(Insert stupid Blog name here)

I will not read this blog entry until I see Avatar. Which I hope to do this upcoming week.

 

..Al

Excellent points all! Someone with whom I am acquainted told me that since they used to work in 3D animation, they prefer to avoid seeing movies like this because they notice the shortcuts and it feels like they are being stabbed in the eye. I didn't press the point, but I thought that this movie avoided that nicely.

 

I liked that the aliens had four-digit hands but the human/alien clones had five-digits, though I didn't actually notice this until someone pointed it out to me.

Saw it with my folks and some family friends - we all enjoyed it immensely, though I do agree the ham-fisted message was a bit much.

 

Unobtainum

 

Engineers have long (since at least the 1950s) used the term unobtainium when referring to unusual or costly materials, or when theoretically considering a material perfect for their needs in all respects save that it doesn't exist. By the 1990s the term was in wide use, even in formal engineering papers such as "Towards unobtainium [new composite materials for space applications]". The word unobtainium may well have been coined within the aerospace industry to refer to materials capable of withstanding the extreme temperatures expected in reentry. Aerospace engineers are frequently tempted to design aircraft which require parts with strength or resilience beyond that of currently available materials.

 

As such, while humorous to those not familiar with it, it's use could be considered appropriate in the movie.

Unobtainum

 

Engineers have long (since at least the 1950s) used the term unobtainium when referring to unusual or costly materials, or when theoretically considering a material perfect for their needs in all respects save that it doesn't exist.

Aerospace engineers are frequently tempted to design aircraft which require parts with strength or resilience beyond that of currently available materials.

 

As such, while humorous to those not familiar with it, it's use could be considered appropriate in the movie.

Interesting! Wish I'd known that beforehand. In that context, it makes sense. I suppose actually including that bit of info in the movie would have been difficult to write though.

I liked that the aliens had four-digit hands but the human/alien clones had five-digits, though I didn't actually notice this until someone pointed it out to me.

That's a nice detail - I hadn't noticed it either.

Unobtainum

 

Engineers have long (since at least the 1950s) used the term unobtainium when referring to unusual or costly materials, or when theoretically considering a material perfect for their needs in all respects save that it doesn't exist.

Aerospace engineers are frequently tempted to design aircraft which require parts with strength or resilience beyond that of currently available materials.

 

As such, while humorous to those not familiar with it, it's use could be considered appropriate in the movie.

Interesting! Wish I'd known that beforehand. In that context, it makes sense. I suppose actually including that bit of info in the movie would have been difficult to write though.

Yes, but, the term unobtainium is pretty much always used in a facetious or derisive manner. Is this the proper context in the film, or was it used in a serious context? If the latter, your original point is completely valid.

Yes, but, the term unobtainium is pretty much always used in a facetious or derisive manner. Is this the proper context in the film, or was it used in a serious context? If the latter, your original point is completely valid.

It's used in a serious context, but it's never really defined what it is - just that it's ridiculously important and crazy-valuable. I suppose that it could (in the world of the film) have been named unobtanium facetiously.

 

Anyway, I doubt most of the audience understood the original intent of the name, so my point is still valid either way.