This is definitely my favorite as well. When I bought the soundtrack some of the songs surprised me, because they seemed a bit at odds with their titles. Since I listened to it for the 6 weeks between my third and fourth viewing, I was so familiar with it that I realized it did exactly what a movie score ought to, provide emphasis and support the emotion of each scene. It did that, and in spades. I love it; there's only two tracks I'm not super keen on.

What do you mean? It's just Trudy with her Sampson, right?

I bet that was at a very early showing. I've seen it four times now, and none of the audiences there had anywhere near as much enthusiasm. It's a shame really, because I feel like half of the movie experience is the atmosphere of the crowd you're with. Each time I seemed to be with very low-energy, slow to react, apathetic, unemotional individuals. I would have loved to be there with that crowd. I'll be seeing the midnight release of the pre/sequel, whenever that is.

Yeah. I noticed the knife thing myself two nights ago in my fourth viewing. I hadn't seen it before, it surprised me a bit. I've always said that that was the scene where their true feelings for each other were first clear; she flew in and she seemed a little weary/breathless and concerned. She was genuinely glad to see him, and the way she clutched onto him as he inched his way under the waterfall was endearing. Every moment after that, there just seemed to be unbridled longing between the two of them.

She had me a long time ago when I was much younger. I saw Drumline.

The tears and her huskiness as she murmured "I see you" as she replied to him really captured my heart too. It's powerful.

I found that moment to very symbolistic of his new role. Here he has his full warrior attire; since the Na'vi valued adornment according to one's stature within the clan, he's legitimately a badass now by all standards. He's painted, decked out, and has the male warrior cut/braiding. I like it better than the human-style of full-head haircuts.

I'll bite. I'd give it an 8. I'd rate it higher simply for her innate beauty, but out of complete frame she looks a bit odd, especially at that angle. She looks very noble, but with her head turned and without her hair framing her face as it normally does, she looks a bit different than the creature we've all been smitten by. I do absolutely LOVE the bioluminescence and the green environment contrasting with her gorgeous skin though.

I'm going to leave you two to it then. Goodnight for now, perhaps I'll return later just as I'm finally getting ready to sleep. Eywa ngahu.

I don't know, you pose a really good question. I think that final journey at the Well of Souls symbolizes the ultimate step well enough, though. Grace passed successfully before Eywa yet could not maintain the strength to stay physically alive. Jake also passed through entirely successfully, uniting his mental spirit with the body he felt to be truly him.

Now that I read this, I suppose I see written what I kind of assumed all along. The first one was more of an immediate reaction to her mate being in peril danger. You can see her literally leaping in slo-mo for her weapons, springing up from the ground, quickly setting her stance, and firing off the bolt. For the second, she runs into place, sets herself, and looses her last arrow. She even draws her knife after that and runs much closer, squatting protectively over Jake's body just as she did when Tsu'tey threatened him.

I'm with you on that one, Spirit.

Tawtute, to me it didn't look like flesh, I'd just chalk it up to a slightly more viscous blood belong to the Na'vi compared to humans. It looked thicker, nothing more. Jake is pretty tough, I kinda felt like his reaction was more of a "Woah, what the . . ." than an "Owww, why?" He even kinda goes "Acchh!" like he's surprised instead of "Ow" like he's hurt.

Interesting observations, HouseOfHam. My guess would be that the central off-site mine is what lies at 0 on the indicator. It makes sense, doesn't it? The opening scene shows the craft flying over the mining operations and to the base's location.

One thing to consider is actually calling the theater itself. It's a long shot, but the people there are actually usually really happy to talk to a customer. I'd seen the movie at home over winter break three times and wanted to see it IMAX when I returned to Manhattan for the semester, so I finally got a viewing in last night uptown at one of if not the largest in the city. I'd heard scare-stories all over the web about it still selling out, so I called two days ahead just to talk with someone and got a lot of concrete info that helped us have the perfect time. Give it a shot, I'd say the worst you stand to lose is 10 minutes of your time. It sucks that you're in such a rural area though, I can imagine how you wouldn't benefit from the constant demand here that allows theaters to keep showing it like I do. The theater was almost at max capacity last night; at $18.50 a head, this movie is still raking in serious $.

Yeah, I noticed that the first time I saw it as well. I'm pretty perceptive in general, and several of my friends get a kick out of watching movies or shows with me and hearing me mutter my preemptive callouts of what's about to happen. Though I didn't do that in Avatar (didn't want to disturb the magic I was feeling by opening my mouth), I felt the language of the voice-over narrative of the scene indicative of something sudden and in contrast to Jake's own feeling of strength in the sky and immediately remembered the Leonopteryx. Then I saw the shadow on the cliffside a split-second later, and then Jake's body was shadowed, and the scene started. =)

Beautifully written words for a beautiful moment that captured us all.

Interesting comments. If I can ever get the chance to see it a fifth time, I'll look for that.

I saw District 9 in theaters. I'd easily put money on a Na'vi warrior against a prawn. Those things are literally like insects, there's one scene where an African pawn-shop worker kills one with one quick blow to the back. The Na'vi have "bones reinforced with a naturally-reoccurring carbon fiber. They are very hard to kill." in the famous words of Quaritch.

More of a male audience for the undeniable reason lying behind you creating this thread. =)

I actually thought of that after I watched it the second time. The third and fourth times I saw Avatar I tried my best to pick up on all the smaller correlating details instead since I already knew the plot and dialogue as if by heart, but I couldn't see many recurring non-primary characters. If I see it again, which I definitely want to, then I'll certainly be on the lookout for that.

sBacon, I remember you from the time I spent here over winter break. I just went to your blog to follow you, I see that you're from Philadelphia as well. I'm back at school now with far less time to stay on top of things, so this is also my first stop in here in more than a month sadly.

It's one of the things I noticed the second time I saw the film, and by the third time I simply assumed he was along as a guide (similar to Tsu'tey) but wasn't important enough to observe and judge them in their performance of the final ritual. He didn't have his face painted, and it was clear from his actions that he was paying far more attention to the direhorses than the others after all of them dismounted. Direhorses that have been bonded with once are tamed forever after. Leading them isn't impossible; just think of the scene when all the Na'vi are slowly fleeing the destroyed Hometree. The direhorses simply walked along with them, even with no riders.

I never noticed the mole either. We all have Neytiri's face burned indelibly into our hearts, minds, and memories though. =) It's impossible not to have noticed everything about her.