What's a six letter word meaning "To fetishize"?
Oh, right.
AVATAR.
I'm hoping you've all seen the film by now. It’s wildly entertaining, a top rate visual spectacle.
The movie has become a steamy topic for discussion too though, hasn't it? The whirlwind of speculation gushing over its alleged politics has even led some to confuse it with significant art.
Examples abound. My friend Amanda told me about a LA Times story on how conservative pundits are reacting to the film -- negatively, depicting it as a showcase of anti-American Liberalism. More liberally minded people I've discussed the film with laud its empowering, ultra-hip, anti-corporate, ostensibly anti-imperial brand of progressive environmentalism. A few philosophical types, like Obi, simply expressed disenchantment.
As my own mind toiled to strain meaning from Avatar's neon pulp of loud decor and hulking movement, the film periodically revived a disdain for American foreign policy that so colored my long slog towards a bachelor’s degree.
Thankfully, this fervor lost traction when the action stopped. Formulaic, video game-esque dialogue and clichéd plot devices exposed the utter lack of effort Cameron and Co. had put into sculpting the film’s emotional core. Like Cameron, the characters inspiration and development relied upon the apparently three dimensional objects floating about Pandora's brilliant scenery. There wasn't a thought provoking "message" to be found in any of it.
Instead my emotional engagement plodded alongside an awkward attraction to the more amply simulated blue side-boob of the film's heroin.
With that, I came to prefer my girlfriend's review of the film. It was revealed in the following conversation:
Me: "So babe, what'd you think?"
Her: "It was fun. Are you hungry?”
That's it folks. Avatar is made of empty calories; it is at present the ultimate bubble gum of cinematic experiences. Chew it up and spit it out.
Or just skip the chewing and move on to more fulfilling fetishes.
Hey, I heard they're putting Coca Cola in a blue can.
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I haven't seen the movie yet and that's what i expected. As much as I love the Terminator movies, they are just visual spectacles as are Titanic and the Abyss... in fact the only pretty good movie he's made was Aliens and that wasn't from his own imagination. James Cameron is great at rehashing tried and true themes and plot devices so it's not surprising that there was some sort of "controversy" over the film becuase alot of the things he makes movies about could probably have some sort of social relevance no matter what else is going on in the real world. Hope that wasn't too long J. Btw, is the 3D better then most? those glasses usually give me a headache after about 20 min.
ReplyDeleteThanks for posting Alan. No, the length is not a problem. I should change that caveat -- part of an original shtick I'm in the process of discarding. Type your heart out.
ReplyDeleteRe. 3D -- In my opinion, the 3D is pretty darned good. It essentially makes the experience.
I recommend you see it in IMAX though, as the regular sized theaters cut off the 3D around the edge of the screen. Kind of hinders the suspension of disbelief, which is important as per the total ridiculousness of the film.