The Story: While Avatar still reigns at the box office, it’s time we ask ourselves if it deserves the billion dollar banking it has gotten so far.
The Search: Avatar Billion
The biggest entertainment story of the past few weeks has undoubtedly been the success of director James Cameron’s latest special effects-laden opus, Avatar. The film which features blue people making gentle, yet forceful love to their environment while the white man plans to ravage it and leave it barren has captured the ocular cavities of nearly everyone in the film-viewing world. Despite having a hefty budget of $500 million making it the most expensive movie ever, the visual tour de force has managed to recoup its expense and then some, topping the billion dollar mark this past week. While we’ve got to admit that the film is visually stunning, this reviewer thinks the story feels a little (okay a lot) heavy on message and a little light on actual dialogue and plot that doesn’t sound like it was written by a 14-year old boy who had just finished watching Ferngully, Dances With Wolves, and Pocahontas. True this might work for the majority of the viewing public, but I just couldn’t walk out of this film feeling like I hadn’t seen a staid retelling of an age old story dressed up in hundreds of millions of dollars of ones and zeroes. It didn’t help matters that with each digital flourish I pictured Mr. Cameron in an edit room indulging in a personal pleasure fest, but I think that says more about me than the film. In any case, here is a list of but a few things that irked me about Avatar.
Lack of Creativity- Cameron spared no expense at creating this stunning visual world, yet was absolutely lazy with the script. Nearly every aspect of the film could be predicted and he made absolutely no effort when it came to naming the specifics. There was a mineral called “Unobtainium” which…shocker…was really difficult to obtain. The planet was called “Pandora” which when the humans attempted to open up and forage for riches, unleashed a world of trouble. If you’re going to go the extra mile, please do so with all aspects.
Overt Sexual Metaphors- From the Na’vi making sweet love to their horses and dragons and playing mind control with them after having consummated their natural relationship, to the white man’s rape of the land (a.k.a. Pandora’s “Box”), we could easily write a Film School 101 thesis paper on themes of sexual dominance in Avatar and get an A.
Racism- The Na’vi were helpless against their oppressors until a white guy dressed up in blue showed them the way. This is like Eminem releasing an album in blackface and The Source proclaiming him the Best Black Artist of all-time and savior of Hip-hop.
Hypocrisy- Cameron aims at achieving an appreciation for the environment over our need to ravage it for our own selfish want. However, instead of using a natural environment, he creates an entirely new one because he has the selfish need to control all aspects of the environment and create a world on film like no one has ever seen. I realize the last one is a bit nitpicky given that he is the director and due to the overall astonishing visual experience of the film, but it’s certainly worth noting.
Even with all of these problems with the film and obvious misgivings with James Cameron as a writer, we still think he’s an extremely talented director. We just wish he’d put half the thought he put into the effects, into the story. Either way, the guy is laughing all the way to the bank.
