Some of my thoughts on Avatar

[Raptor]

I posted this on avatar-forums.com, but I want to share my thoughts here as well.

Avatar fanatics and haters both need to take this down a few goddamn notches. This debate isn't simple black and white!

The first thing I have to say is, yes, Avatar is by far my favorite movie, but it is in no way the very best movie ever made. For me, that title belongs to Schindler's List, and I'm sure many people who think objectively will agree with me that Schindler's List is better. There are certain aspects of the film that aren't particularly strong. Specifically, I feel that the dialogue is somewhat lacking. While I think Neytiri's lines were elegantly crafted (probably because she doesn't have many, and the ones that she does have are profound and touching; great job JC!) and Jake's dialogue is quite good for the most part, I feel that most of the humor from the dialogue is derived from awkward situations and inane chatter. Compare that with the witty dialogue of Up. That animated film has much more meaningful and profound lines, not only because of their diction and semantics, but also because of the way they fit into the movie's theme and plot. It's subtle, yet striking.

On the other side, Avatar haters need to shut the hell up about saying that the plot is unoriginal. As Jafloogan said, that is similar to saying that Pocahontas's, The Last Samurai's, and Atlantis's are unoriginal. Sure, they may share similar themes, but that isn't a problem. The creators of these films may have similar thoughts about the environment and some issues on current events. There are many great works of literature that shares the same theme. James Cameron wanted to tell a story that he envisioned, and although he was inspired by works like Dance with the Wolves, it is still his story, with characters that he had envisioned. The plot is perfect for those characters, as it allowed their motivation, conflict, and transformation to share a common setting.

Oh, and the original script for Avatar was created before Pocahontas came out, just FYI for the "Pocahontas in space" abusers. Even if it is unoriginal, the plot is executed very well.

And yes, Avatar did deliver a message to me. No, it's not the flat "corporations are evil" message. For me, it is that there's a whole world out there for us to explore, and that we should start appreciating the still relatively lush environment that we live in and treasure it. The things we do right now can be done in a much better way that doesn't disrupt the environment. You have to realize that the RDA isn't inherently evil; they're just immoral, and they can certainly change. Corporations can bring great benefit to not only humans, but to the environment and anything else on earth for that matter, as long as they operate ethically. As I have said in a previous post, Avatar isn't necessarily a film that criticizes technology; it only serves to demonstrate how technology can be abused and how greed can turn advancement into destruction. I am pro-technology (being an officer of my high school's robotics team). I firmly believe that we can develop technology that work in harmony with the environment and make this world a better place for both humans and wildlife.

The movie's characters motivated me to become a better person by telling me the problems of society that we face. It's up to us to realize what unrestricted corporate practice can result in, and how we can help fix the issue (and no, the answer isn't to bash the sh!t out of corporations and make them flat, evil beings). The message of Avatar will have a profound impact on my life, because I'm only a high school junior right now, and I still have many years ahead of me to improve this world.

To sum it up, even though Avatar may not be the best movie ever made, it delivers a message to me that will change the way I act in the future. It has a place in my heart like no other film. The same goes with the characters. Jake and Neytiri will always remain in my mind.