Thoughts on "Avatar"

I saw "Avatar" yesterday, and was wowed by the visuals; saw it in IMAX 3D. It is the most creative cutting edge cinematography ever done. The story moved along, and for me the measure of a good movie is that I'm not aware of the passage of time, and I wasn't.

It does what it set out to do, and met, if not surpassed, all expectations. The icing is that it's a huge money maker.

I think too that the glasses we're given when going into the theater are a great metaphor for how people see the movie. Feminists found fault, health people found fault (Weaver's character smokes), traditional religious people found fault (Na'vi are animists), the Chinese dictatorship banned it, it was seen as a slam against the military and corporations, and a whole host of other perceptions. We all entered the theater with our own conceptions, and viewed it from those. A friend saw in it a 'beauty and beast story', and that never crossed my mind. I of course, being Christian and Conservative, viewed it through those lenses. I remember it being pointed out during the Beatles musical reign that which of the Beatles you identified most with was a great indicator of your personality type. (I was a Harrison fan, the spiritualist). Likewise, I think "Avatar" is an indicator of one's world view.

I've been reading Sci-fi since I learned how to read. At the end of third grade I had read all but the 'girl' books in the juvenile section, so the librarian took me upstairs to the grownups section and helped me get a card. First book out was "When Worlds Collide". With that many years of sci-fi behind me, I found the story in "Avatar" a repeat of an oft told story. Kudos to Cameron for finding a way to move it along and not bore us to death.

I highly recommend this movie. It's a joy for the things presented we like about movies and stories, and a Rorschach test for our world views. One of the reasons for its success is just that. There's something there to appeal to everyone.