.
Spectacular!
Like George, I definitely would go to see this movie again.
I agree with Colors about the glasses being a little too small, and having a narrower window, than I would have liked. I found that part of the problem was smudges on the edges, and when I cleaned them well, this helped alot.
I disagree though, that the 3D didn't add much. Although that may be premature to say, since I have not yet seen it in only 2D.
But the 3D was phenomenal to me, and absolutely made me feel much more immersed in the action. Two of my step kids came with me and my wife, and BOTH kids were clinging to each of us, when some of the action scenes were unfolding. My wife jumped several times too. LOL
But as stated in reviews, it was not gimmicky at all. It was a much more natural feeling experience, and the parts where things really jumped near your face, were used sparingly and wisely. After awhile I forgot about much of the 3D effects happening, because it became more normal as the movie progressed and the newness wore off.
But as to the deep, lush, brilliant and detailed landscapes and scenery...
To quote my wife...
"I want to live there!"
Me too!
She said that, not only for the beauty of the world, but also the peaceful co-existence found there... although there didn't appear to be a variety of races among the Navi, as much as there were different CLANS of the Navi, with slight cultural differences. So potential racial conflicts didn't seem possible, and greedy war-lords didn't seem to have a place, when there was no technologically advanced society in place, where gold and money meant anything. Would they compete over fruit? Pac-animals? There seemed to be plenty of both, along with a population of only several thousand Navi, using the narrow list of resources they utilized.
POLITICS:
You can't escape the uber-liberal messages throughout the movie however. And while I have those Utopian desires myself, and felt that the world should be more like the Navi... Closer and more respectful of nature... A people in relative peace... Wise stewards of the resources, not killing things for the sake of killing them, etc... Still... there are flaws in those messages.
The only thing that really brothers me, is that the worldview the American Military had was ridiculously outdated, like putting a Pre-Civil War era worldview and attitude in a future American Military.
The message is clear...
"The American Military is PURE EVIL!"
And that description of the movie's message is NOT an understatement.
The politically-based Anti-American dialogue and imagery was unapologetic, and unmistakably chastised not just our current War on Terror, but just had to add a little Vietnam in there, for good measure. How long ago was that war now?
WAR ON TERROR:
Lines like "We'll terrorize the terrorists!" (or something similar)
Blood for oil references, because the Evil American Military is there to mine an expensive mineral.
VIETNAM:
Gassing the lush, dense forests to overcome the indigenous people. I'm surprised no one yelled "I love the smell of Napalm in the morning!"
RACISM:
The Evil Military Commander is white of course. And he accuses the hero of the movie at one point of "Betraying his race" which could be passed off as being intended to mean the "Human Race" but I am convinced it was just a subtle ploy to attack the "White Man" who must pay for generations of abuses to Indians and Aborigines, etc... Because the line could have easily been "You are betraying your people!" and NO ONE would have come away feeling it was a subtle slight against being white.
The word RACE to describe what are in effect... ALIENS was not by accident, and if memory serves, was repeatedly used several times. This was NOT another "race", it was a completely different SPECIES, who breathed a different atmosphere and was unlikely to have as similar DNA to humans. These beings had tails, and a biology that intermingled with other animals, like the CONNECTING of anemone-like tentacles that interlock with horses and flying creatures, etc... Whereas all races of humans are something like 99.9% identical regarding DNA.
So, I am quite sure the race remarks were intentionally political.
The attitude was identical to CENTURIES OLD thinking, where people who live in jungles and don't build brick or wood houses, are not human, but animals.
How many times do we have to revisit the mistakes of the past? We have a president who has apologized to just about every country out there, for mistakes that are hundreds of years old.
Get over it already. The world is moving forward... let's continue the progress.
It's like Internet flame wars between two people, where they have to go back and forth with the insults and accusations, and then one decides "Someone has to back out of this thing or it will just go on forever"... And yet when they do, the other one STILL just has to have that last word... Has to explain that position "one more time"... not knowing, or not caring, that is only likely to put it all back to square one again!"
When someone gives you an out.... TAKE IT!
And yet here we are, fueling the racial flames all over again, and making our HONORABLE Military villains to goodness and peace and humanity in general.
Ughhh!!!!
So, I can only hope that REAL TERRORISTS, don't see Avatar as a potential recruiting film. And "No!" I am not joking in the least, because it would be no stretch at all, for them to try and "convert" American recruits by having them identify with the hero of the film... an American Soldier who ends up waging war against other Americans, and helping the poor natives (Iraqis, Afghans) bring the war right back to the EVIL AMERICANS who have the poor, but strong in heart natives, outgunned and out-financed and out-technologized.
In reality however...
The "evil" American Military sacrifice, sometimes EVERYTHING to preserve the FREEDOM that allowed Cameron to make the movie in the first place, and he sure had no problem spending 400-500 MILLION DOLLARS of the evil Capitalist country-based MONIES to get his propaganda piece out there!
It is a modern-era "Dances with Wolves". But the problem is, that the lessons and accusations were FAR MORE applicable when speaking of Native Americans in that time period, than the Military of today.
Are wars sometimes waged for economic reasons... undoubtedly so. But not in the way presented in the movie, where the Navi, despite having their own language, the ability to learn others, a recognizable civil social structure, all the things that would identify them as an advanced species, and not mere animals which can be hunted for food.
The race-bating and anti-Americanism are unfortunate.
Yes, the main Hero is also an American Soldier, but the majority of the other American "heroes", almost to a man, are... no surprise... SCIENTISTS!
Scientists are good... Military people are evil.
The excessiveness of the politics was a turn off, but was brief.
And even people who feel as I do.... And there will be a significant number of these, who APPRECIATE and RESPECT our Military men and women, will still likely CHEER the loss of the Military and victory of the Navi. We recognize the injustice of what is done to the peoples in this story, and most Americans "DO" believe in Justice, even when it is justice coming against the evil among our own countrymen.
It didn't ruin the movie, but it was an unpleasant distraction and was completely unnecessary. His political message could have gotten through enough to get his points across, without the OVERKILL and without offending a LARGE group of Americans, who still value our own nation and it's ideals.
I hope this is not another nail in the coffin of our values and strengths.
If the self-loathers among us, only knew what potential harm they are doing, perhaps they would rethink how they go about their political agendas.
In any event...
Most of the messages are good.
RIGHT wins, or at least lives to fight another day.
And the Native American and Buddhist and potpourri of other philosophies borrowed by Cameron for the Navi, are always good messages to be reminded of.
I'll see it again when I can.
Politics and all.
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