Posted on 02/20/2010 1:19:42 PM PST by mainestategop
Last week for the Second time, i got to see Avatar. having been watching the blog sphere lately I have been quite surprised by some of the responses to the movie, Allegations that the movie promotes environmentalism, and liberalism. probably the biggest problem I have heard is that the humans instead of the aliens are the bad guys. A major departure from traditional science fiction orthodoxy that is rare. That, and James Cameron has used his fame to attack and ridicule conservatives and libertarians.
my review concentrates on some of the ridiculous remarks made against the movie in the blog sphere. remarks that are very similar to some of the hype made against Harry Potter. You fundamentalists know what I'm talking about... starving black Christians in Africa are getting murdered and raped by Muslim terrorists in Sudan, Christians are being murdered left and right all over the world, Europe is jettisoning its Christian heritage (then again it wasn't that Christian to begin with.) our nation is going to hell, unsaved souls don't know the love of the son of God, and instead of doing your job you are only worried about a series of novels and movies about a boy wizard. Amen brother?
On a side note, Pat Robertson after making an ass out of himself by claiming that Haiti caused its own earthquake claims that another movie, the princess and the Frog promotes voodoo and gives Christianity a back seat. OH MY PAT!
Well now the big thing is Avatar. Of course its been popular for over 7weeks only to be bumped down to #2 by from Paris with love. So any of this fluff will face ridicule just like Potter gate.
Avatar is about a military expedition to the moon of Pandora, a lush jungle world occupied by a primitive race called the Na'vi that orbits a gas giant called Polyphemus (named after the cyclops Odysseus fought against.) The Na'vi are very similar to the native Americans and are in commune to nature. Their nature worship is enhanced by a biological function where they can actually neurologically hook up with trees and animals through a series of nerve cords connected to their hair. This network leads to a tree called the tree of souls. The Na'vi believe that they can communicate with the Goddess of nature Eywa this way.
The Human scientists lead by Gloria Augustine have tried to understand this function and have been successful in communicating with the Na'vi via avatars, biologically cloned Na'vi that the humans control by laying in a machine that transfers their neruo functions to the avatar. This is necessary since the air on Pandora is toxic to humans. Gloria also sets up schools to teach the Na'vi english and modern knowledge which is generally rejected in favor of nature worship and primitivism.
Unfortunately, the Na'vi and the human scientists come into conflict with the interests of mining interests back on Earth. Jake Sully, a former marine paralyzed from a bullet wound during a war that took place in Venezuela. (No doubt an attempt by Cameron for a subliminal reference to Hugo Chavez and his socialist regime.) is among a group of marines hired out as mercenaries similar to Black water to aid in pacifying resistance to mining operations on Pandora. His twin was slated to go instead but when he died Jake took his place since he was genetically similar and therefore suited to handle his brother's avatar.
The main concern is about a dwelling of Na'vi called the Home tree. A sacred giant tree that is over one of the largest concentration of unobtainable in the region. It is also populated by a large group of Na'vi. Jake is tasked by the marine leader Colonel Miles Quaritch with negotiating with the local Na'vi to move elsewhere. Jake is fully functioning in is avatar and he meets and falls in love with the tribal princess Neytiri. She is the daughter of the local clan (Omaticaya) leader Eytucan. He also meets Mo'at the spritual leader and witch doctor and mother of Neytiri. Jake has conflicts with many of the Omaticayans especially Tsu'tey, a great warrior and who is betrothed to Neytiri. Although he and many of the Na'vi were former students of Grace Augustine, (evidenced that they knew english) he promotes distrusts of Jake calling him a dream walker, (a slang directed at Na'vi Avatars)
In the three months, Jake learns about the Omaticayans and passes that information on to the humans. As Jake Matures and learns more he eventually becomes accepted by the tribe and is made a member. Trouble starts however when the dozers arrive and destroy one of the tribes sacred groves the Tree of voices. Jake reveals that he is here to collect information. The Na'vi however refuse to leave and The Marine commander orders the tree destroyed. Jake is also branded a traitor. Despite a ferocious battle the Na'vi outclassed by the human's modern weaponry are overtaken and the Home tree is destroyed.
To regain the Omaticaya's trust, Jake tames a Toruk, a powerful flying predator that only five Na'vi have ever tamed. Jake finds the Omaticaya at the sacred Tree of Souls and pleads with Mo'at to heal Grace who was shot for trying to prevent Home tree's destruction. The clan attempts to transfer Grace from her dying human body into her unconscious avatar with the aid of the Tree, but she succumbs to her injuries before the transfer is complete. Mo'at declares that she is with Eywa now.
Assisted by Neytiri and the new leader of the Omaticaya Tsu'Tey Jake unites thousands of warriors from many Na'vi clans in a bid to repel the humans. Jake prays to Eywa, via neural connection to the Tree of Souls, to intercede on behalf of the Na'vi in the coming battle. Quaritch notes the mobilization of the Na'vi and convinces Selfridge to authorize a preemptive strike on the Tree of Souls, reckoning that the destruction of this hub of Na'vi religion and culture will demoralize them into submission.
As the security forces attack, the Na'vi retaliate but suffer heavy casualties, including Tsu'Tey and Trudy. The Pandoran wildlife suddenly joins the attack on the corporation's forces, overwhelming them, an event that Neytiri interprets as Eywa answering Jake's prayer. Jake destroys the bomber before it can reach the Tree of Souls. Quaritch finds and attacks the avatar link unit where Jake's human body is located, exposing Jake to Pandora's atmosphere. Neytiri kills Quaritch and saves Jake. With the attack repelled, Neytiri and Jake reaffirm their love as she sees his human body for the first time.
The humans are expelled from Pandora, while Jake, Norm, and other scientists are allowed to remain. Jake is seen wearing the insignia of the Omaticaya leader. The clan performs the ritual that permanently transfers Jake from his human body into his Na'vi avatar.
The movie itself seems to be drawn on from the story of Pocahontas especially the Disney animated version as a backdrop. Jake Sully being similar to John Smith and Neytiri being similar to Pocahantas with the tree of souls being similar to grandmother willow. Another movie is also very similar and may have drawn inspiration is Dances with Wolves staring Kevin Costner. Unfortunately for the natives, they lost in that movie. James Cameron in fact had begun writing the script for Avatar in 1994 right around the time both movies had come out. The technology for portraying the film however did not come out yet as did the Na'vi language needed for the film.
The problem of course are supposed subliminal environmentalist propaganda as well as indigenous rights. That the movie is anti-american, anti business and anti patriarchal. James Cameron of course deliberately set off a lot of conservatives by remarking that the miners were NRA type rednecks among other things. But does it really meet the criteria?
well, some could compare it to native american atrocities and use it to guilt trip white americans, some could also use the film to advance radical environmentalism.
We could do this with any movie. To me, I did see but overall that's not how I came away from the film.
The movie in many aspects has libertarian values. Aliens under invasion by a foreign entity (this case us) The seizure and destruction of Home tree is very similar to eminent domain, practiced by big business against property owners all the time now thanks to liberals. In addition there is the virtue that all men (or in this case sentient species) are created equal. The Na'vi and their supporters are denied basic rights by the invading mercenaries. The same could happen to American's if the Democrats get enough power. Remember when Obama slammed gun owners and veterans as terrorists? Remember how he advocated indefinite detentions?
For me the environmental part was illogical. This is because the biology in Pandora is different from Earth. The Na'vi are able to literally commune with nature due to biological functioning. We can't do that and as far as I know there are no alien civilizations that can.
The big problem with Cameron's film is that it is a departure from science fiction orthodoxy. Instead of aliens invading Earth and persecuting humans, its the other way around. Some of us who grew up with War of the Worlds, Independence day, Aliens, Star Trek, Buck Rogers, Marvin the Martian and similar titles probably weren't ready for this.
Overall Avatar gets my two thumbs up. Even though James Cameron is a left wing loon. I recommend this movie to anyone who doesn't take some of it literally the way Pat Robertson does to Harry Potter and Princess Frog.
I personally am looking forward to a movie like Avatar that erks leftists the same way. Blood thirsty liberal Human communists invading a free planet with all of the freedoms we used to have in North America to spread the glories of communism. The miners of course won't have the benefit of guns to defend themselves. SORRY COMRADE! You are a communist! Not a capitalist NRA pig! You have to rely on the state for protection from Bourgeois aliens.
I didnt’ have any problem with it, thankfully. I’m glad because I did not think I was prone to motion sickness, however Blair Witch made me sick too!
I didnt’ have any problem with it, thankfully. I’m glad because I did not think I was prone to motion sickness, however Blair Witch made me sick too!
The special 3D effects were awesome and the best I've EVER seen. They were magical.
BTW, I've seen movies where I've cheered when the villian rogue Military person gets cut down.
So yes, people should see it for the brillant special effects and the love story wasn't bad either...:)
sw
(Not that Bush or McCain would ever do that)
I missed the end of Blair Witch because I had to leave to go throw up.
ummm... Avatar definition in the movie is different from Avatar in Hinduism.
What does a movie about defending your land and people from foreign invaders have to do with that false prophet? i would consider it putting God first in taking up such a defense.
There is a world of difference. This movie is about defending against invasion and destruction of property. So what if the enemy is a mining corporation and the good guys were primative natives? I wonder what you would say if your house or business lay on top of valuable minerals and a mining corporation paid mercenaries to kill your family and force you out and destroy all you own without compensation?
Its a MOVIE!!! Chill!The Imperial stormtroopers devastated much more in Star Wars ! Some people have to get a life and not read political inferences from a world of fantasy.
This was NOT “ Animal Farm”. The theme has been used before in Aliens and Silent Running . I could name more if I thought it was worth thinking about .
BYW, mining companies do STEAL minerals from citizens of the USA without killing them.If they did it to me ,I would do as the Avatars did .
Who is a false prophet?
Matthew 6:33
I relented and saw this after buying a ticket for another movie. It is relentlessly anti-American, and the mealy-mouthed denials of this (”the soldiers aren’t Marines, they’re mercenaries! Really!”) are very hollow. The soldiers are depicted precisely as present-day American troops down to the way they talk (”Get some!”). Everyone around the world who sees this and hates America recognizes it instantly; it’s for their consumption, after all.
The only good thing about it is, if you stop watching after they blow up the tree, the movie actually has a happy ending.
I had to kind of stop watching for awhile about halfway thru. Ditto my son, who went with me (he was a senior in HS). We did have to sit way up close because the theater was packed, so I thought maybe that was part of the problem. Movie was CERTAINLY not worth throwing up for! LOL
Oh, so the leftist James Cameron who himself said the movie was about going to war on false pretexts actually made a conservatively themed movie in defense of property rights?
This is as nonsensical as saying Animal Farm is a defense of communism.
“ummm... Avatar definition in the movie is different from Avatar in Hinduism.”
I see, is that why the Avatar’s are blue in both?
Even though you post this on a conservative forum as a lead article - I take it you are conservative - it is conservatives like yourself that play the role of helpful idiot in the New Ager’s agenda.
From the core writing of the movie it selected a villain and constructed the narrative. It kind of makes my point for me. “So what if the enemy is a mining corporation” shows either astounding naivete, or willful ignorance. From the first moment of conception the movie was designed to promote anti-military/capitalism/western civilization and promote green/pagan/communism/nature worship. There was no mistake on who was the bad guy or why it was written that way. It is also a load of crap.
What libs fail to understand is their Utopian dreams are horrors. That is why you don't see a lot of tofu eaters living in huts in the Congo having renounced Western hegemony. They are by nature hypocrites.
In Dances with Wolves the U.S. Cavalry was the bad guy. The soldiers were dirty, crude, uneducated, scum. The Indians were the put upon civilized natives who only wanted to live in the circle of life. It skews the public view to history until popular culture becomes history. Isn't that how you have come to see history? Evil white men and poor natives? Tell the truth Maine GOP, aren't you a bit glad Custer got his? Or are you immune from Hollywood's self hatred?
In Rendition it was the evil US war on terrorism. In Redacted it was DePalma’s hatred of the US Military.
Stop Loss another military basher. The more the public is soaked in these films the more their view is shaped by them. They are designed that way. What you prattle on about the defense of personal property is simply co-opting a real value to promote an illusory one(Gaia/Communism)
If you can't understand that, it means you won't. On purpose.
Isn’t “Birth of a Nation” about defending against invasion and destruction of property?
**In the meantime, if you havent seen the film ,most definitely do(esp. in Imax-3D). Get ready to sit back and go for the celluloid ride of your life.**
Why? Is it going to be that after Avatar that the new technology that made the film is going to be lost forever? It reminds me of the hype and craze to get the latest technology such as a computer game or smart phone. Pretty cool the year it comes out, people pay a lot of money for it. But soon other manufacturers come out with their versions with more functions and that cost less. At some point the original Wii’s and IPhones will be found unwanted at Goodwill stores.
Vincent Price’s “House of Wax in 3D” or “How the West was Won in new Cinerama!”. Same Hype in their day.
When the technology gets commonplace I figure I wait to see the sequel made on YouTube. The Mining Company just nukes the planet from outerspace, natives die and then mining happens.
I agree with you. The phrases “shock and awe” and “fight terror with terror” were not supposed to allde to U.S, troops. No siree.
And never mnd the fact that the troops weren’t futuristic space creatures, they were humans who bore an uncanny resemblance to troops of toda, in manner and in speech.
Nah, this wasn’t propaganda in the least.
And I’ve got a bridge to sell anyone who believes that.
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