[rangerone314]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('bratticus', 'A')nother "White saves the Non-whites" movie.

[AlexdeLarge]

Avatar Part II

Corporate manager: I say we take off, and nuke the site from orbit. It's the only way to be sure.

[rangerone314]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('AlexdeLarge', 'A')vatar Part II

Corporate manager: I say we take off, and nuke the site from orbit. It's the only way to be sure.

[WildRose]

I just saw it this afternoon. Our group of 9 enjoyed it very much, and the film ended with the full theater clapping.

As I saw it, the film put much emphasis on:
- the importance of maintaining balance in ecosystems
- the idea that energy is only borrowed, then returned
- the aliens (earthlings) spoiled their planet and used up their most valuable energy source
- the aliens believed it was their right to get what they wanted, no matter the cost to Pandora's inhabitants
- loyalty to each other, respect for all living things
- power of working together

It was beautiful to watch. The fighting sequences were really well done.

[RacerJace]

I went to see it this morning with my wife.. I was totally blown away. Sure you can see it with the cynicism of ‘just another big budget Hollywood movie’ ... it was like a mix of Aliens, Dances with Wolves Pocahontas and a bit of Braveheart with the music score of Titanic. One of my friends called it ‘Pocahontas and the Giant Space Smurfs’ which made me laugh again when I saw the same references here. The unobtainium thing seemed a bit cheesy to me at first. I’ve been using that term for many years (I’m a metallurgist/materials engineer). But I can see the dry humour intended for what it is.

On the whole, as a movie, it really moved me with the technical brilliance, the story and the underlying message. It reached very deeply into me and made me get misty on a number of occasions. As WildRose mentioned..

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('WildRose', 'I') just saw it this afternoon. Our group of 9 enjoyed it very much, and the film ended with the full theater clapping.

As I saw it, the film put much emphasis on:
- the importance of maintaining balance in ecosystems
- the idea that energy is only borrowed, then returned
- the aliens (earthlings) spoiled their planet and used up their most valuable energy source
- the aliens believed it was their right to get what they wanted, no matter the cost to Pandora's inhabitants
- loyalty to each other, respect for all living things
- power of working together

It was beautiful to watch. The fighting sequences were really well done.

[Tyler_JC]

Avatar=Fern Gully.

That doesn't imply anything negative about it. Both movies were great.

[mos6507]

The difference is that the historical context in which Fern Gully came out (or Dances with Wolves) is far different from today. When these original movies came out, the morals they pushed seemed relatively inoffensive. You know, save a tree because if you don't, you might feel guilty. It was really more of a moralistic or aesthetic argument. Today, it's save a tree in order to save our dying world from taking us down. Some people get the sense of urgency and some people don't, but those who don't are certainly aware that many feel we're on a fast-track to disaster measured in only a few decades at best. So they are forced to throw up an active denial screen (see conservative blowback) in a way that wasn't really necessary back in the 90s or earlier, when environmentalism was more of an individual "lifestyle choice". You know, before "sustainability" * became a buzzword.

So people bash the repetitive messaging without really asking the question why these messages that we see not only in Avatar, but in Wall-E, Happy Feet, and others, are hitting a fever pitch.



* "Sustainability" being a buzzword, IMHO, is a canary in the coalmine. The opposite of sustainability is collapse. It is essentially a euphamism for an awareness that our present trajectory is towards collapse, die-off, TEOTWAWKI, etc...

[Sixstrings]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', '[')b]Audiences experience 'Avatar' blues

(CNN) -- James Cameron's completely immersive spectacle "Avatar" may have been a little too real for some fans who say they have experienced depression and suicidal thoughts after seeing the film because they long to enjoy the beauty of the alien world Pandora.
On the fan forum site "Avatar Forums," a topic thread entitled "Ways to cope with the depression of the dream of Pandora being intangible," has received more than 1,000 posts from people experiencing depression and fans trying to help them cope.

"I wasn't depressed myself. In fact the movie made me happy ," Baghdassarian said. "But I can understand why it made people depressed. The movie was so beautiful and it showed something we don't have here on Earth. I think people saw we could be living in a completely different world and that caused them to be depressed."

A post by a user called Elequin expresses an almost obsessive relationship with the film.
"That's all I have been doing as of late, searching the Internet for more info about 'Avatar.' I guess that helps. It's so hard I can't force myself to think that it's just a movie, and to get over it, that living like the Na'vi will never happen."

A user named Mike wrote on the fan Web site "Naviblue" that he contemplated suicide after seeing the movie.

"Ever since I went to see 'Avatar' I have been depressed. Watching the wonderful world of Pandora and all the Na'vi made me want to be one of them. I can't stop thinking about all the things that happened in the film and all of the tears and shivers I got from it," Mike posted. "I even contemplate suicide thinking that if I do it I will be rebirthed in a world similar to Pandora and the everything is the same as in 'Avatar.' "

Other fans have expressed feelings of disgust with the human race and disengagement with reality.

Ivar Hill posts to the "Avatar" forum page under the name Eltu. He wrote about his post-"Avatar" depression after he first saw the film earlier this month.
"When I woke up this morning after watching Avatar for the first time yesterday, the world seemed ... gray. It was like my whole life, everything I've done and worked for, lost its meaning," Hill wrote on the forum. "It just seems so ... meaningless. I still don't really see any reason to keep ... doing things at all. I live in a dying world."

"One can say my depression was twofold: I was depressed because I really wanted to live in Pandora, which seemed like such a perfect place, but I was also depressed and disgusted with the sight of our world, what we have done to Earth.

Cameron's special effects masterpiece is very lifelike, and the 3-D performance capture and CGI effects essentially allow the viewer to enter the alien world of Pandora for the movie's 2½-hour running time, which only lends to the separation anxiety some individuals experience when they depart the movie theater.

"Virtual life is not real life and it never will be, but this is the pinnacle of what we can build in a virtual presentation so far," said Dr. Stephan Quentzel, psychiatrist and Medical Director for the Louis Armstrong Center for Music and Medicine at Beth Israel Medical Center in New York. "It has taken the best of our technology to create this virtual world and real life will never be as utopian as it seems onscreen. It makes real life seem more imperfect."
http://edition.cnn.com/2010/SHOWBIZ/Movies/01/11/avatar.movie.blues/index.html

[Ludi]

I guess they'd rather die than fight for their own real planet, called "Earth."

[flapjax]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Sixstrings', '
')
Wow, is this movie THAT good? I haven't seen it myself, was just going to wait for DVD. But come on, it's JUST a movie -- is the 3d so great and Pandora so beautiful that this many people hate their real lives after watching it?

This is definitely a first.. I've never heard of anyone getting depressed and suicidal because a movie was so good they just want to live in the fantasy of it.

[RacerJace]

The movie was very good but the story wasn't the best I have ever experienced.. It was on par with .. as previously mentioned.. Dances With Wolves etc. But the immersion in the 3D presentation, the colour and the life like detail of a purely fantasy world was absolutely stunning.

I felt like I had a full on dopamine high (natural hormones the body releases when experiencing something pleasurable) when I came out of the cinema. In fact I was so emotionally moved that I was literally speachless. I can understand how some people get seriously depressed after watching it.. Coming down from such a blast of dopamine will give you a period of low as your body's hormones adjust back to normal. Depending on how you respond to such stimulli you may even hit rock bottom afterwards.

A positive experience (e.g. the Avatar movie) combined with a dopmine high will reinforce the behaviour (this is the basis of addiction). Those with addictive tendancies may get strung out or depressed if they can't re-live the experience. Since it's a natural high and more or less harmless, many people will watch the movie over and over again until the experience becomes dull and then they will probably move on to some other pleasurable activity. But those that have really internalised the fantasy will struggle to let it go. And when repeat viewings of the movie becomes dull they will most likely feel utterly lost and depressed.

Yes it's easy to say 'these people' that have such reactions are a tad strange. Maybe they are. But it's worth thinking a bit about why. How you respond to the world and the experineces you have (intense and otherwise) is unique to you. Being aware of how you respond is key to becoming wise. You will be able to learn more from your experiences and you will be less likely to repeat your mistakes simply because you will reckognise when you are seeking some primal dopamine rush with disregard for the consequences.

[Sixstrings]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('RacerJace', 'T')he movie was very good but the story wasn't the best I have ever experienced.. It was on par with .. as previously mentioned.. Dances With Wolves etc. But the immersion in the 3D presentation, the colour and the life like detail of a purely fantasy world was absolutely stunning.

I felt like I had a full on dopamine high (natural hormones the body releases when experiencing something pleasurable) when I came out of the cinema. In fact I was so emotionally moved that I was literally speachless. I can understand how some people get seriously depressed after watching it.. Coming down from such a blast of dopamine will give you a period of low as your body's hormones adjust back to normal. Depending on how you respond to such stimulli you may even hit rock bottom afterwards.

A positive experience (e.g. the Avatar movie) combined with a dopmine high will reinforce the behaviour (this is the basis of addiction). Those with addictive tendancies may get strung out or depressed if they can't re-live the experience. Since it's a natural high and more or less harmless, many people will watch the movie over and over again until the experience becomes dull and then they will probably move on to some other pleasurable activity. But those that have really internalised the fantasy will struggle to let it go. And when repeat viewings of the movie becomes dull they will most likely feel utterly lost and depressed.

Yes it's easy to say 'these people' that have such reactions are a tad strange. Maybe they are. But it's worth thinking a bit about why. How you respond to the world and the experineces you have (intense and otherwise) is unique to you. Being aware of how you respond is key to becoming wise. You will be able to learn more from your experiences and you will be less likely to repeat your mistakes simply because you will reckognise when you are seeking some primal dopamine rush with disregard for the consequences.

[Pretorian]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Sixstrings', ' ')
The Vatican is very right when it pointed out recently that rather than encouraging the protection of nature, these movies are really encouraging the worship of nature.

[RacerJace]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Sixstrings', '
')
Hm.. so, in essence, this sounds like not really a movie (a classic movie is essentially a screen play), but more of a sensual stimulation bath.

Dances With Wolves is actually one of my favorite movies. I should actually see Avatar before I keep opining on it, but it sounds like it taps into the same feeling as Wolves did -- nagging angst with one's own society, the desire to escape to something simpler, more beautiful, more honest, more free. But in the end, this is all pure fantasy -- the native Americans weren't saints, they were imperfect people, just like us. And Avatar's Na'vi aren't even based on anything real, it's utter fantasy.
...

The bottom line is that in the real world, there is no "Tree of Life." Trees don't give a damn if you slip on a rock, break your legs, and die right there because there's no cell service in the woods to call for help.

...

[rangerone314]

Pagans who "worshipped" nature were well-aware that nature is not benevolent and kind, and that nature can eat you and spit out your bones.

True neo-pagans and shamans are also aware of this (as opposed to the "New Wage" people dedicated to buying guru's books)

[Ludi]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('rangerone314', 'P')agans who "worshipped" nature were well-aware that nature is not benevolent and kind, and that nature can eat you and spit out your bones.

True neo-pagans and shamans are also aware of this (as opposed to the "New Wage" people dedicated to buying guru's books)

[rangerone314]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Ludi', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('rangerone314', 'P')agans who "worshipped" nature were well-aware that nature is not benevolent and kind, and that nature can eat you and spit out your bones.

True neo-pagans and shamans are also aware of this (as opposed to the "New Wage" people dedicated to buying guru's books)

[AlexdeLarge]

Mos's wildest dreams................

[gampy]

Peak oil subtext?

Yeah, I would say so...although peak-oil (or petroleum/energy scarcity) is just one aspect. There are quite a few themes interwoven into the plot. Some obvious, some not so obvious.

Everyone has weighed in on this film, so I guess I'll add my fart to the already stuffy air.

I saw this in 3-D at the IMAX...fucking amazing. Seeing just about any digital film in 3-D at the Imax would be amazing , I think. But this film must be seen in IMAX 3-D.
Like others here...I was blown away. Never experienced anything quite like that before. I was worried that it would be a cheesy, and a gimmicky thing like the old 3-D films of yore. 3-D has come a looooong way, baby. No headache...the glasses fit quite nicely over my own spectacles, and it just looked so cool, fresh and delightfully immersive. Cameron was very savvy with it as well. After the initial shock and awe of the first few scenes where it is really shown to spectacular effect, it never overwhelmed the narrative. Done with taste and restraint...perfect, in my mind.

Best film I have seen in a very long while. The 3-D, and CGI is only part of why it is the best film I have seen in a long while. The world-building, and bio-sphere/bestiary in the film is just so extraordinary...unlike anything I have seen or read. The fauna...the flora...the landscape, the human 22nd century high-tech shit. Fucking ACE. Totally fucking original set design for a Sci-Fi flick. It was such a pleasure to allow myself to be a visitor to this alien planet. For 2 hours+ I was just dumbstruck. Favorite scene (so far) is when the wood sprites alight themselves upon Sam Worthington's character while the Na'vi princess watched in awe....a thing of beauty...I teared up just from the beauty of the thing. Eye candy does not even come close to describing it. In 3-D the sprites are just fantastically, freakishly beautiful.

As to the story, characters, and dialogue?

Well...it's not Shakespeare or Taxi Driver, but it certainly is not Dances with Wolves in Space, either. Although Dances with Wolves was a very good movie. Both films share a few themes...and perhaps a plot device or two...but I never once cringed or thought..."Hey this reminds me of this film or that book."

Sam Worthington, Signourey Weaver, Zoe Soldana were all great in this. Excellent casting. The Colonel (antagonist) was a bit over the top...but it was a good villainous performance I thought. Giovanni Ribisi was really good as well...wasn't sure if he would make a good corporate bastard, but he pulled it off.

Now...all this hot air about racism, or anti-American/anti-Military/anti-capitalist, etc. Well, yeah...it sure sticks it to the Wall Street/Wall-Mart/Exxon apologists.
And why not? The rape and waste of this planet's resources for something as simple as our base desire for shiny baubles is not something to be proud of...no one is innocent here. I certainly felt a twinge of guilt while thinking of of the film afterwards. Not during, mind you. I was too busy being entertained.

I think a lot of the negative feedback and angst is really just Jungian mass psychology writ large. The world is having a little peek at their Shadow.
No one likes to see their Shadow. It hurts, and just like many people in Jungian analysis...they get defensive, and angry when they are shown it. I think much of the negative, and frankly ridiculous nit-picking can be atributed to that.

I am going to go see it again, and then probably again. Have not seen a film 2 or 3 times in the theater since The Matrix (another classic sci-fi flick...and yes, Avatar will be a classic.)

Thank for for reading my review ...lol

For those who hated this movie (I highly doubt any who really hated this movie actually saw it) $1 Billion+ worldwide business is not achieved by shitty movies.
$200 million maybe...but not $1 Billion.

P.S. Seriously...this film (and the other 2 sequels sure to come) are this century's Star Wars. A cultural force. I can see fucking religions sprouting up around all this.
Ron L. Hubbard would be turning green with fucking envy.

[Revi]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Sixstrings', '
')The bottom line is that in the real world, there is no "Tree of Life." Trees don't give a damn if you slip on a rock, break your legs, and die right there because there's no cell service in the woods to call for help.

While I'm all for protection of the natural world and the natural habitats, I really dislike all this outright Gaia worship. If you ever find yourself in a survival situation in the wilderness, your survival depends on viewing nature not as benevolent goddess, but as a cruel and merciless adversary who will take advantages of your misfortune at every opportunity.