I thought avatar was a little on the lame side too but Unobtainium is legitimately a real engineering term outside of this movie: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unobtainium
And Avatar stole the name for that element from... wait for it... The Core! That fine example of action/sci-fi filmmaking, The Core. Good job, Cameron! The decade you took to make that film really showed.
I was really disappointed with Avatar and am not a fan of it, but the unobtanium thing was clearly self-aware. If anything it was to CUT the bullshit by not making up some elaborate new name for a plot device element. People just love stomping with impunity.
Why stop there? Why bother remembering a word like Na'vi when we can just refer to them as "The Natives"? I don't even think the names of characters were important to move that plot forward. They should have all just referred to each other as "Hey you!"
I still hope the humans come back at some point in the next movie(s) and nuke that frigging planet from orbit. Its the only way to make sure, you know.
Wasn't Byzantium and empire and not a chemical? It still makes more sense than red matter from the fanfic Star Trek movie - that was horribly byzantine.
Byzantium was the MacGuffin in Clive Cussler's silly jingo-adventure "Raise the Titanic!"
Marvelium was created by Captain Marvel to counteract Sivanium. (Don't ask.)
Kryptonite emits radiation that is deadly to one humanoid race but no others, while we're talking about silly. (Kudos to Bruce Timm and others who retconned it to be dangerous to everyone, albeit at different exposures.)
Actually, it was John Byrne who, as part of the mid-80's Superman retcon, decided that Kryptonite was poisonous to everyone, and that Kryptonians had a particular sensitivity to it. It was a major plotpoint in the books for awhile, resulting in Luthor losing a hand due to cancer from overexposure to a Kryptonite ring that he wore to spite Superman. Bruce Timm and others just followed suit.
Cameron's successful AND respected (except by bitter little fanboys) AND has a string of commercial and artistic successes under his belt, so that comparison is completely ridiculous. Thanks for playing.
Ha ha ha ha! Ha ha ha ha! Respect for fandom? Aaaaah ha ha ha ha ha ha! Ha ha ha ha haaaaa!
Bender: "Oh, wait, you're serious! Let me laugh even harder!"
uh oh, I think we found our problem. He calls US the bitter fanboys, but I think he's just a bitter fanboy himself. Dude, just because you like James Cameron doesn't mean you can have a hissyfit when someone else calls him an idiot and expect yourself to be taken seriously (seriously, the "basement troll stereotype" is a LITTLE overused these days). Yes, he is successful, but that doesn't mean I can't say he's an idiot. That's like saying I can't call the US president an idiot because he's the president of the United States (although just to be clear, I personally find Obama a lot better than any other president/candidate we've had in the past 20 years, but let's not turn this into a political debate).
And also, just to be clear, I actually DO like James Cameron. Say what you will about Titanic and Avatar, but he's also the guy behind Terminator and Aliens, which are some of the best horror/action movies aver. I just have a problem with the fact that you have a problem with other people's opinions and the fact that they apparently have no right to express them when it comes to successful people like James Cameron. Get off your high horse, asshole, and stop pretending your better than everyone else.
Someone challenged an opinion. No one said it couldn't be expressed.
(Tip: When you accuse someone else of throwing a hissyfit, you might want to edit your own squawling, foulmouthed, all-over-the-map tantrum down to three or four coherent sentences. Otherwise, you make yourself look more "two-year-old" than "free-speech champion.")
Personally, I've never seen "Titanic" or "Avatar." But I do notice that mentioning Cameron's name tends to bring out the knee-jerk poop-flinging among the nerdies, even before those films were released. Whatever; I'm pretty sure he doesn't care.
Here's something you should never do on a Sunday morning--say to yourself "gee, I think I'll see if anyone replied to my comment on Our Valued Customers. Sheesh, people. I think it's probably past the time anyone will care about this, but let me clear up a few things. 1. I'm a middle aged guy with a wife, two kids, and a house with a basement of my own to live in, if I so chose (and if you ever saw my parents' basement, you'd realize the idea of anyone living in it would be pretty revolting). 2. I made a joke, and it wasn't even that great a joke--the guy at the end of these comments who mentioned the Lost Skeleton of Kadavra was a lot funnier. 3. I also liked Aliens and Terminator, but calling them artistic successes is a bit of a stretch, in my opinion. 3. The script for Avatar was lousy, again, IN MY OPINION. 4. And finally, Anonymous who was the first to bitch about my joke, I personally love Los Bros Hernandez, the novels of Philip K. Dick, Barton Fink and Miller's Crossing, The Airtight Garage by Moebius, and the cartoon series The Tick. Feel free to make jokes about any or all of these, and let's just call ourselves even.
What's funnier is the inevitable epilogue to this movie has the Earth military coming back, full-force and knowing the Na'vi's tricks, and the self-righteous cat people ending up losing a whole lot more than just a tree.
As a proud Internet Tough Guy, I think we should nuke everything, all the time, except where I live. In the movie's case it might transform the stuff into Evenmoreunobtainium, or even Worthlessium, but it would be totally worth the cost for reasons I refuse to think through because frontal lobes are for hippies.
The US never lost a single battle in Vietnam. However, there was little support for the war, and, due to the fact that it was a war against the Viet Cong, rather than the Vietnamese people as a whole, the US had to employ surgical strikes and couldn't just carpet bomb the whole country. A war just can't be won that way, even if you win EVERY battle.
In the case of the Earth military v. the Na'vi, there's nothing that would hold them back from killing all life on Pandora, since, in the humans' eyes, THERE ARE NO GOOD GUYS ON PANDORA. The planet doesn't need to be nuked; fire works fine! It's clear that Unobtanium must be worth a LOT, considering how expensive it had to have been in the first place to send a bunch of military to Pandora, create avatars, blah blah blah. Who's to say it wouldn't still be really profitable, even after taking the measures needed to kill all life on Pandora?
Pretty much my reaction if you changed the laughter to snoring.
ReplyDeleteI thought avatar was a little on the lame side too but Unobtainium is legitimately a real engineering term outside of this movie: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unobtainium
ReplyDelete"The concept of unobtainium is often applied flippantly or humorously."
DeleteMy GF notes: "seriously? Had they already used up the planet's supply of bullshitonium?"
ReplyDeleteDoes your GF have a single sister or friend with a similar sense of humor?
DeleteThat's excellent!
DeleteWhy doesn't think one have an "it's true" tag?
They were also running dangerously low on MacGuffinite.
Delete"It's True"
ReplyDeleteIt's true.
ReplyDeleteUnobtanium was the only good thing about that movie. That, and how well Sigourney Weaver looks for her age.
From the Rifftrax: "Also known as MacGuffinanium!" "It motivates your plot!"
ReplyDeleteAnd Avatar stole the name for that element from... wait for it... The Core! That fine example of action/sci-fi filmmaking, The Core. Good job, Cameron! The decade you took to make that film really showed.
ReplyDeleteUm, yeah. I don't think the writers of "The Core" actually invented that name themselves.
DeleteI'm usually a lover of all things pun-tastic but even I groan and roll my eyes (and yell at the screen) whenever "Unobtainium" is brought up.
ReplyDeleteProbably because it's not a pun. It's meant to be taken seriously, which isn't funny, it's just depressing.
DeleteI was really disappointed with Avatar and am not a fan of it, but the unobtanium thing was clearly self-aware. If anything it was to CUT the bullshit by not making up some elaborate new name for a plot device element. People just love stomping with impunity.
ReplyDeleteWhy stop there? Why bother remembering a word like Na'vi when we can just refer to them as "The Natives"? I don't even think the names of characters were important to move that plot forward. They should have all just referred to each other as "Hey you!"
DeleteI still hope the humans come back at some point in the next movie(s) and nuke that frigging planet from orbit.
ReplyDeleteIts the only way to make sure, you know.
My God! Leonardo is a monster! We have to stop him!
DeleteAdamantium.
ReplyDeleteByzantium.
Marvelium.
Vibranium.
Wasn't Byzantium and empire and not a chemical? It still makes more sense than red matter from the fanfic Star Trek movie - that was horribly byzantine.
DeleteByzantium was the MacGuffin in Clive Cussler's silly jingo-adventure "Raise the Titanic!"
DeleteMarvelium was created by Captain Marvel to counteract Sivanium. (Don't ask.)
Kryptonite emits radiation that is deadly to one humanoid race but no others, while we're talking about silly. (Kudos to Bruce Timm and others who retconned it to be dangerous to everyone, albeit at different exposures.)
Actually, it was John Byrne who, as part of the mid-80's Superman retcon, decided that Kryptonite was poisonous to everyone, and that Kryptonians had a particular sensitivity to it. It was a major plotpoint in the books for awhile, resulting in Luthor losing a hand due to cancer from overexposure to a Kryptonite ring that he wore to spite Superman. Bruce Timm and others just followed suit.
DeleteRed Matter was a reference to red mercury: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_mercury
DeleteCleary when Cameron wrote this movie, he was on large doses of uncranium.
ReplyDeleteHe's pretty successful for such a stupid guy.
DeleteSo why you still livin' in Mom's basement?
The Khardashians and Jessica Simpson are successful too.
DeleteAnd "mom's basement" jokes, really? No respect for fandom, I see.
Cameron's successful AND respected (except by bitter little fanboys) AND has a string of commercial and artistic successes under his belt, so that comparison is completely ridiculous. Thanks for playing.
DeleteHa ha ha ha! Ha ha ha ha! Respect for fandom? Aaaaah ha ha ha ha ha ha! Ha ha ha ha haaaaa!
Bender: "Oh, wait, you're serious! Let me laugh even harder!"
"Jerks"
Delete"except by bitter little fanboys"
Deleteuh oh, I think we found our problem. He calls US the bitter fanboys, but I think he's just a bitter fanboy himself. Dude, just because you like James Cameron doesn't mean you can have a hissyfit when someone else calls him an idiot and expect yourself to be taken seriously (seriously, the "basement troll stereotype" is a LITTLE overused these days). Yes, he is successful, but that doesn't mean I can't say he's an idiot. That's like saying I can't call the US president an idiot because he's the president of the United States (although just to be clear, I personally find Obama a lot better than any other president/candidate we've had in the past 20 years, but let's not turn this into a political debate).
And also, just to be clear, I actually DO like James Cameron. Say what you will about Titanic and Avatar, but he's also the guy behind Terminator and Aliens, which are some of the best horror/action movies aver. I just have a problem with the fact that you have a problem with other people's opinions and the fact that they apparently have no right to express them when it comes to successful people like James Cameron. Get off your high horse, asshole, and stop pretending your better than everyone else.
Someone challenged an opinion. No one said it couldn't be expressed.
Delete(Tip: When you accuse someone else of throwing a hissyfit, you might want to edit your own squawling, foulmouthed, all-over-the-map tantrum down to three or four coherent sentences. Otherwise, you make yourself look more "two-year-old" than "free-speech champion.")
Personally, I've never seen "Titanic" or "Avatar." But I do notice that mentioning Cameron's name tends to bring out the knee-jerk poop-flinging among the nerdies, even before those films were released. Whatever; I'm pretty sure he doesn't care.
Here's something you should never do on a Sunday morning--say to yourself "gee, I think I'll see if anyone replied to my comment on Our Valued Customers. Sheesh, people. I think it's probably past the time anyone will care about this, but let me clear up a few things. 1. I'm a middle aged guy with a wife, two kids, and a house with a basement of my own to live in, if I so chose (and if you ever saw my parents' basement, you'd realize the idea of anyone living in it would be pretty revolting). 2. I made a joke, and it wasn't even that great a joke--the guy at the end of these comments who mentioned the Lost Skeleton of Kadavra was a lot funnier. 3. I also liked Aliens and Terminator, but calling them artistic successes is a bit of a stretch, in my opinion. 3. The script for Avatar was lousy, again, IN MY OPINION. 4. And finally, Anonymous who was the first to bitch about my joke, I personally love Los Bros Hernandez, the novels of Philip K. Dick, Barton Fink and Miller's Crossing, The Airtight Garage by Moebius, and the cartoon series The Tick. Feel free to make jokes about any or all of these, and let's just call ourselves even.
DeletePlus, you all spent a lot of time arguing over a comment by a guy who can't even spell "clearly"
DeleteAs soon as Unobtainium is mined, does it become Obtainium? Enquiring minds want to know.
ReplyDeleteP.S. I have a similar problem when it comes to watching "The Exorcist: The Version You've Never Seen".
Yeaaaaah...gonna say this one needs an "it's true" tag.
ReplyDeletePlease do not forget "Upsidasium," the anit-gravity element from "The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show."
ReplyDeleteWhat's funnier is the inevitable epilogue to this movie has the Earth military coming back, full-force and knowing the Na'vi's tricks, and the self-righteous cat people ending up losing a whole lot more than just a tree.
ReplyDeleteTo quote another Cameron movie: "Nuke the site from orbit, its the only way to make sure."
DeleteAfter all, that's how we won the war in Vietnam!
DeleteAs a proud Internet Tough Guy, I think we should nuke everything, all the time, except where I live. In the movie's case it might transform the stuff into Evenmoreunobtainium, or even Worthlessium, but it would be totally worth the cost for reasons I refuse to think through because frontal lobes are for hippies.
@Anon 3:02
DeleteThe US never lost a single battle in Vietnam. However, there was little support for the war, and, due to the fact that it was a war against the Viet Cong, rather than the Vietnamese people as a whole, the US had to employ surgical strikes and couldn't just carpet bomb the whole country. A war just can't be won that way, even if you win EVERY battle.
In the case of the Earth military v. the Na'vi, there's nothing that would hold them back from killing all life on Pandora, since, in the humans' eyes, THERE ARE NO GOOD GUYS ON PANDORA. The planet doesn't need to be nuked; fire works fine! It's clear that Unobtanium must be worth a LOT, considering how expensive it had to have been in the first place to send a bunch of military to Pandora, create avatars, blah blah blah. Who's to say it wouldn't still be really profitable, even after taking the measures needed to kill all life on Pandora?
Kinda bummed out that nobody else brought up "atmosphereum" from The Lost Skeleton of Cadavra...
ReplyDeleteI'm kinda bummed out that nobody else brought up "perineum" from The Tainted Bridge of Dr. Gooch.
DeleteThat is the best comment ever. You win the internet.
Delete