Avatar (2009) - a mixed-bag but entertaining movie

LoveUniHateExams

So a few months ago I saw Avatar (2009) from beginning to end for the first time.

If I'd seen this when I was ten, I'd probably have loved it. I find the film entertaining but I do have issues with it.

The movie is beautiful to look at, and there's definitely some interesting concepts.

But Star Wars it ain't.

First issue, the Na'vi: these are blue-skinned humanoids with tails.

My first question is: why do blue monkeys who live 5 light years away on an extrasolar moon have African accents?!

I know what writer/director James Cameron is doing in this film. He's criticising capitalism, which done excessively or irresponsibly, ruins the environment. The Na'vi are the 'noble savages', living in harmony with nature. But giving them even vaguely African accents is frankly ridiculous. XD

And Cameron glosses over or misses out entirely just how savage nature is and how violent humans were when we lived in tribes. In Avatar, tribal massacres are not even referred to, let alone seen.

Cameron's critique of capitalism leads to my second issue: a film like Avatar can have a lot to say on environmental issues but can we please have some nuance? These issues are pretty complex. Certainly much more complex than a military force destroying Home Tree, with a dumb grunt (twice) saying 'Yeeeah! Come get some!' whilst holding his big gun.

And here's a coupla extra little things, a little cherry on the top.

After the military forces of 'the Sky People' have destroyed Home Tree, Neytiri's mother (the shaman-type woman) begs Jack Sully to 'help us' and unties him. So, a primitive tribe living in essentially Stone Age conditions are saved by the White Man, lol. Jake Sully, using his avatar body made from capitalist technology (go Capitalism!) captures a Turok and becomes Turok Makto, a rider of Turok, leading the fight against the military complex and saving the day! Yayyy!

And one more thing: the phrase 'I see you' is used several times and means more than simply seeing someone, and if I'm not mistaken has been borrowed by trans activists and their 'allies'. Well, I'd just like to state here that I didn't see any Na'vi who were trans or gay or whatever. Maybe the Na'vi have institutionalised homophobia and transphobia in their society. Just a thought.

But, yeah, it's pretty entertaining even if it slightly loses its way in the final act with its crude commentary on environmentalism and capitalism. I'd give it 6/10, I guess.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vZX2MxmtEPM

FFGhost

giving them even vaguely African accents is frankly ridiculous

There are literally over 2000 languages spoken on the African continent.

What exactly is an "African accent"?

I agree the movie uses a sledgehammer to drive its point home.

LoveUniHateExams

What exactly is an "African accent"? - listen to Neytiri speaking at 1min 9 sec.

'Making noise, don't know what to do ...'

To my ears, this is a vaguely African accent.

FFGhost

It's still not clear what an "African accent" is.

If I told you that you had a "European accent", what would that mean? Does an Welsh accent resemble a Slovenian accent?

LoveUniHateExams

An African accent means something, it's just that the meaning is very broad.

The Na'vi in the movie seem to have African accents, rather than Welsh or Slovenian.

TD

I enjoyed Avatar for what it was, but I also get a chuckle out of Mike Stoklasa's irreverent take on some of the more manipulative elements in the film.

In his words, "You may not have seen it. But your brain did."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uJarz7BYnHA

LoveUniHateExams

I enjoyed Avatar for what it was - yeah, it was pretty entertaining.

But there was one point in the movie which was supposed to be serious but I found unintentionally hilarious.

It's the bit where Jake, in his avatar body, is talking to Eywa. It's no doubt supposed to be a very poignant moment but I nearly burst out laughing. Here's a weird blue guy, with a weird new haircut, talking to a f**kin tree! XD

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GMepymjuPDM

LoveUniHateExams

Another thing: James Cameron portrays nature on Pandora as almost benign. True, it is explained that the Pandoran atmosphere is lethal to humans and we see Jake having a few hairy moments with some exotic monsters but that's it.

We don't see carnivores hunt and kill herbivores, etc., like we see on Earth. We don't see the Na'vi with injuries or diseases. We don't see animal carcasses. We don't see parasites.

Here's a reminder how savage nature really is.

A young cheetah is feeling thirsty and takes a drink. Big mistake! A crocodile woke up hungry that morning, and fancied a cheetah steak, done rare …

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A-8l-7guF84

dropoffyourkeylee

I have not seen the film, and looking briefly at the previously posted clip, I don't really want to. Concerning the 'tribal' look and accents shown, it is a typical portrayal that comes up repeatedly in stories. A variation of the noble savage myth which has been popular and retold in numerous context for centuries. I am reminded of the Tasaday peoples story from the Philippines, which was reported on in various news outlets and later in the Awake back in the '70's as a sort of Stone Age tribe which was supposedly so peaceful and happy they didn't even have a word for murder. Later it was discovered that the whole thing was a hoax.

joe134cd

It was filmed and produced in New Zealand.

Avatar (2009) - a mixed-bag but entertaining movie

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