AVATAR

I finally jumped on the bandwagon.  W-O-W


For those of you who still haven't seen the movie - shame on you.  Movies like AVATAR shake the foundation on which we stand and force us to not only re-evaluate life and our perception therein.  They also, however, redefine movies in general.


Yet, to address the good of the movie, you must also address the opposing viewpoints.  Numerous critics have torn AVATAR apart for it's "anti-American", "treehugger", and "racist" themes.  Having seen the movie, I can understand how and why those viewpoints are held by people, but I have to wonder of those critiques are short-sighted and overeager to make criticisms for the sake of criticisms.  I'm not one to push my political or other beliefs on people, as I believe that beliefs are only stronger opinions, and opinions are the rights of every individual.  However, I do think that the messages in this movie are not only important to understand, but also warranted, and that those critics are really just missing the point and the bigger picture.  Self-reflection and criticism are necessary tools one must utilize to prevent the destruction of one's own self through ignorance and the failure to face reality.  It seems like AVATAR is an intended message to us to tread softly in our advancement if it is only for the mere sake of "advancement".  


Yet, to criticize Cameron so strongly isn't right either, as he is not, in fact, the first one to bring to light such commentary.  Think:  The Matrix or even something as seemingly innocent as Wall-E.  The warnings are there.  This movie was not the first, but it does make apparent the notion that there is a difference between advancement merely for the sake of advancement and advancement when it is necessary.  


However, all the same, the visual affects of the movie push the boundaries of film-making.  The 3-D experience (and IMAX!) jetted this movie's impact forward 10-fold.  Who doesn't like seeing 3-D adventures and wearing those fun, hard-framed, oversized glasses? And the fact that a 3-hour movie didn't even seem like it was 3 hours made it even better.  I won't say too much on the movie itself, as I dare not give anything away to those who really have not seen it yet, but it is no wonder AVATAR has broken the records it has.  


So, therefore, I say:  Congratulations, James Cameron, for beating your own record.  You officially deserve every bit of your fame.  Maybe someday we'll see the "trifecta"?