It looks like Avatar is trying really hard to be all things to all people. And with an unprecedented half-billion dollars in the balance (according to a New York Times estimate of the movie's budget), it's no wonder.
Aiming to solidify Avatar's appeal as a straight-up action adventure flick, the studio has released a 30-second TV spot that's all action, with almost none of that messy dialogue and romance stuff — lots of machine-on-alien violence set to a staccato beat. Not quite Transformers, but it gets the job done.
A second TV ad takes a completely different approach, spotlighting the magic of discovery on an alien world overloaded with eye candy. The tagline:
Welcome to a place beyond your imagination. A place where wonder lives and adventure rules.
It's all much more in the style of Jurassic Park, with new footage of Pandora's bio-luminescent flora and fauna. The commercial also downplays that nearly everything there is willing and ready to eat you.
And if, despite all the angles, Avatar doesn't quite deliver the payday expected, 20th Century Fox still has what it's calling a "secret weapon" up its sleeve: also slated for December release is Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakuel.