 December 19, 2009 - 11:34pm | I was serious about the spoiler- Item #1. There is a value to seeing it in 3D- I'm sure 2D will be very awesome but treat yourself to a viewing in an IMAX theatre. Item #2. I would be willing to bet James Cameroon played Star Frontiers back in the day as the movie upon second reflection is a "rip off" of the Volturnus Campaign Not in every detail but close enough to resemble it. Mining going on with little concern for the natives, a primitive native race, a big desparate battle where bow armed natives somehow manage to overcome advanced tech with the help of a small team of heros. Item #3. Some of the animals resemble Volturnus animals., superficially. I might not be a dralasite, vrusk or yazirian but I do play one in Star Frontiers! |
 December 20, 2009 - 7:57am | I saw the 3D version. Very nice. It was difficult to recall that most of those scenes were computer graphics. If I hadnt caught a few shorts about it over the week, I dont think I would have realized it. I too picked up the Volturnus connection as well. The link reminded me of that. I didnt think about the battle though. But I did catch myself wondering if someone on the production and idea crews ever played SF. Time flies when your having rum. Im a government employee, I dont goof-off. I constructively abuse my time. |
December 20, 2009 - 10:45am | James Cameroon cliams that most of the ideas for this movie were from when he was a teen reading sci fi and constantly drawing pictures. the blue skinned aliens were imagined even then. He sat down in 2000 with Sony and talked them into doing a camera for him that would do what he needed for the 3d presentation of just this movie. Someone also told me he's been bullying to get more 3D capable and more digital theaters since 2000. When he sat to write the story he says it took 2-3 weeks and that as they made the movie they cut out a third of the material and his exact comment on that was, "Have to save that for the sequel." The interview I saw he suggest that he IS the creative impetus behind this which is why I think he had some star frontiers influence. I love that fact that he figured that people would draw connections between his native and American Indians so that he played to the stereotype anyway. Event the "chief" sounded like a stereo typed movie Indian. I think we can expect that little bit of exposition by sigorny weaver to play heavily in a future movie that the real value of the world is not in the ground but in the plants. Also since many of the characters are CGI all actors are replacable and we could see an different actor in the lead instead of the Aussie with that crappy accent. With such a hot movie out I'd almost expect some interest in working up an adventure based off the movie but then we already have that: Volturnus. Unless you'd like rewrite Volturnus with only the Ul mor and no eorna, Kurabanga, Edestakai and the minerals found at the pirate base that only have a name but are valueable but sell for 20 mil a kilo like in the movie. Keep some Volturnus creatures and ditch others and rewrite some of the sillier ones that still have potential. I might not be a dralasite, vrusk or yazirian but I do play one in Star Frontiers! |
 December 20, 2009 - 5:42pm | Nah, I'll skip this. In every age, in every place, the deeds of men remain the same. |
 December 22, 2009 - 1:37pm | I saw it in 3D very cool visiuals. Interesting ideas of native creatures. I really liked the tech for the humans; especially the amp suits. Awesome scenes aboard the starship! I wished they would have lingered a little more on the starship. Overall I liked it. I did have a few beefs: Umobtainium!!! Really? It would be a cheasy idea to use in my home SF games let alone a multi million dollar movie. They could have come up with any other name and it would have been better.... Did they really need to go with the all too obvious displaced natives fighting a desperate battle. Been done to death. At least I got to scare an alien rabbit thingy...... |
 December 22, 2009 - 4:30pm | Umobtainium!!! Really? It would be a cheasy idea to use in my home SF games let alone a multi million dollar movie. They could have come up with any other name and it would have been better.... How bout Chemical X.... "You're everything that's base in humanity," Cochrane continued. "Drawing up strict, senseless rules for the sole reason of putting you at the top and excluding anyone you say doesn't belong or fit in, for no other reason than just because you say so." —Judith and Garfield Reeves-Stephens, Federation |
December 22, 2009 - 6:11pm | How bout Chemical X.... I like it!! How about a flux capacitor? or a flask of pure Handwavium? At least I got to scare an alien rabbit thingy...... |
December 22, 2009 - 10:08pm | Did they really need to go with the all too obvious displaced natives fighting a desperate battle. Been done to death. not only did they do the displaced natives but they even played to the Native American cliche to the hilt- even the native leader sounded like an Indian. bows and arrows, riding the Pandoran "horse", being one with nature, respecting all life. I was just starting to think man this thing is a little american indianish and then the chief spoke and I busted up laughing. I might not be a dralasite, vrusk or yazirian but I do play one in Star Frontiers! |
December 23, 2009 - 9:02am | How bout Chemical X.... I like it!! How about a flux capacitor? or a flask of pure Handwavium? Is that 200 proof Handwavium?! Cut it with some fruit juice and you'll have Handwavium hunch punch. "You're everything that's base in humanity," Cochrane continued. "Drawing up strict, senseless rules for the sole reason of putting you at the top and excluding anyone you say doesn't belong or fit in, for no other reason than just because you say so." —Judith and Garfield Reeves-Stephens, Federation |
 December 23, 2009 - 4:37pm | Loved the movie, yes lots of cliche's but I could see past that and still really enjoy this amazing feat of movie craftsmenship. If ya gotta pay $10 to see a movie I'd rather it be one like this then a lot of the other pop culture garbage. |
 December 28, 2009 - 10:17am | Avatar was visually stunning, and did make me think of the Volturnus modules, as well as "Sundown on Starmist", but the story really has been told in real history and in various sorts of fiction, in part or in whole, time and time again. Men come to a pristine place to exploit its resources for their own ends, without regard to the indigeonous populace or the environment. The spectacle of Avatar aside (which makes this worth seeing and owning), this was "Dances with Wolves" meets "Fern Gully". Long live the Frontier! |
December 28, 2009 - 4:20pm | I agree, but I still loved this movie, and the ariel sky battle, now thats never been done like that before. While the native american theme is overplayed there does seem to be some aborigonal and african attributes in the setting as well. I havent seen it in 3D or Imax and hope I can see it that way before it leaves theatres. |
 December 28, 2009 - 6:26pm | I just saw it last night (in 3d) And I did think of SF right off when it showed them coming out of cryo on the ship. Didn’t see volturnus as much as the quick-death rip-off. I was most impressed with how alien and how diverse the flora and fauna was. (not the blue boobies, despite what my wife thinks. I knew I should have worn my contacts.) Perhaps I didn’t think Volturnus because it didn’t look like I too loved the tech level of the humans. Just current enough tech with a mech warrior twist. |
December 28, 2009 - 6:29pm | Oh, the biggest thing that botherd me was the floating mountains. And more than the fact that they just float...the water from the falls didn't...and why doesn't the water run out? not like you can have too great a source of ground water up there. |
December 29, 2009 - 11:16am | Yeah, one of the things I kept thinking is how the na'vi should have had gliding membranes like the yaz. And although there are various indigeonous peoples references, it was most obviously american indian based language and culture. I the floating mountains... now that was just nonsensical! Pretty, but WTF? I'm with you there, Inigo. Long live the Frontier! |
January 1, 2010 - 11:22pm | I'm still not getting the similarities between Volturnus and Avatar......? At least I got to scare an alien rabbit thingy...... |
January 2, 2010 - 3:40pm | Here are some of the similarities that I saw. Of course, it has been forever since I played the volturnus mods. |
January 2, 2010 - 5:46pm | OK I buy those similarities. I still don't think Cameron would of had to have knowledge of Volturnus to come up with the story. A lot of those similarities are science fiction tropes. At least I got to scare an alien rabbit thingy...... |
 January 14, 2010 - 12:36pm | I think it would have been fine without the 3D. I don't think it is worth a price jack up of 5 bucks per ticket. For whatever reason, we did not have to pay that additional fee. Overall, I thought Avatar was very good, but very predictable. The blue chick tells the main dude: "No one has rode the red flying beast in 500 years" as she points at the skeleton. And, of course, homeboy dives down and tames it. Then the whole thing with Sigourney Weaver dying as a foreshadow to the crippled Marine turning permanently into a blue guy. The whole movie was just one giant predictable thing. But the action, the acting, the creativity and the visuals make up for the lack of surprises. Overall, well done and I am happy that I went to see it. Now, as for Volturnus or SF influences... Not so sure there. The plot line is totally different. The PCs are thrust (brilliantly by Tom Moldvay - R.I.P.) into a world with many conflicting forces, not just 2 like in Avatar. You have the Sathar, the Star Devils, the mission to find Colonel Jameson, the morphing of the mission to save Volturnus, the rivalries between the different races, the Mechanons, and the myriad challenges of the planet itself... It's just a richer mix. The mining angle is not a significant part of the modules. In fact, if memory serves, the corporate mining op scenario is listed at the end of StarSpawn (SF2) as a suggestion to continue adventure in Volturnus. But it is not an actual part of the story. To be honest, I felt a little more "Starship Troopers" than Star Frontiers. I guess it was because of all the military types running around. Anyway, fun movie. |
 January 21, 2010 - 3:21am | For obvious reasons I have avoided this thread LOL I finally got to see it, and in 3D. I was really hoping to catch it before it droppd out of the movie houses as such, because I really had no desire to wait and see it in headache-vision red/blue cardboard glasses a la DVD (yes, I saw Journey to the Center of the Earth in the movie house too). Modern dual-projection 3D is really something else, although it's not exactly new...the original MGM show "FX" w/Michael Crawford (and later David Cassidy, Tommy Tune, and Rick Springfield) had a dual-projection 3D effect in one segment back in 1993 until the show was canned in more recent years, albeit all CG rather than live action as Journey and Avatar feature. Anyways I really liked it, predictable as it was. Those Scorpion copters ruled! I also caught a few Volturnus module similarities, although I didn't see them as blatantly as some mentioned. The Ul-Mor mind link is the only one that immediately lept at me. I would have to lean in agreement to the native American and tribal African exploitation theme myself. Overall it was visually stunning, and I hope the 2D DVD release is in widescreen (Journey was in standard format for the 2D end, and that never translates well on modern flatscreen televisions). |
 January 27, 2010 - 12:58pm | When i was Avatar I came out thinking wow i just saw a sci-fi action version of Pocohantus. I did get the mind link connection with the Ul-Mor and considered useing the avatar tank tech as a way for sathar to better control their attack monsters (insert sarcastic comeback here) |
 January 27, 2010 - 7:17pm | I thought Fern gully in space, still liked it as just entertainment, but the story line was kinda weak. Gold is for the mistress-silver for the maid-copper for the craftsman cunning at his trade.But Iron-Cold Iron- is master of them all |
 February 2, 2010 - 9:17am | Seen this yesterday - want to see it again. :-P Notes o We don't have a tall race in SF! o Mind/Emotional link was very well done. I liked creatures having to choose a rider. o Tree and Chanting was a little to mystic for me. Reminded me of the devices on Borg cubes were memories were stored. o Anyway... this race does not a playable character race in SF. I don't see them wanting to leave their home-world for adventure. They apparently have enough of their own. |
