Avatar, for those who still haven't given in to the massive hype machine, is about to be released in less than a month in cinemas worldwide, and up until now - the trailers have been a very tough-sell to audiences. Early reactions are calling the film an overbloated CGI Smurf fest, while others have gleefully compared it to Ferngully / Dances with Wolves - in space.
Trailer tech
In the opening scenes of the new trailer, we get a closer look at the planet Pandora, populated by the indigenous Navi, 10 foot tall alien smurfs - and every one of them is a CGI creation, ala Jar Jar Binks.
We also get a closer look at the mining camp being protected by the military and it's here, that we get a closer glimpse at some of the heavy battle machinery, hinted in early trailers.
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| James Cameron gets into the action on set. Photo: Avatarplanet |
The larger than life Mech walkers (called Amp Suits in the film) bring back fond memories of the Loaders from Cameron's earlier work in Aliens. Even Michelle Rodriguez's character is a direct throwback to the Latin pilot in Aliens. The Amp suits are described as 16 foot fighting machines that amplify the movements of the operator inside the machine.
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| A nice glimpse of the Amp suit (in toy form). Photo: Slashfilm |
To give Avatar a greater sense of reality (and probably to counter the extreme CGI overload), Cameron has tried to steep the film in a semi-scientific reality; presuming that the things we see on screen, could really be possible in the future. Cameron describes keeping the technology of the film as being no better than mid 21st century tech - because of the high intense magnetic fields on Pandora.
The Dragonfly helicopter is particularly impressive - and it's been designed so, because of the necessity to have aircraft that can make vertical take-offs and landings on the space planet. The usual array of military weapons - including those lovable flamethrowers, also make an appearance.
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| The dragonfly helicopter is the aricraft of choice in Avatar. Photo: Avatarplanet |
Cameron says it best when he describes the film as having some "good ol' fashioned chemical powered weapons that throw a lot of brass and make a lot of noise."