Avatar - Dances With Cat People
Thursday, January 14, 2010

I liked the movie, Avatar, by James Cameron. I have not seen Titanic. The thought of watching a three hour movie about a sinking ship doesn't appeal to me.

This movie is spectacular to look at. The 3D aspect does make you feel immersed in the movie. Very nice to look at.

Plot: The natives, called Na'vi, on Pandora are under siege by military contractors (not the Marines) to mine the planet for unobtanium, which is worth about 16 million a kilo. That would justify the cost of a corporation spending so much in resources to head to another galaxy. This story happens in the future - the year 2150.

The lead male character Jack Sully, aka Sam Worthington, mentally links to a genetically created human-Na'vi hybrid Avatar to get close to the Na'vi. He was recruited to replace his twin brother who died. He was able to use his brother's Avatar, because they have the same DNA.  

Side note: Imagine being able to walk about in another body? That's a scary, yet exciting future to imagine. That is a true, fantasy, roll playing, out-of-body experience.

Zoe Saldana voices Neytiri, the princess of the Na'vi people. Sigourney Weaver plays the brilliant Dr. Grace Augustine, who helped create the Avatars. Stephen Lang (old man hotness) plays the delightful and memorable bad guy Colonel Miles Quaritch. I would savor bringing him back for the sequel. He's very sexy.


I cannot imagine seeing this at home, because the 3D aspect would be lost. It was an enjoyable film, not a brilliant masterpiece, but fun all the same.

Racism Chasers

I read the complaints about the racism in this film, or the usage of a "white messiah". I'm not a "racism chaser", so I thought the main character, Jake Sully, wasn't a savior, but someone willing to offer a different perspective and think "outside of the box." Doesn't it help to have another fresh set of eyes to look at a problem? Anyway, he helps the Na'vi help themselves. He does not singlehandedly do everything. He admits he cannot.

Did these "racism chasers" even see the film? They get so wrapped up in the modern anti-Western Lit Crit (all the white males are racists) point of view, they can't watch something with an unbiased perspective. If they remember correctly, all stories have a s/hero who saves everyone. Nowadays, it's not just a white guy, Will Smith and Denzil Washington have made plenty of Magic Negro films.

People like to look for something to be offended by. It's a hobby for them.

Labels: Avatar, Denzel Washington, James Cameron, racism, racism chasers, Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Will Smith, Zoe Saldana

posted by GoldenAh
email this! | 0 comments | post a comment


District 9
Wednesday, August 19, 2009

District 9 is the first major film effort of director Neill Blomkamp backed by Peter Jackson (Lord of the Rings maestro). Shot documentary style, it is funny, gory (I likes!), and action packed. Not a dull moment.

I enjoyed this movie, but it was a guilty sort of pleasure. It has one too many offensive, down right nasty, depictions of black people to ignore. At the same time, I thought the story about how cruel human beings are couldn't be denied.

Per usual, I saw it, because I needed to get out of the house. I remembered the fascinating premiere when I was watching another movie. I was thinking then: a major sci-fi film set in South Africa, alrighty-now!

This was easily one of the best sci-fi films of the year. However, it must come second to Star Trek, because the racism fail was too glaring. I mean, you know it was bad when people clapped at the death of a black character, and remained silent at the death of a white who was equally a bad character.

Without giving away too much of this film: an Office-type, South African bureaucrat, self-important, bigoted moron, named Wikus Van De Merwe (convincingly and superbly played by Sharlto Copley) makes a big mistake during his job to evict aliens from the shanty town they were living in.

The aliens (derisively called "Prawns") have a ginourmous space ship, which stalled over Johannesburg 28 years ago. MNU, which serves as the architype of the typical, evil, greedy, amoral, psychopathic organization or corporation, is in charge of the aliens.

At first, these beings were welcomed, but over time are treated worse than the blacks (of South Africa) used to be. Take your pick of oppressed minorities segregated from the mainstream of society, shunted to a reservation, a concentration camp, experimented on, abused and maligned, and you get the gist of what's going on.

People have questions as to why the aliens couldn't easily get out of their predicament. I look at it this way: when a plane crashes, could anyone - even if everyone survives - realistically rebuild the plane? I've been to the Air and Space Musuem, it is not that easily. Hasn't anyone watched Lost, and realized that?

Next, the alien leaders of the ship was gone. I could point to many parallels as to what humans are like when the top 10%-20% do not guide their populace in the right direction. Let's not kid ourselves, it's the top of the bell curve that runs the human race.

Our man, Wikus, is not a hero. He never becomes a hero. At least, in my eyes. He acts bravely when it would help his cause. This to me, made the film extremely honest about the motivations of persons like himself. He may be the average guy: never going to stick out his neck, until it's his neck that's on the block.

This film didn't depress me, but I thought about how clear eyed it was about how we would treat visitors from outer space if they needed us. The history of how humans have treated each other makes me feel that the aliens should have, or must keep on going on, and forget about us. The word humane and humanity is really a joke.

I look forward to the sequel.

Labels: Airplaces, bell curve, District 9, humans, Lost, Neill Blomkamp, race, racism, Sharlto Copley, Spaceships, species, specism, Star Trek

posted by GoldenAh
email this! | 0 comments | post a comment