A Cinematic Game Changer?

Last updated on: December 22, 2009 at 10:03 am by J. Ryan Parker

A Cinematic Game Changer? 2009-12-22T10:03:38-08:00 J. Ryan Parker

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Unless you’ve been in a coma for over a year, you are probably familiar with James Cameron‘s latest film, Avatar. Touted as the most expensive film ever made, it has received rave reviews for its 3D special effects and stunning other-world scenery. Unfortunately, the plot is as thin and heavy-handed as its effects are beautiful.

In the not-too-distant future, Earthlings have yet again ruined their home planet and dispatched a group of military experts and scientists to a distant planet, Pandora, to mine for a precious mineral, Unobtanium, that will serve as a power source for their energy-depleted planet. Instead of leading with a simple shock-and-awe campaign to retrieve the mineral, they try some sort of thinly veiled diplomacy by allowing a select group of individuals to become avatars, Earthlings who assume the body of a Na’vi, the indigenous people of Pandora, in an attempt to understand, and win thereby win the hearts and minds of, the roadblacks to power. The program is lead by Dr. Grace Augustine (Sigourney Weaver), and one of its main participants, and the lead character of the film, is Jake Sully (Sam Worthington), a paralyzed combat veteran who is promised fresh legs if he succeeds. (Un)Fortunately, Jake has a conscience and gains respect for and clear understanding of the Na’vi and their ways, particularly through his budding romantic relationship with Neytiri (Zoe Saldana). He leads a revolt against his own people which results in all-out-war between the two parties.

If the story sounds familiar to you, then you’ve no doubt seen Ferngully: The Last Rainforest (1992), a parallel that I’m not the first or last to draw. Avatar retains its predecessors’ pro-environmental, anti-capitalist, anti-industrialist stance but replaces the oily villain and rainforest clear-cutting, here the Earthlings simply want the mineral which is unfortunately available in spades underneath the Na’vi’s sacred tree. As I previously mentioned, there’s not much narrative meat to Avatar. Global waste and destruction are simply assumed as a future reality for Earth because Cameron leaves out any explanation for how or why they have come to need this precious resource from Pandora.

On the other hand, Cameron’s religio-environmentalism at play here is, on one level, interesting. I appreciate Cameron’s emphasis on the interconnectedness of all beings in Pandora. He does a good job of showing how harm to the “least of these,” can have dangerous consequences for other beings as well. Unfortunately, this connected awareness is, at times, a bit too saccharine. I disagree with the Hollywood Jesus review of the film which cites this pseudo-religious element as a “safe” response to more traditional notions of divinity. The reviewer writes, “Now I ask you, what would have happened if it had even been suggested that the deity the Na’vi worshiped was the same as the God of the Bible? Instead of profound it would be ridiculous. Instead of spiritual it would have been proselytizing. In short, it would not have been accepted as a “serious” part of the story.” I think he assumes too much in anticipating that viewers are looking at this element of the story as “profound” and “serious.” The spirituality of the Na’vi is as caricatured as the apparent godlessness of the invading Earthlings.

Speaking of those pesky Earthlings, we have an impressive one in Col. Miles Quartich (Stephen Lang), the leader of the military invasion. He has a vision of Pandora that makes viewers wonder if he has actually ever set foot on the planet. He tells his troops that “if there is a hell, you might want to go there for R & R,” after being on Pandora. While Pandora does have its dangers, they’re probably not much different…only slightly more intense…than the natural dangers of earth before it was brought to ruin. Quartich’s view of Pandora seems to parallel many of our socio-political perceptions of “the other” in contemporary American culture which often negatively influence our foreign policy. I find it hard to distinguish between the Na’vi’s “natural aggressiveness” as a people and their vigilance required to resist an invading force.

With Avatar, James Cameron has come a long…long…way since his low-budget days with Roger Corman and films like Piranha Part Two: The Spawning (1981) and The Terminator (1984). The technical virtuosity that he showed in films like Terminator Two: Judgment Day (1991) and The Abyss (1989) has come to full fruition with his latest film. His original ability to do a lot with a little in his earlier films has evolved in a willingness and patience to wait for technology to catch up to his vision, rather than settling for less. I find it hard to argue with the critics who view this as a cinematic game changer. The 3D special effects work perfectly, forgoing any of the in-your-face childishness that plagued much of the effect throughout its history. Here, Cameron seems to understand and grasp its true potential to immerse us further into the world that he has created, if only there was more in the way of narrative to keep us interested in sticking around. While it won’t be impossible to sit through other non-3D films, it appears that, at least, all sci-fi films will feel lacking without it.

Avatar (162 mins.) is rated PG-13 for intense epic battle sequences and warfare, sensuality, and language and is currently in theaters everywhere. If you go, it better be to a 3D version.

Film

Previous Post

December 15, 2009

A Complex Evil

Next Post

December 23, 2009 Victory With (A Sappy) Heart

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Classics DVD Film Music News Pop Culture Events Print Sports Television Uncategorized Video Games

Select a Month March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010 November 2010 October 2010 September 2010 August 2010 July 2010 June 2010 May 2010 April 2010 March 2010 February 2010 January 2010 December 2009 November 2009 October 2009 September 2009 August 2009 July 2009 June 2009 May 2009 April 2009 March 2009 February 2009 January 2009 December 2008 November 2008 October 2008 September 2008 August 2008 July 2008 June 2008 May 2008 April 2008 March 2008 February 2008 January 2008 December 2007 November 2007 October 2007 September 2007 August 2007 July 2007 June 2007 May 2007 April 2007 March 2007

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

What did the angel say at the tomb?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Fear not, for I bring news. Be still and at peace. He is not here; He has risen! Go and sin no more.