Avatar – Good or Bad for America?
Lets get something straight right up front. This is the biggest 3d movie-ever! Director John Cameron has something to be very proud of. I both love and hate this movie. But, more on that later.
Technically, it is the most inspiring work ever. When view the movie through the 3d glasses (which were included in the price of the ticket), you actually felt like you were in that jungle, that room, flying on the back of a dragon-like creature. In the movie previews, other pictures will soon be using this format. ITs here to stay.
And 20th Century Fox announched on December 20, 2009, that the movie has taken in $159.18 million dollars internationally. Here in the USA, Avatar took in $73 million. That is a worldwide total of $232.18 million dollars. And 20th Century Fox added that this was the highest take for a orignial, non-sequel, non-franchise, opening weekend ever.
John Cameron helped with the creation of the Fusion Camera System technology that allows for photo-realistic computer-generated characters though motion captur animation. The script for Avatar was written back in the mid-1990s with Stan Winston who co-founded Digital Domain.
Heres the overall plot for the movie (Spoiler Alert): Jake Sully (Sam Worthington), is a former U.S. Marine who was wounded and paralyzed from the waist down in combat on Earth. Jake is selected to participate in the Avatar program, which will enable him to walk again.
Pandora, is a lush jungle-covered extraterrestrial moon filled with incredible life forms, some beautiful, many terrifying. It is also the home to the Na’vi, a sentient humanoid race, who are considered primitive, yet are more physically capable than humans. Standing ten feet tall, they have tails and a sparkling blue skin, the Na’vi live in harmony with their unspoiled world. As the evil humans encroach deeper into Pandora’s forests in search of valuable minerals, the Na’vi unleash their formidable warrior abilities to defend their threatened existence.
Sully has unwittingly been recruited to become part of this encroachment. Since humans are unable to breathe the air on Pandora, they have created genetically-bred human-Na’vi hybrids which are known as Avatars. Through his Avatar body, Jake Sully is able to walk again. Sent deep into Pandora’s jungles as a scout for the soldiers that will follow, Jake encounters many of Pandora’s mystery’s-many are beautiful and deadly. There he runs into a young Na’vi female, Neytiri (played by Zoe Saldaña-”Uhura” in J.J. Abrams Star Trek).
Over time, Sully integrates himself into the Na’vi clan, and begins to fall in love with Neytiri. As a result, he finds himself caught between the military-industrial forces of Earth(i.e America) and the Na’vi, forcing him to choose sides in an epic battle that will decide the fate of the Na’vi and their moon.
Now for what I hate about this film. The plot is old and tired. Instead of Ewoks fighting against the evil empire, we have these giant blue smurfs-the Na’vi. Or we have the American Indian fighting back and winning this time (or if you insist on being Politically Correct – a Native American. I’m a Native American too! I just don’t have any Indian blood in me. But that’s a pet peeve of mine as far as the whole concept of folks who use the words “Native American” and the way its used by those who do love to be oh so Politically Correct).
The humans are the enemy.
And I will point this out-ALL the evil humans I saw in that movie all seemed to be Americans only! I didn’t see other nations taking part in mining the moon Pandora. So – in a way, this flick was a hit against America in general. I mean, we’ve (i.e. Americans) been doing the universe wrong ever since the evil white man robbed the Indians of their land ever since Columbus discovered the damn place. For Hollywood, America is evil. That also plays into the tired old plot line that is the basis of this post and what I am so sick and tired of. And this American is sick and tired of Hollywood’s BS view of this nation.
Corporations are evil (not that they are angels – don’t get me wrong on this). I’m 50 years old now and I’m tired of this same old plot line in the movies that Hollywood dumps on us for the past 25, 40 years or so. In talking with my friends after the release of this movie, I did hear great praise for this movie. But I asked them if they even noticed the old plot line. I even used the Ewoks vs. the Empire as an example. They did – but I guess I’m the only one who gives a damn. I then asked them wouldn’t it be wonderful if just once, we had a Hollywood movie come out where the corporation wasn’t evil. I used the example of it’ll be like the Godfather escaping at the end of the first Godfather movie. I remember that when THAT movie came out, the critics flipped cause he did escape at the end. And in full disclosure – I have never watch ANY of the Godfather movies all the way through. I’ve seen bits and pieces on cable – but those type of movies never hold my attention.