I saw Avatar the other day. I didn't know what to expect. Apparantly Avatar broke the record as to what movie has been the most expensive motion picture to produce thus far. Would this benefit the movie, or rather work against it? I didn't know before I sat in the modest theatre in my hometown.
My first impression was that of being impressed of the sheer beauty. Computer generated imagery has apparently taken leaps and bounds in terms of what it can accomplish yet again. And the planet Pandora; which humanity is present to pillage natural resources from, is as otherwordly and fascinating as it should be.
For those who have seen the japanese animated worlds of Hayayo Miazaki in movies such as Princess Mononoke and Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind, you will be able to see clear similarities between the ideas of these different filmmakers. James Cameron has blessed Avatar with the same life affirming critique of mans dominion over nature such as with Miazaki's films.
Another layer is the story about colonialism and its destructive logic: that idea that might gives right. A story woven into the fabric of our own histories. A question which still burns and unsettles the world.
Avatar is also a beautiful portrayal of indigenous spirituality. There is a clear theme presented that the people who live there view divinity as being present in all living things - a thought which some may call animism. There is a clear reverence for the natural world here which struck me as being vibrant and respectful. For this thing alone I would recommend you to see the movie.
The thing which makes science fiction such a fantastic form to tell a story is that it disconnects us enough from the present to show us another angle at what precisely is our present. This movie does that wrapped in a story which engaged me.
