Has The World Become Avatarded?

Rating: 1/10 (24 January 2010)

I'll start with the obvious positive aspect. Technically, it's astounding. The level of CGI that James Cameron demonstrates in Avatar is revolutionary. But, for four hundred million dollars, I sort of expect that. However, what I also expect is an original innovative story that is coherent without being overly reductive. The story line of Avatar was pilfered from numerous films including Dances With Wolves, Pocohantas and most upsetting of all, Princess Mononoke, which was an amazing, beautifully conceived and executed work of animated cinematic art. And I also expect dialogue that is clever or at least makes the attempt to be witty. The dialogue in Avatar was brutally ridiculous, such clichéd dribble that I cringed at each and every utterance. That just two glaring weak points, story line and dialogue, and I won't even get into the horrendous acting. And I am all for a filmmaker trying to convey a socially conscious message or demonstrating their political agenda. But the true genius of propaganda and manipulation is in the subtlety of its execution. Otherwise it drifts tragically into campiness or worse yet, it's intellectually offensive. Does James Cameron really think the movie-going public is that simple minded that it needs to be "spoon-fed"a reduced "baby food formula" of social, political and ecological injustices? Maybe so, judging from the fanatic reception of this film. However, this viewer refuses to be blinded by million dollar special effects driven "magic lantern show," at the sacrifice of originality, engaging dialogue and competent acting ability. Avatar is like the glossy mouth-watering candy coated apple I got as a kid at a carnival. When I took a bite, it was rotten, a sugary shell filled with a rancid center. I tried to drink the Avatar "kool aid" and experience what everybody was raving about, hoping at least to be entertained, but got violently ill, the evidence of this you are reading now. Although, I could be mad that during the biggest recession and period of unemployment this country has seen since the Great Depression, I spent the weekly allowance my parents gave me on this dreck. Just kidding. About the allowance. Being from my parents.