Avatar – Movie Review

Avatar. Avatar. Avatar. How I long to love and hate you.

Love first:

I loved Pandora, the distant world of the Na’vi.  It was beautiful and visually stunning in every way.  I agree with what everyone and their Mama is saying about the gorgeous effects and the realness of the Na’vi.

As an escape, as a fun thing to do alongside my hubby, it was great fun.  I didn’t mind the plot, no it wasn’t *The Usual Suspects* but it was an adequate plot.  I’d actually love to see it again.  For effects, plot and overall entertainment value, I give it an A+.  And another $6.50 if I could see it again.

Now, what I didn’t like:

I gotta say, it did feel like the movie that’s been done again, and again and again.  It feels the classic story of white people decide they want such and such land, send a dude over, he changes his mind & saves the day.  I’m not so much offended by the movie as LOTS of others are, as much as I am just sick of the same old regurgitation of history.

There’s an excellent article about this on MSN’s homepage about how Some Detect Subtext of Racism in ‘Avatar.’ I think it lays out all the drama surrounding the film pretty well.

The one thing that frustrates me about James Cameron’s response is this: How hard is it (as the Director of a movie like this) to say “you know, I can see where you all are coming from.  I may not agree with you.  I had these intentions, but I can definetly understand your perspective given the history of the United States in regards to whites stealing land from the Natives, bringing with us people we stole from Africa.”

Or something like that.  It irks me to no end when we (as a country) have a hard time fessing up to the HORRIBLE, AWFUL, INCONCEIVABLY evil ways our so-called “great” country came into existence.

In the car on the way home Dave and I talked about all this.  Understanding how James clearly was showing the selfishness of the humans and what greed (coupled with power and money) can do to destroy entire people groups.  I can see how it’d be easy for him to defend his white savior character -Jake Sully- given that truth.  I’m trying to see it from his perspective.  But he also needs to see history through the eyes of minorities and maybe he would be a little bit quicker on the uptake to see why folks are upset.

I may sound angry, but no I’m not.  I’m like 3, maybe 5 years past angry.  I’m just frustrated that a movie like Avatar can come out and then be defended as “good intentions” without throwing reality a bone.

This whole thing reminds me of last years, Transformers 2 where Director, Michael Bay defended his use of two idiotic robots voiced by black actors, who spoke in urban lingo, who went around swearing and beating each other up.  Bay said it was in the name of “comedy.” Comedy schmomedy.  Is he serious?

Couldn’t he just be honest and say the robots were playing to a stereotype of black men that people want to see and believe?  The same stereotype that keeps black men disproportionately displayed (and I do use that word purposely) in the local news and in shows like Cops where the Writer/Director/Producer has openly admitted (see Bowling for Columbine) to this because “that is what America believes about black men.”

And isn’t that what Avatar is playing to as well?  Is it playing to what the white audience of America -and perhaps the world audience as well- wants to believe about white men?  The knight in shining armor will come and rescue us all?

Again, I liked the movie.  A lot.  In fact, I think you should go see it.  It’s worth your money & it’s worth it in 3-D & even better in IMAX.

I think my friend Sriram Sridharan said it pretty well in his facebook status update which doubled as a letter to the Director / Writer of ‘Avatar.’

“Dear James, Thanks for Avatar. I enjoyed the effects, visual effort at creating a world. FYI: Modernism died in the 80s. Epic plots with unflawed heroes, oppressors becoming rescuers and simplistic evil are last millennium. Your grand set design, cutting edge CGI try hard to compensate for flaccid plot. And perhaps… …write characters that break out of the Jack and oh Jake(homophones much?) mold? I am just saying.”

It’s a love / hate relationship with me & this flick.