna see it on IMAX 3D tomorrow. I think I’m more excited to see the 6 minute prologue of The Odyssey and what the hell the new Avengers trailer/Spielberg’s new trailer are gonna be like than the actual movie, but I’m still excited to see if Cameron can skull frack my eyes into oblivion for hours and at least deliver on some signature next level action sequences that he’s the undisputed master of.

 

[Stout]

The family (all 10 of us) is going to see it the day after Christmas. My attitude is that if I wanted to see Shakespeare, I'd go see Hamlet. The visuals will make it more than okay for me, and the story is just gravy.

I will never understand this approach to movies. This isn't a shot at you; it just sounds like a waste of money to me. I can see plenty of pretty visuals without shelling out time and money for a movie that just has good animation.

 

[cardncubfan]

That’s not really a megabomb. A megabomb is something that loses 200 million dollars like a Jon Carter.

I actually liked the Jon Carter movie. I've watched it a few times now. Was wanting a sequel that never came.

 

[UncleChris]

I will never understand this approach to movies. This isn't a shot at you; it just sounds like a waste of money to me. I can see plenty of pretty visuals without shelling out time and money for a movie that just has good animation.

At $7.95 a ticket for seniors, I'm good for the ride.

 

[Stout]

At $7.95 a ticket for seniors, I'm good for the ride.

Great price!

 

[Mulli]

I am paying full price for tickets and snacks. If the specials are good, hurray for quality time with a 12 year old.

If bad, I take an expensive nap.

 

[Mulli]

No one told me this movie is three hours!!

 

[Devilmaycare]

No one told me this movie is three hours!!

What did you expect when the first one ran 2:42 and the 2nd 3:12? I fully expected a 3 hour run time.

This is my other complaint with movies. Over the last 5-10 years the run times have ballooned up to be in the 2.5-3 hour range and most of them would benefit from a good editor tightening them up. Some of the big TVs too. I'm looking at you Stranger Things S5.

 

[Cheesebeef]

What did you expect when the first one ran 2:42 and the 2nd 3:12? I fully expected a 3 hour run time.

This is my other complaint with movies. Over the last 5-10 years the run times have ballooned up to be in the 2.5-3 hour range and most of them would benefit from a good editor tightening them up. Some of the big TVs too. I'm looking at you Stranger Things S5.

totally agree here.

 

[Cheesebeef]

Fire had a pretty good Monday with 13 million, down a little from Water's 16 million first Monday, but it looks like Big Jim's box office legs might be back in force as it's predicted to eat up 75 million for the 4 day Xmas weekend. If it actually reaches those numbers this weekend, it cruises to at least modest profitability because the post Xmas/pre-New Year's following week/weekend sees very little drop from almost every movie playing. By the time kids go back school Jan. 5th, it's probably already crossed 270-300 million in it's first two weeks out and there's nothing to really challenge it until Jan 16th when 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple comes out.

And even then, I really liked 28 Year Later when it came out last summer, but that one burned bright out of the gate, but faded fast and I wonder if there's that much demand for the sequel. After that it's kind of a wasteland at the movies for another month where Avatar might just keep chugging along with weekends of 10, 8, 7, 6 million, just like the others.

 

[Zalixar]

What did you expect when the first one ran 2:42 and the 2nd 3:12? I fully expected a 3 hour run time.

This is my other complaint with movies. Over the last 5-10 years the run times have ballooned up to be in the 2.5-3 hour range and most of them would benefit from a good editor tightening them up. Some of the big TVs too. I'm looking at you Stranger Things S5.

Yeah, that's one of the major problems, including your previous post. Especially adding in 30+ minutes of ads, fluff, and trailers more and more now. Going to the movies isn't the same anymore, and I could guess I've gone more than many (general asfn/public). Price point is also a bit out of control.

Also, if a theatre's survival is based off everyone buying a ton of overpriced junk food, then that's a completely outdated model and doomed to fail. Sure I'll grab popcorn, etc depending on movie, but sorry, money is going elsewhere these days (and for the past decade +) And I'd like to stay healthier. I suppose that contributes to the death of theatres. So cool

 

[Cheesebeef]

Yeah, that's one of the major problems, including your previous post. Especially adding in 30+ minutes of ads, fluff, and trailers more and more now. Going to the movies isn't the same anymore, and I could guess I've gone more than many (general asfn/public).

Also, if a theatre's survival is based off everyone buying a ton of overpriced junk food, then that's a completely outdated model and doomed to fail. Sure I'll grab popcorn, etc depending on movie, but sorry, money is going elsewhere these days (and for the past decade +) And I'd like to stay healthier. I suppose that contributes to the death of theatres. Cool.

it's really freaking bad in LA... it's at least 35 minutes of previews/commercials/Nicole Kidman ads and then more AMC ads. When I saw a movie with my fam back in Phoenix last month, i was stunned/delighted there were only 20 minutes of previews.

 

[Mulli]

Totally worth seeing with 3D. The spectacle of this movie is really good. The story was fine. Much better overall than the first movie.

I don’t want to spoil anything. Overall, I have seen far worse movies.

 

[Cheesebeef]

Here’s my six word Avatar 3 review:

Please make something else, Jim.

 

[AsUpRoDiGy]

Here’s my six word Avatar 3 review:

Time to make something else, Jim.

That's not a promising review lol

 

[Cheesebeef]

That's not a promising review lol

It’s fine... but a James Cameron movie should NEVER be just “fine”. Problem with this one is it breaks very little new ground both in the storytelling and visually. These movies could afford one or the other but not both, and that’s coming from a big Cameron fan.

The first hour was pretty good and has a great set-piece and I dug the new evil Na’vi Queen but as the movie went on (and on and on and on), it became very similar/predictable, especially in its last act and even pulled its punches a little with the villains (I’ll be curious if anyone can guess at what exact villain/moment I’m talking about because brother not Ouchie and I thought the exact same thing). Overall, this movie just felt like Big Jim treading water at this point and future time spent on more of the same seems like a waste of his creative talent to me. There’s only so many directors who get a blank check the size Cameron does and we probably ain’t getting many more.

On the other hand… I only saw the first minute of the Odyssey prologue on the IMAX and HOLY FRACKING SHITBALLS!!! That 60 seconds was more entertaining/epic/intense than anything in the 3 plus hours of Way Of Water Part 2

 

[Mulli]

Here’s my six word Avatar 3 review:

Please make something else, Jim.

That is what I thought when I saw the Marvel thing about Steve Rogers coming back.

I wonder if I enjoyed this more because I blacked out Avatar #1, skipped #2, and was happy for father son time watching #3

 

[Cheesebeef]

That is what I thought when I saw the Marvel thing about Steve Rogers coming back.

I wonder if I enjoyed this more because I blacked out Avatar #1, skipped #2, and was happy for father son time watching #3

I thought the same thing with the Avengers trailer.

And prob for the second part of your post.

 

[Mulli]

I thought the same thing with the Avengers trailer.

And prob for the second part of your post.

I had very low expectations for Avatar so neon wildlife woo hoo!

 

[Devilmaycare]

Here’s my six word Avatar 3 review:

Please make something else, Jim.

I'm with you on that last part. Terminator, T2, Abyss, Aliens, and True Lies are all all time classics. Dark Angel was even a good TV show, especially give it was sci-fi on Fox in the early aughts. Boy did Fox like to screw those us. The Avatar movies (haven't seen 3 yet) aren't in the same league. Technically they're cutting edge and great but I never have any desire to revisit them. Those first 5 I've watched a bunch of times and would watch all of them again.

I'd love to see him stay away from both Avatar and Terminator and do a new IP that's more along the lines of The Abyss. A suspenseful, mystery sci-fi.

 

[Cheesebeef]

I'm with you on that last part. Terminator, T2, Abyss, Aliens, and True Lies are all all time classics. Dark Angel was even a good TV show, especially give it was sci-fi on Fox in the early aughts. Boy did Fox like to screw those us. The Avatar movies (haven't seen 3 yet) aren't in the same league. Technically they're cutting edge and great but I never have any desire to revisit them. Those first 5 I've watched a bunch of times and would watch all of them again.

I'd love to see him stay away from both Avatar and Terminator and do a new IP that's more along the lines of The Abyss. A suspenseful, mystery sci-fi.

Anything but Avatar or Terminator.

 

[Cheesebeef]

This went up from 13 million Monday to 16 million Tuesday and already 450 worldwide in 5 days.

It’s 345 million dollar opening weekend worldwide ended up 2nd best since 2022… for Avatar 2.

This will be another big hit for Big Jim, despite the drop in quality. These movies are money making machines and while this one won’t clear two bills, it probably gets to 1.5 billion.

 

[Chaplin]

This went up from 13 million Monday to 16 million Tuesday and already 450 worldwide in 5 days.

It’s 345 million dollar opening weekend worldwide ended up 2nd best since 2022… for Avatar 2.

This will be another big hit for Big Jim, despite the drop in quality. These movies are money making machines and while this one won’t clear two bills, it probably gets to 1.5 billion.

I agree that I wish he would do something different than Avatar, but disagree that this was a drop in quality. It was much better than Way of Water. But that's a relatively low bar.

The first hour looked like a cartoon and there were some problems with dialogue, but it was definitely still entertaining.

 

[Brian in Mesa]

Anything but Avatar or Terminator.

Avatar 4: James Cameron on Why He Isn’t Committing to More Sequels - Comic Book Movies and Superhero Movie News - SuperHeroHype

James Cameron is making his stance clear on Avatar 4 and why he isn't sure about continuing, as Fire and Ash plays in theaters.

www.superherohype.com

Cameron also wants to focus on a new Terminator movie, among other projects.

 

[Chaplin]

At least get an Alita 2 going.