Today we went to watch Avatar 3D imax. We weren't very interested in the movie when it first came out because blue colored people walking around and war is not exactly alluring. But, honey had a free movie ticket from work and an AMC gift card, so we thought why not? Free movie and since it's Imax, we might as well give this movie a try before it disappears. So I guess Avatar is not eating, cooking, or playing. Well, maybe it fits under the playing category right? I guess, this is going to be my impression and reflection of the movie. Therefore, if you have not seen this movie, do not read further because it will spoil the movie for you!
I have a terrible memory and I can never remember long quotes, terms, or minute details... So this entry might seem vague but I really just want to record my thoughts.
Overall, I give Avatar two thumbs up. Not only because of the graphics and 3D, but the plot - the story. I will explain later on the plot. But first, I must commend on the graphics (or whatever you call it). On Pandora, I am guessing that the blue people (Navi?) are animated? I have no idea, they are awfully skinny to be real but they look so so alive! But that's not the point, Pandora is so cool, it's another planet where Eywa (spelling) is this mother tree that holds all ancestors' spirits. The Navi people live in this giant tree and have beast looking horses and giant flying birds (dinos?) HAHA. Well, back to the point, Pandora is just such a pretty perfect world where animals, nature, and people live in peace. I love how the plants, flowers, and trees light up at night and sparkle. It's just a very sparkling sight!
I am not sure how far into the future the plot is set. I'm sure it's many years from now because of the technology they use. I can't recall the element they are mining there... some kinda rock ending in -nium. I think they mentioned it twice and I just can't remember now. I guess I should research a little bit and make some changes to this blog later.
The other reason that I really enjoyed this movie is the plot. I really like the storyline. If you've seen the movie then you will know what I am talking about. In short, it's about America sending military and research teams to Pandora to collect "rock-nium" and study the "Navi" people so they can negotiate with them for the rocks. They already have extensive study on Pandora and even have many bases set up. However, the humans have made little result with understanding the people and their culture. So, the main character gets himself into the clan and eventually is accepted by the natives. He studies and befriends them.
Without going into too much plot details, this movie to me reflects the world we live in now and the many reasons why we have wars. Avatar cleverly depicts ruling clas, political power, capitalism, and imperialism. Before the movie even end, Afghanistan and Obama came into my mind, my sociology class on the Vietnam War came into my mind. The movie played out exactly every theory and history as I have learned and understood so far. How so, you may ask. To use the most recent example, I would name the war with Afghanistan right now. To be honest, I am no expert with this current event. I know very little but I feel that it is related to the war with Iraq, Iran, and so on. The middle east and the U.S war is very much like the native Pandorians and the U.S. The "rock-niums" depicts the current oil problem. The middle eastern are the Pandorians, and the U.S are the U.S. The people of Pandora are like the people of the Middle East, they do not want the U.S to control their lives, teach them english, and destroy their nature. Obviously the circumstances are not exactly the same between Pandora and Afghanistan, but you get the idea. The U.S declare war with another nation while forcing principles and culture on another nation that would be better of without just for the U.S own benefits. Enough said here.
Why Vietnam War? Similar idea here. The U.S declare war with Vietnam because mainly of Communism. I think this is a better example of what the movie depicts. The U.S here were not as violent as they were in Vietnam. At least, they tried to learn their language and wanted to study the people. However, few leaders actually give a shit about the natives because they just want the rocks. It's kind of like the U.S wanted to get rid of Communism in Vietnam and did not give a shit about the Vietnamese. It's like that saying "winning the hearts and minds" of the people. Well, obviously, Jake won the hearts and mind of the people, but his rulers did not really care about winning the hearts and minds of the natives. Of course, this results in humans frustration with the natives because they are not understanding the natives. Just like the U.S military leaders did not understand the Vietnamese people. Humans did not understand the culture of Pandora and their spiritual beliefs. This ultimately lead to the war the humans fight against Pandora natives. In Vietnam, it also became heavy bombing and strategic hamlets. Teaching English, forcing "democracy", and Americanizing Vietnamese or Navi is something that the U.S did in Vietnam and also exactly what the movie showed. The characters Jake, Grace, and the two other people realized what was important to the natives. Just like some of the U.S soldiers that realized what a terrible mistake the U.S was making and that it was wrong to kill innocent Vietnamese. I knew that the ending would be happy but it also clearly reminded me that the humans left Pandora is just like how the U.S pulled out of Vietnam without actually winning the war. See, this is why I think this is a better example of the plot. Power and money often cloud humans' mind and lead them to do atrocious actions.
Sigh~
I'm sorry if this blog is so out of place and vague. I'm a terrible writer with ideas jumping around. But, I thank the writer and the producers for this movie. I know Hollywood movies often colors the truth but I feel that this one does not. Maybe I interpreted this movie incorrectly. Maybe I just think too much. I feel that this movie is trying to tell us that this is exactly what is happening in our world now. It's trying to tell us to stop and change it before matters worsen. I liked the movie not because of how they created Pandora. I like the movie because of its deeper meaning.
If you have read the whole post, thank you. I just realized how long this is. I would definitely like to know what you thought of the movie. What did you think of when you saw it? What came into your mind? So, please do leave a comment!
P.S: I did get a headache watching the movie because of the 3D glasses, they sat awkwardly on my nose... this seems to be a much concerned discussion, so just letting you know.
Edit* Natasha said the movie reminded her of Pocahontas! Which is true too !
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