Avatar (spoilers within)

I don't think I've ever seen a film that I had quite this reaction to.

On the one hand, the whole experience was beautiful to an amazing degree, and certain key moments created a massive emotional response in me (though in others this was dimmed thanks to a few bits of poor editing or scriptwriting). It was breathtaking.

The problem was . . . any time I stopped to think about it, it all seemed to crash down. This is a world of Noble Savages (didn't people stop writing about them in 1850 or so?) who are without any imperfection or moral weakness, against a world of evil (and overwhelmingly white) colonialists who are driven by nothing but greed (quite literally: the only reason for mining is for monetary gain, not because the ore is necessary for, say, spaceflight or energy or keeping civilisation going).

The fim seemed to want us to think that Jake had to choose between allowing the People to die but getting his legs back, or saving the People and remaining a cripple . . . but he didn't. He simply had to choose between helping with a massive slaughter and getting use of his old (withered, skinny, unusable - not just paralysed) legs back, or saving innocent people and getting to live in a magnificent, athletic, sensuous, near indestructable body. Which is . . . no choice at all, really.

When the telepathic tree was destroyed the sense of loss was palpable and it was almost painful to watch . . . but later scenes implied the People could communicate with the world and their ancestors just fine so long as the big tree (which was not originally threatened, as far as I could tell) survived. The People were initially painted as "very hard to kill" but when the fighting actually began, it seemed that a bullet or two would do the trick (same as it would anyone else).

The People in general, while looking fantastic (in both senses of the word), acted in every way human and so it didn't seem to be a story about what is alien or different at all. Just, as I said, a highly romanticised Noble Savage.

And worst of all . . . not only did the Noble Savages defeat the evil colonists . . . but the Noble Savages only did so after an evil colonist went native. Because the white, American marine was actually better at being a Noble Savage than the Noble Savages were.

So, yeah. On every level of analysis and understanding I found it simplistic, preachy, and heavy-handed. But yet - it emotionally affected me to a depth very few films have done in a long time. Strange, that. Definitely glad I spent money on seeing it, but I don't see myself seeing it a second time.



(PS - Oh, and it's not an otherkin movie. Here's why. If Jake was otherkin, he wouldn't have spent the film striving to become one of the People and then leading them. He'd have spent the film annoying the People with nonsensical talk of how awesome it was being a human, how he loved it oh so much, how there was no point living as one of the People because he just wanted to get back to his former, real life. Heh.)

There's a thread on another forum (made by the "first" Na'vi kin) that deserves to see this post copyposted...

Link me!

I loved Avatar--I liked the effects and how I got sucked in. I never paid much attention to what it was about until after the movie. I'd watch it again, but that's because I like movies that are scientific-like and filled with fantasy. Yeah, I don't like being preached at so I choose to ignore that and focus on what the movie is: a wonderful piece of CG with eye-catching graphics. But I do the same with music: if I like the beat and sound, I'll listen to it, regardless of what it's about [unless it is wholly unmoral].

I loved the visual effects, the 3-d use to make depth was astounding and I'm sure it will be in home televisions sooner than later...

but there were a few things that Archer pointed out that were true. I was unable to suspend my disbelief as soon as they revealed that the ore they sought was called "unobtainium." Additionally, with all the Anti-American and Anti-military and Anti-big business references that were in, I wonder if Cameron cries a bit because it was a year and change too late to really add in a lot of Anti-Bush references.

Overall I loved it an am glad I spent the money to see it, I do not however think it is as prophetic as many believe it to be, or as epic a story. I do think it was enjoyable, I am reserved to say that it was a good movie however (technically speaking... and c'mon, "unobtainium?").

This is all making me want to watch Ferngully: Last of the Rainforests.

Oh Tim Curry... why did you ever sign into that horrendous film?

Terro Wrote:Oh Tim Curry... why did you ever sign into that horrendous film?

What, you didn't like Toxic Love? <!-- s:lol: --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_lol.gif" alt=":lol:" title="Laughing" /><!-- s:lol: -->

Haven't seen the film yet, but I just noticed: my first name happens to be Jake as well.

if I were Tim Curry, I'd be more ashamed of Ferngully than I would be of Rocky Horror.