'Avatar' trailer: Reviewers hopeful but not blown away

Everyone is talking about it, but only a few sites have waded into the reviewing waters following the release this morning of James Cameron’s “Avatar” trailer on Apple.com, and subsequently, a weird release by the French MSN site. The photo here will take you to Apple’s site, and there are a few opinions afterwards.

RantRave
http://www.rantrave.com/Rave/James-Camerons-Avatar-Trailer-Review.aspx

Pros: Aliens, compelling CGI. It’s a freakin’ space epic!
Cons: Probably will be “family-friendly.” Boo.
“I’m excited for this movie, and I can’t wait to see another trailer. Avatar may have a fairly unoriginal plot, but I think it shows promise. Thanks, James Cameron!”

Tim Robey – Telegraph.co.uk
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/film/filmreviews/6062230/Avatar-trailer-review.html

Brisk and a little perfunctory, the trailer itself is not a huge wow, but there’s plenty in it to tantalise.

FilmJunk
http://www.filmjunk.com/2009/08/20/james-camerons-avatar-trailer-the-real-thing/

The environments do look quite beautiful and I have to say, I’m intrigued by the idea of people stepping into these mind-controlled versions of themselves. That said, the CG does look like CG, and I think it’s going to be hard for a lot of people to accept that most of the action is essentially fully animated.

Marc Bernardin, Entertainment Weekly
http://popwatch.ew.com/2009/08/20/avatar-teaser-i-mean-i-guess-its-cool-right/

I’m kind of underwhelmed. There’s a definite Attack of the Clones vibe to the creatures — which feel like beasts from the sketchbook of an insanely talented 12-year-old — and the world, while expertly realized, just doesn’t carry the charge of the New.

Drew McWeeny, HitFix
http://www.hitfix.com/blogs/2008-12-6-motion-captured/posts/avatar-trailer-premieres-online

You know what’s not cool? The way fandom seems to have decided that, no matter what, they’re going to sit cross-armed and irritated over the entire idea of the film … I guess you can color me profoundly out-of-step with what looks to me to be the general response to the trailer, because I thought it was a simple, elegant introduction both to the world of Pandora and the general idea of the film.

You’ve heard their opinions, now tell us yours.

– Jevon Phillips

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