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#Post#: 8628--------------------------------------------------
Avatar theme park set to compete with WWoHP
By: magic_is_might Date: September 23, 2011, 2:19 pm
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Couldn't find another thread on this here:
HTML http://www.slashfilm.com/disney-reveals-details-planned-avatar-attraction/
HTML http://www.slashfilm.com/disney-reveals-details-planned-avatar-attraction/
I don't want to Avatar bash because I hate when people do that,
but I think this is a horrible idea:
This article sums it up:
[quote]'Avatar' — a sad consolation prize for Disney
(September 21, 2011)
Disney finally came up with an answer to Universal's Wizarding
World of Harry Potter — a barrel full of giant blue monkeys.
The Imagineers better get their imaginations cranking overtime.
Disney built its empire on great characters, great dialogue and
great storytelling.
"Avatar" has none of the above.
I saw it once, my daughter saw it twice, and neither of us could
name a Na'vi.
We couldn't even tell you if any of the important ones died in
that final battle with the evil white capitalists, even though
we both darn near cried when Harry held a fatally wounded Dobby.
Avatar has no memorable heroes, no memorable villains, no
memorable lines, no memorable twists, not even a memorable
musical riff.
It has nobody that kids yearn to be. No Harry, no Hermione, no
Luke Skywalker.
It never penetrated the backyards and sidewalks of suburbia,
where kids still battle with Pirates of the Caribbean swords and
Star Wars light sabers. I didn't see any Na'vi last Halloween.
"Avatar" was eye-popping special effects that carried a plot
best summed up as Kevin Costner falling in love with Pocahontas
before joining forces with Sitting Bull to kill Gen. Custer at
the Battle of Pandora.
We went. We saw. We went "ooooh."
And aside from those who wanted to stay and live with the blue
monkeys, most of us forgot.
Harry Potter gave us a delightfully evil Voldemort cooing: "The
boy who lived has come to die.''
"Avatar" gave us a stereotypical Col. Quaritch bellowing: "Shut
your pie hole!''
This lack of style and substance could be troublesome given that
the Na'vi won't be arriving at Disney for five years. This puts
Disney in the uncomfortable position of planning a $500 million
investment based largely on the success of the two "Avatar"
sequels to come.
Universal's challenge with Harry was not fouling up. To
accomplish that, it gave us one great ride at Hogwarts, a nice
facade of Hogsmeade, two recycled rides from the Lost Continent,
a few small and very crowded stores, and a couple mediocre
street shows.
And people flocked from around the world because it was Harry,
an unparalleled book and movie franchise.
Disney can't count on that kind of loyalty for "Avatar."
Harry came to Universal with limitless merchandising
possibilities: Butterbeer, pumpkin juice, personalized wands,
robes, hats, ties, monster books, chocolate frogs, Bertie Bott's
jelly beans, brooms, bludgers, fluffy owls, and so on and so
forth.
But there are no official foods of Pandora. The Na'vi don't
accessorize. Their spears are bulky. My daughter sure isn't
wearing one of their outfits. And who wants more than one
stuffed blue monkey?
The Imagineers have five years to work this all out. I imagine
they could crank out a live show with acrobatic blue monkeys, a
parade with blue monkeys on stilts, an eye-popping 3-D movie in
which no blue monkeys are killed, and a high-tech ride in which
the blue monkeys are saved at the end. Wrap it all inside a
beautiful Pandora facade, minus the turkey-leg carts.
That would be easy, although I'm not sure how you fit a Tree of
Souls into a theme park that already has the Tree of Life. But
to make this attraction great will require that Disney give
theme park Avatar the characters and storytelling that movie
"Avatar" now lacks.
If anyone can pull it off it's Disney. At worst, Animal Kingdom
will be a much more interesting theme park, even if alien
monkeys are an odd mix with terrestrial gorillas.
And there is one other bonus in this announcement. It should get
Universal clearing out wasted space in the Lost Continent for
Diagon Alley, and a great new thrill ride based on the Gringotts
Wizarding Bank.
source:
HTML http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/2011-09-21/entertainment/os-mike-thomas-disney-avatar-092211-20110921_1_avatar-sequels-na-vi-pandora
HTML http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/2011-09-21/entertainment/os-mike-thomas-disney-avatar-092211-20110921_1_avatar-sequels-na-vi-pandora[/quote]
This article is a bit biased, but he brings up a few good
points: how is this going to be successful? This seems like a
desperate move. Avatar has very few memorable characters (unlike
HP and Disney, in general). And little marketable merchandise.
No Avatar themed foods. I imagine it's going to be more ride
based, but rides alone does not equal a complete, fully fledged
theme pack.
Personally, I think Disney is banking way too much on the
success of Avatar 2.
#Post#: 8652--------------------------------------------------
Re: Avatar theme park set to compete with WWoHP
By: kamikaze ginny Date: September 23, 2011, 7:06 pm
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Ugh. I hope they ditch this idea and fast. I doubt any Disney
diehards will go for this and this and investors will be
piiiiissed. Is it go ing in Animal Kingdom? No one likes AK
anyway. If they want to do anything in Disney they should focus
on making Animal Kingdom contain more continents than Africa and
Asia, overhaul the backlot of MGM (which could include an Avatar
ride...maybe), and expand MK (which they're doing). Maybe put in
a new Vacation Club option at the Polynesian... anything but an
Avatar section.
#Post#: 8659--------------------------------------------------
Re: Avatar theme park set to compete with WWoHP
By: RaithGyaron Date: September 23, 2011, 7:49 pm
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One ride I could see, but a whole theme park? I finally saw it
on Sunday because it was on and though I thought it was an
interesting movie, it wasn't as great as Avatards made it out to
be.
#Post#: 9080--------------------------------------------------
Re: Avatar theme park set to compete with WWoHP
By: The Dude Date: September 27, 2011, 12:47 pm
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I don't think that a theme park would do that movie justice.
Maybe 25 years from now they could do it. It's one thing to
create that level of detail in a film, it's entirely another to
make it for real.
#Post#: 9081--------------------------------------------------
Re: Avatar theme park set to compete with WWoHP
By: kamikaze ginny Date: September 27, 2011, 12:55 pm
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[quote author=The Dude link=topic=976.msg9080#msg9080
date=1317145651]
I don't think that a theme park would do that movie justice.
Maybe 25 years from now they could do it. It's one thing to
create that level of detail in a film, it's entirely another to
make it for real.
[/quote]
Oh well I completely disagree with this. As much as I don't like
the idea of Avatar at Disney there isn't a doubt in my mind they
could deliver excellent and totally immersive theming. They have
the room and the resources to do so. We're talking about a theme
park that some how planted and has maintained trees common to
the climate of the Pacific Northwest in Florida.
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