Posted on 12/20/2009 7:40:54 PM PST by dr_lew
Saw Avatar tonight in 3D at the 4:20 showing. I was split between disgust with the "message" and curiosity about the CGI and 3D, and the latter won out. ( SPOILERS BELOW )
The 3D works very well, with only occasional funky edges to it in some of the busier scenes. I had read about people getting sick from it, and I did feel a little funny after just a few minutes of watching some of the 3D previews, but I got used to it after that. In the beginning of the movie I felt a lot of "Gee, this is great" but I got kind of used to it, although there were still plenty of impressive scenes.
The "evil humans" schtick was lathered on pretty heavy, but I got used to that too, and in fact the plot was heavily dependent on it. "Jake" had to have polar opposite worlds to choose from in order to drive the whole story arc, as familiar it is.
The premise of being on a world of Alpha Centauri was given only a nod at the beginning, when Jake is coming out of "cryo" after 5 years along with a bunch of others. The deep space vehicle got a few shots, too, and it was sort of a fancied up "Discovery" out of 2001: A Space Odyssey.
The movie quickly focuses on the Avatar technology and Jake's involvement in it, and the background is left very thin, and very unconvincing. The Avatar technology itself remains an important plot driver, though. It's funny how it seems acceptable as technology just by adherence to a few gimmicky props. Other than those, it makes no sense whatever, being completely fantastical, and way out of step with the familar "look and feel" of the depicted military machinery.
The "Dances with Wolves" story line is very involving and well done. The novice initiate destined for greatnesss is pretty much a can't-lose gimmick, so at least Cameron didn't blow that.
I thought his initiation into dragon riding paid an homage to the cliff scene in LAST OF THE MOHICANS. The similarity is superficial, but it definitely reminded me of it.
The destruction of the Home Tree definitely drew on WTC imagery, and this seems to confuse the message of evil humans/Americans ( the humans are nothing but Americans in the movie! ) This is really part of the "blame Bush" syndrome that we are familiar with, and ultimately the Stockholm syndrome, I think. The dialogue is loaded with not so oblique references to the "war for oil", and this is the basic framework of the conflict. The Na'vi are pure depictions of American Indians, though, and in fact that role is alluded to as well, when it is noted that more "Sky people" will follow if they are not defeated now.
In this case, the Indians do win, and the ending scene with the Humans being marched back onto their ships to leave POW style was very jarring, ( wouldn't they just have killed them? I think they would have! ) and a strong image of liberal self-hatred, as we are definitely supposed to look on this as a just conclusion.
As for Jake, he is permanentized as a Na'vi by a method which is worked into the plot line pretty well, but I guess I don't need to spell it out here.
So how would nineteen year olds respond to this movie? (niece who wants to see this thing...here for Christmas).
I must have smoked too much. Didn’t notice all that.
Didn’t want to donate to the cause so I bit torrented it.
What a steaming pile of liberal angst.
This reviewer on IMDB hits the nail on the head:
Honestly, I lost my faith in Cameron when he made Titanic. Avatar looks to put the final nail in his coffin. When I saw the preview I knew it would be a PC propaganda piece for eco-guilt and left-wing politics. I also knew there was no hope in seeing the dorky looking Alien Smurfs with their suck caveman weapons get wiped out. Now that would be a movie worth seeing! Sorry but I cannot root against the human race (especially with all the cool military tech), call me biased.
The whole idea of some primitive alien race using nonsensical fantasty inspired creatures that look like eco-dragons to defeat a high-tech army is the pinnacle of stupidity. It is like some teenage boy lacking testosterone came up with the plot. Lets see, lets combine fern gully, thundercats and the smurfs for the good guys and lets make the bad guys “greedy” corporate humans hell bent on “destroying the planet” in their unsustainable need for energy to fuel their capitalist consumerism. The only thing that can save the planet is the primitive zen/native American/tribal beliefs in eco-harmony. Spare me the lecture on your economic illiteracy Cameron.
The crappy video game for this should be hilarious, especially with all the kids confused why they cannot play with the cool robo-mechs with machine guns and instead get to be “Dorky Smurf”, decked out in loin cloth armor, armed with a biodegreadable bow and arrow! Controls will include a button for “tree planting”, “eco-meditation”, “recycling your weapons” and “low carbon footprint” (you walk lightly and hardly breathe).
What a waste of CGI. Apparently Cameron spent millions getting Smurfette’s breasts “right”. How hard is it to get them right? Just make them big! Maybe next time he can spend as much time on a real plot where you can actually root for the human race? Nah, pushing left-wing propaganda is more important than entertainment. Right Cameron? Sadly this movie will appeal to eco-pacifists who have been brainwashed that we are destroying the planet and the human race is evil.
Maybe because I am human I have a problem with being considered evil but hey that is just me.
I think anybody who has an inclination to see it will respond well to it. It’s just the sort of thing you’ll like if you like that sort of thing. It even broke through my curmudgeonliness at times ... it’s that good.
IF they like that kind of thing? Sci-fi?
I want them to go see Blind Side.....but that’s just my PG mind at work.
They’ll probably pick the stupid movie about Mandela....grrrr.
I really enjoyed the movie. Many movies have things going on in them that are never explained.
Such as: how can the bad guys always know where to go at any time to find the good guys? Or can anyone tell me how a star trek communicator work or even the transporter?
And as to the bad guys in the movie: (and I’m very right on the political spectrum) all movies that have bad guys have them normally entrenched in main stream organizations such as the military, cops, government elected officials, Indian affairs guy running the reservations, the local banker, and on and on and on.
I would recommend the movie to anyone..it’s great entertainment.
Destruction of the home tree?
That sounds like an isaac asimov or ray bradbury short story I read once. Are these “avatars” small insectoid like creatures(humanoid and maybe a foot tall) that have exoskeletons and use their dead to make a varnish like coating for their weapons?
I don’t believe the whole human race is being treated as evil in this movie: just those trying to mine on that Planet. Please note: in any movie with bad guys, the bad guys are more than likely humans....
Don’t think this movie is put out as a liberal screed.
This could be the greatest movie ever made and I still would not see it in a theater. If the man doesn’t like capitalism then maybe it is time for capitalism to stop liking him . . . and I’m very grateful that, for the time being, we still have the ability to vote with some of our dollars earned.
What are the glasses like that you have to wear to get the 3d effect?
I found any analogies to the Iraq war too obtuse to make any sort of point, I don’t think the movie really was about that.
Though I saw Sigouney Weaver as just reprising her role in Gorillas in The Mist, except with aliens.
I did take note of that. I suppose that it was an attempt to head off such objections as mine, as traditionally any sort of difficulty can be swept away by a line of dialogue like, "Turn on the gravity generator!"
But I'm thinking that it was way out of line with physics, and even scientific metaphysics, as opposed to the machine guns, robots and thrusters that were projections of year 2000 technology.
... and just for that I'm going to go all postmodern on you. It occurs to me that the Avatar technology, based on the gaming concept, as it is, stands for the power of fantasy itself, which here, and in the liberal outlook, overcomes all. Jake breaks through to the other side ( of course a staple of the old TWILIGHT ZONE ) and the movie itself suggests that we can make liberal fantasy become reality in the same way, through the magic REAL-3D and Hollywood self-indulgence.
I can't see the ex Marine as a hero. To me he is a traitor and should be shot. Yes, the "evil" corporation driving the mining operation was pushing too hard. Fine, don't help them, conscientiously object, whatever. But the would-be hero actively aides the enemy, engages his fellow humans, kills hundreds. Sorry, not a hero, period.
And that "evil" corporation? Did anyone notice they were confining their mining to one small area of the planet? They could easily have razed the planet mining, but were apparently trying to keep things local. And that bad old military supporting them? Did they directly engage the natives causing massive casualties? No, they destroyed the tree, and were going after another natural artifact in an effort to drive the natives to resettle somewhere else. Nice, no, but not evil either.
Nice effects, C- on story line, too thin and inconsistent - poor sci-fi. Uber-liberal message beating you over the head every 2 min, fail.
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