Sunday last, I drove to the local mega-plex to see Avatar 3D. Frankly, I doubted the movie had the appeal of a The Lord of the Rings or Indiana Jones or Harry Potter, but I was sick of feeling cooped-up by cold, rainy weather. I decided to take a chance. Here are my thoughts, a few days later.
It was spectacular! The story is good. Set on the planet Pandora, humans are in conflict with the natives. It seems the planet contains a rare mineral and the corporate lackeys (that is us) are pushing the natives (the Na ‘Vi) from their homes to get at it. Humans are not appealing in this story. The scenery is amazing. The Na ’Vi are unspoiled children of nature. The humans? Well, you know. The humans do what we have always done, letting nothing stand in the way of meeting corporate goals. Greed fueled by power sums up the humans. It is depressingly believable.
The 3D effects are impressive. I found myself wishing I had less popcorn and more Dramamine. The 3D spectacles increased my feeling of vertigo. When viewed through 3D specs, scenes of Na ‘Vi racing through thick forest took on quease-inducing a tunnel-like perspective. Still, it was beautiful. I would see it again with a dozen seasickness pills in my pocket.
As I reflected on the content of the film, the movie reinforced my Luddite tendencies. In the movie, humans are incapable of appreciating the stunning beauty of this alien world or respecting its power. Why? Technology mesmerized the humans. It was easy to overcome obstacles with technical solutions; thus, there was no need to consider the value of those obstacles. The Na ‘Vi were simply in the way of progress.
My pre-movie expectations were wrong. This is a terrific film. The story is powerful and moving. The characters are rich; evil doers are easy to hate and innocents are wonderful. The “effects” are the best I have ever seen. If you have not seen this, I urge you to do so.
After you see it, let me know what you think.
-=*=-
Haiti experienced a 6.0 aftershock. It is difficult for me to conceive so much misery in a place well known for its suffering. Somehow, prayer and money do not seem enough.
Next, Los Angeles is enjoying heavy rain. Deadly mudslides are once again a possibility. Is there anything left that might be a simple blessing?
Finally, the voters of Massachusetts elected a Republican to fill Ted Kennedy's seat in the Senate. I am confident Hell has frozen solid. Oh, wait. This might be the answer to that "blessing" question, above. Maybe.
Your thoughts are welcome.
…
