Movie Review: Avatar 3D

By Paul Kater

Director: James Cameron
Running length: 2 hours 45 minutes
Genre: Fantasy, science fiction

Synopsis:
“Avatar” is a movie in which a paraplegic marine is asked to infiltrate into the indigenous people on the planet Pandora. The way that the humans make contact with the native people is through the use of avatars, bodies shaped as the natives, controlled by human brain through electronics.

Theme:
The movie does not have a unique theme. It bears resemblance to “Dances with Wolves” and even more with “Fern Gully”, where someone from one race gets to know another race and begins to appreciate their way of life.

Technology:
A lot of the movie was generated with CGI (Computer Generated Images). Director Cameron started playing with the idea for this movie 14 years ago already, but only in this day and age he had all the technical possibilities to turn this movie into a reality. The movie heavily leans on CGI, as most of nature and the animals that live there are created that way. In my opinion however, it was very tastefully done, and people who like fantasy and science fiction will certainly appreciate the way the effects are made.

The 3-dimensional version of the movie adds a reality to the world of Pandora that is uncanny, yet it does not feel unnatural. It is certainly not the 3D of the past, with the strangely coloured glasses.

Paganism:
Yes, Avatar carries a strong pagan mindset. The people of Pandora, the Na’vi, have a deep connection to their world. The way that they are made to communicate with their animals and the trees was amazing to witness. Many people (pagans I know) have reported that they would love to “go back to Pandora”.
There are of course also people who do not understand this part of the movie. Some were even appalled by the “nudity and sex” in the movie. The claim of nudity is exaggerated, and the claim of sex even more. It is nothing one would have to cover children’s eyes for. Yes, the Na’vi don’t go around fully dressed, there is just a small loin cloth here and there, but that would be only normal for a race that lives on a warm planet and is not corrupted into being ashamed of their bodies.

Awareness:
There are several messages in the movie. They speak of understanding or at least accepting people who are different. They speak of controlling one’s greed as not to abuse a people or a planet. And they speak of not putting your will onto another as if your way is the only right way to live.

Online information:
Lots of information about the movie can be found on the website www.avatarmovie.com.