Does Avatar deserve to be best picture?

Some think so, some don’t. The message in the movie is what makes it good to me. No, I haven’t seen Dances with wolves and the like so it was original enough to me. Of course some older people won’t like it.

No. Maybe Prettiest Picture.

You have put your finger on the crux of the problem: the lack of story and character. It depends on whether the academy is wanting to reward something new.

I thought it was an incredible piece of movie making even if the story wasn’t the best ever. I think it has earned the right to at least compete for the award of best picture at the Oscars.

I haven’t seen it. From what I hear, it’s “The Last of the Mohicans” with blue fish-people, crossed with a little bit of “Fern Gully”. I’ve seen both movies, I love both movies. I don’t need to see those movies again in 3-D.

I’d love to see a movie that isn’t a remake or a regurgitation of old themes used to show off new technology.

The reason “The Wizard of Oz” is so wonderful is that it took a new theme to show off the new technology, and did it well.

@Seek_Kolinahr actually it’s a bit more “dances with wolves” than “last of the Mohicans”

It did last month. Now it is old news.

What @stump said.

As a movie, it’s not that good. The plot is unoriginal and the message is heavy handed. But it doesn’t matter. It’s so stunning! I watched it again last night (until 1am) at the Imax theater. I think I could watch it every weekend for the rest of the year, and I’ve never said that about any movie. That I can make that statement says to me that, yes, it should be movie of the year.

Went to see it on my son’s birthday last week. We all enjoyed it, better than I expected it to be.As for winning the oscar, I see what you mean but if Titanic can then why the hell not? Personally i’d have gave it to Inglorious Basterds if only to see the look on Tarantino’s face.“Like what the fuck”

No. Best special effects maybe. But the rest was quite substandard. I would vote for District 9.

@ragingloli District 9 was freakin awesome!

I hated district 9. Hated it.

@syz Why?

District 9 was awesome!

Best Picture will go to The Hurt Locker, not Avatar.

District 9 was great on paper. I really wanted to like the movie.

It was a Sci-Fi tease. It had the making of something cool. Too much smoke and mirrors.

It was compelling tied to a brick and tossed into the ocean.

My vote would go to District 9. Unlike far too many movies these days it was actually original (and compelling—originality isn’t enough on its own).

@ChazMaz It wasn’t supposed to be just a sci-fi film. It was original in that it was a cross between a documentary, sci-fi, drama, and who knows what else. That may be the reason for your opinion.

I really, really hope that the Oscar goes to The Hurt Locker. A much more complex story about the real world. Great acting, cinematography and subject without dogmatism. Avatar can garner all the technical awards if need be, but in my mind, it was not the best picutre of the year.

“a cross between a documentary,”
lol What reality was injected into the movie? ;-) Shaky cam?

But I will give you an ok for the rest. It was a Sci-Fi with the “feel of.”

@ChazMaz Sorry, I meant “documentary-style”.

OK, I will now give you a GA. ;-)

Edit: “picture”

I’m 24 and hated Avatar. The incredibly ham-fisted message, reliance on special effects over story and characterization, horrible writing (unobtanium? seriously?) these things to me do not a good movie make.

But I don’t really care if it wins or not, since IMO the academy are a bunch of dinosaurs who wouldn’t know a good movie if it bit them in the ass anyway.

“ham-fisted”

You get a GA just for that. :-)

Hell no. But then the Oscar’s lost any credibility when Julia Roberts one best actress. Julia Roberts is never the best actress. Ugh.

I don’t think Hurt Locker will win it. The producer annoyed the Oscars committee enough to get himself banned from the ceremony, I don’t think that’ll win any voting favours.

I hated District 9. I really wanted to like that movie, and looked forward to it, and the film they made just sucked.
Avatar is Dances with Smurfs. Great effects, rehashed story.
Inglourious Bastards was terrific, and I hope it wins, but it won’t.
Up was great, and will win best animated film, but lose here.
I didn’t see Up in the Air. I heard it’s really good, and it could surprise here.
The Hurt Locker was really good, and will be the academy’s choice.

I guess it really depends on your criteria. (I’ve been thinking about the question.) Are you looking for the best written? Best acted? Most creative? Most thought provoking? Best editing? Best score?

There are ‘lesser’ Academy awards that recognize those individual facets of the movie industry (as well as oodles more). But what makes a movie “best”? I think that’s a pretty subjective decision.

As I said before, I think Avatar has serious flaws. I’m sure that’s plenty of reason to knock it out of contention for ‘best’ movie for plenty of folks. But for my little committee of one, it’s a movie that has created so much discussion and buzz and a movie that incorporates ground breaking new technology. It’s a movie that I have paid a higher ticket price for than any other time in my life and would happily do so over and over again (and in fact, have). It’s a movie that my friends and I have excitedly discussed on the way home afterward, and a movie that I have several examples of individuals driving more than an hour each way to see in 3D. It’s created excitement and a shared experience among my friends and me.

Does that make it “best”? I can’t really say. But it has my vote.

Best picture is totally the wrong category for this movie. I would vote a toilet documentary getting best cinematography before I voted for this. Wait…..Julia Roberts already won. Nevemind.

How many times can we depict the same, tired, calvary-rode-in-and-saved-the-towns people bullshit? The script has nearly enough originality to fill a thimble. Avatar is utterly vanilla and unremarkable in every way, and yet, it will probably win. People like special effects, even if a movie hasn’t the substance of tapioca.

I’m sure that “Hurt Locker” will win and I’d say that Kathryn Bigelow is one major MILK, but I don’t think that she has any children. ;-)

My faith has been somewhat restored. The Hurt Locker won! You guys were absolutely right. Good job :)

Go Avatar!

@phillis

I posted after “Hurt Locker” won. :-P

It’s okay. I’ll never tell :)

The story wasn’t Oscar worthy.
The CG deserves recognition but good story will trump oooo shiny every time.