Hype can be deadly for a movie. Especially when it's of the "overhype" variety.
Constant media blitzes and advertisement can actually build anticipation to the point where the film can't possibly live up to audience expectations.
I'm worried the same thing will happen with "Avatar," James Cameron's upcoming science-fiction adventure film starring Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver and Michelle Rodriguez.
The movie, which is on schedule for a Dec. 18 release, combines motion-capture technology, computer-generated imagery and live-action elements. Among other things, it's being touted as something that will "revolutionize filmmaking as we know it."
At this point, I should probably point out that motion-capture technology has been used extensively in films before, most notable in Robert Zemeckis' adaptation of "The Polar Express."
And virtual backgrounds have already been used in such films as "Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow."
So is "Avatar" really that revolutionary? Hardly.
Of course it doesn't help that Cameron has such a love-him-or-hate-him personality. The self-proclaimed "King of the World" is hardly his own best publicist.
Also, there's some confusion about what this project is about. Despite its title, Cameron's latest is not an adaptation of the very popular kids cartoon program, "Avatar: The Last Airbender."
(Instead, M. Night Shyamalan is making a live-action version of that show, titled "The Last Airbender.")
At this point the best thing that Cameron and distributor Twentieth-Century Fox could do right now is keep quiet and let audiences discover without the constant hyperbole.
YOU FORGOT US!
Fox and Cameron showed nearly 20 minutes' worth of footage from "Avatar" to fans in a handful of markets last week.
However, the theaters selected for those screenings did not include any in Utah. I'd like to remind the studio and the filmmaker that Jordan Commons in Sandy regularly ranks in the top 10 for movie grosses and has an IMAX compatible screen.
Utah also has one of the more rabid science-fiction and fantasy fan bases. So they missed an opportunity here.
HOWEVER …
A much-briefer teaser trailer for "Avatar" is available for download at www.avatarmovie.com.
Reactions to the trailer have been mixed. Among the complaints are that the footage "looks like a video game."
And yes, I have watched the trailer online, on a computer screen, which may not be the fairest assessment of its quality.
But it does have some pretty cool imagery, I have to admit. Of course, being "merely" cool is not the same thing as mind-blowingly, mind-bogglingly amazing.
Again, I'd beg Fox and Cameron to lay off the hype before we all wind up being disappointed.
e-mail: jeff@desnews.com