I’m really not a movie freak but once in a while I do enjoy watching a couple of good films. Last year, one of the most hyped Hollywood movies was Avatar. Colleagues talked about it, friends argued and fought over it, and even the newspaper constantly nagged me every morning with a splash of the alien-looking figure. From mild irritation, it ultimately became nerve wrecking to even hear about Avatar. I even got into an argument with a friend (who became a big Avatar fan even before watching the movie) over the movie. Sometimes, my stubbornness makes me do things that are beyond the realm of logic or sense, and this was one of the times. But I did see the movie and boy am I glad! I came out of the movie theatre feeling good and smiling like the Cheshire Cat. Yes, Pandora was awesome and Jake Sully even better! My friend had a very ingenious reason for not liking Jake. He said Jake didn’t give a hoot about Pandora or the people living in it; he only wanted to be a part of it because in that world, as one of the Na’vis, he is liberated from his handicapped self. This, however, is a flawed reasoning, not to mention a childish argument. If it was only a question of Jake wanting his legs back, he could have simply accepted Colonel Miles Quaritch’s offer and got himself a pair of brand new legs! The year’s 2154 after all! Arguments aside, and dismissing all initial misgivings, Avatar has proved to be one of the best movies on my list of favorites. James Cameron’s decades of hard work has finally paid off (He had been working on the movie since 1994; I was in school then …jeez!).
The concept of Pandora, in which the inhabitants live in harmony with nature, appeals to our modern, displaced sense of being. It reminds us of a place and time that we’ve lost to “civilization.” The story of the movie may not be out of the world, but it succeeds in connecting with the audience.
Avatar can be seen from many perspectives. Colonialism and its ugly claws are seen in the invasion of Pandora by the humans. There are many dimensions to the movie and Cameron fits them all together in such way that their subtlety is captured without losing any of their essence or displaying the obvious.
Some people find the story of the movie “simplistic” and so may you. But the visual accomplishment of the movie is unquestionable. If not for anything else, go watch the movie for its awesome visuals. You won’t regret it!
The concept of Pandora, in which the inhabitants live in harmony with nature, appeals to our modern, displaced sense of being. It reminds us of a place and time that we’ve lost to “civilization.” The story of the movie may not be out of the world, but it succeeds in connecting with the audience.
Avatar can be seen from many perspectives. Colonialism and its ugly claws are seen in the invasion of Pandora by the humans. There are many dimensions to the movie and Cameron fits them all together in such way that their subtlety is captured without losing any of their essence or displaying the obvious.
Some people find the story of the movie “simplistic” and so may you. But the visual accomplishment of the movie is unquestionable. If not for anything else, go watch the movie for its awesome visuals. You won’t regret it!
Science Fiction is not my preferred form of entertainment but I will probably see Avatar in a theatre. I rented Star Trek recently and I think I would have liked it better on the big screen.
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