Escape from New York is being remade? fuck.
Please, NO ONE remake Escape From New York. Let Kurt Russell live forever!

I know its cool to be all pretentious and hate every high budget hollywood film but I'm still very interested in this.
As a kid it was those blockbusters (LIke T2, Jurassic Park, Back to the Future) that made movies exciting. I hear this one actually uses the 3D effects for more than just throwing stuff at the audience too.
Granted I passed on Transformers 2 after not really liking the first. I also couldn't get into GI Joe, but I don't really see Avatar being that kind of film.
Guess I'll know after I see it tomorrow.

christ Christ CHrist CHRist CHRIst CHRISt CHRIST!
I think I may throw myself off a bridge now. They are ruining my childhood. If they even THINK about remaking the original Terminator movies, so help me they'll pay. Movie fans should team up together to end this crap once and for all. There's enough of us out there that hate what Hollywood is doing, and unlike topics like Call of Duty, there are a widespread group who are troubled by this, so maybe we can get something done to preserve the originals from being overwhelmed by lame copycats with the same name.
Also, Arnie's work is clearly being violated, and he's the governor of California, so maybe he can do something good in his position (for once).

You guys watched this clip? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dj1px3WFcFs&fmt=22
Now that is a crappy youtube video, it isn't a true 720p, so imagine it even higher, like, hmm like, imax adding it's gigantic immersion?!
You gotta separate some things: production hype, story hype, final product.
A stupid example but somewhat true, that comes to my mind is Crysis: does this film have to look like real life CG to be AT LEAST DECENT, ANY GOOD and cause some evolution? C'mon Avatar is just a movie, you go there, sit, watch and go home. It doesn't need to be on "ultra high" to be watchable/playable because some stupid film critic/journalist said. Forget all the production hype and the first crappy avatar teasers, because they really were crap.
Like the Crysis example the story isn't all that great, it's a montage of numerous things, cliches (compare with any movie you want). The big thing is the change that Avatar is doing in the business; now we will have a lot of 3d movies coming out, and conversions etc. all because of investments in the nature, size of avatar and it's impact alone, with costs of $300-500 Millions just for this film. With this evolution we'll have Tron Legacy with avatar cameras, a new Alien in 3d, maybe the conversions of the lord of the rings, star wars, etc. to 3d and so on and on.
But, just forget the hype. Go see for yourself and enjoy the final product on a cinema and not a little TV, then come back and comment it.
It's bad for me that there isn't any 3D near here, I'll watch on 2D so.

i'm confused by all the negativity about this.

Incidentally I still have trouble telling the difference in such things as Jurassic Park and Star Wars Episode I. Why did CGI become shittier over the past decade rather than better?

It's the first teasers. They did look like crap, but it seems like everyone who's seeing the new stuff has the same reaction: "You know what, this may be good."

None of it compares to the first teaser though....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xXQBrvoTDNU
Now that's exciting. But so vague. :/

Weeee...several hundred million dollars worth of effects used to help tell that OH SO ORIGINAL story of a man who finds himself rethinking his beliefs when exposed to a new and foreign culture. Oh, and all wrapped up in the bow that is James Cameron's typically crap-tacular dialogue.

Just saw it in theaters at a midnight showing in 3D, it was excellent, trailer did not even remotely do it justice, People should really reserve judgment until they have seen it for themselves. As mentioned in a previous comment it does share certain themes with other older stories/films, but they are presented in a cool new way that is far superior in my opinion to any of its spiritual predecessors

SWEET! I'll be seeing it today, then.

I just got back from a midnight 3D showing as well... I'm in awe at the visuals. I could honestly sit back and enjoy just 3 hours of Pandora with the musical score.

That's really nice man. :)
People need to go see for themselves, that's it, and it's what I've been reading. And that there is a cool space ship scene at the beginning...I can't wait to see it properly.

ars review: http://arstechnica.com/media/reviews/2009/12/avatar-reviewed-in-3d-on-imax-you-know-the-story-go-anyway.ars
metacritic scores: http://www.metacritic.com/film/titles/avatar