Kamen reviews "Avatar"
Jun. 6th, 2010 11:43 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
trenchkamenUh. So I finally saw it. The one with the blue aliens. Dad rented it from Netflix (I didn't know he had any idea what that was), so he, Rachel, and I watched it this afternoon.
The short version:
The conflict between indigenous populations and industrial, natural-resource populations is an often-told story for a reason. It has happened countless times in the past, and it will happen in the future, I am sure. But, all too often, Hollywood presents the premise with a hackneyed, insultingly-simplistic, blatantly one-sided premise, and keeps turning back to white saviors. The similarities between Avatar and other movies (Dances With Wolves, Pocahontas, Fern Gully) have already been amply covered by everybody in the universe, so let's just skip that. Suffice to say, it's all true.
Let's start with the characters. The only characters I gave a god damn about were my girl Sigourney Weaver, as the ass-kicking scientist Dr. Grace Augustine, and Neytiri, who I had a huge crush on, but isn't necessarily complex. And the rest of the Na'vi are pretty chill, if not simplistic native caricatures. The villains are laughably bad. The dialogue may be mediocre for most of the protagonists, but the two bad guys (the Colonel wazzhisname and the head of the mining corporation some dude I don't remember or care his name) were painfully simplistic caricatures. Yeah, I fucking get it, the corporation head is a money-grubbing sociopath who openly calls the Na'vi bug-invested savages, and the Colonel is a bloodthirsty sociopath who wants to wipe out the Na'vi because he kicks puppies. My intelligence was insulted. Yes, I get it, all right? It's bad that they want to chase the Na'vi out of their home to get unobtanium (seriously? Seriously.). They're horrible, horrible people who only think civilized humans are sentient beings worthy of consideration. They're bad. Bad, bad, bad.
Jesus H. Christ, learn some subtlety.
Speaking of subtlety, let's talk themes. Industrialization and capitalism are bad. Environmentalism, simple living, and pseudo-pagan inclinations are good. You want to present a theme to the audience? Let them figure some of it out by themselves. You don't just equate a bad theme or concept with bad, bad people and leave it at that. That's simplistic transference.
Dad and Rachel kept asking me questions throughout the movie. They are not science fiction buffs. A lot of the things in the movie were brand new and fantastical to them, especially the mind-synching, both with the avatars and with the forest (I've seen this before), the floating rocks, the walking mechs, etc. This shit ain't new. It's fun, pulp science fiction stuff, and can be amazing when done right and explored for all of the implications and possibilities, but you can't just throw some brain hacking and armored suits into a movie and call it "brilliant" and "imaginative".
The plot itself was exactly what you would expect. As stated previously, it's a rehash of several stories in the "white man goes native" genre. Guy goes on mission, originally to subvert native population from inside. Guy becomes one of them. Guy learns the natives are good guys. Guy falls in love with native girl, usually a princess. Guy aids natives in war against his own people. I kept hoping the writers would subvert some of these stereotypes, but it played out like a laundry list of elements included in this story archetype.
I did appreciate the badass women of the movie. Dr. Augustine, Neytiri, the female Na'vi, and the female Marine pilot did not succumb to usual female stereotypes of having to be rescued, soft feelings, maternal bullshit, etc. Yes, some women experience this, and that is in no way a bad thing, but not all women do by virtue of having a vagina. And this does not mean women can't kick ass and be as complex as the male characters--or at least as complex as the characters in a uncompleted movie.
The special effects were all they were hyped up to be. Honestly, I think the pretty blinded people to the simplistic nature of the movie. Pandora is lushly and gorgeously rendered in superb CGI. The world is fun, and the Na'vi, if not pulpy in their rendition as noble savages, are interesting nonetheless. All things considered, the world building is solid, although not original. It was indeed a feast for the eyes. It's a shame the creators could not have taken such solid visuals and put them with a complex, compelling story, without bashing the viewer with simplistic ideology and symbolism.
So, is it possible to write a movie with fantastic creativity, complex characters, sympathetic villains, subtle, nuanced situations, and a protagonist who fellowships with the native/indigenous population in a non-insulting way? Is it possible to do an environmentalist, industrial-versus-indigenous movie with fantastical elements right? You're god damn right it's possible.
The short version:
- Special effects were supurb
- World building was unoriginal, but fun
- Writing/dialogue was mediocre at best
- Except for Sigourney Weaver, acting was mediocre at best
- Premise was pathetically lame and overused
- Symbolism and theme were about as subtle as a brick thrown right to the face
- Villains were simplistic, puppy-kicking caricatures
- Subtlety? Complexity? Wazzat shit?
- SPACE MARINES
The conflict between indigenous populations and industrial, natural-resource populations is an often-told story for a reason. It has happened countless times in the past, and it will happen in the future, I am sure. But, all too often, Hollywood presents the premise with a hackneyed, insultingly-simplistic, blatantly one-sided premise, and keeps turning back to white saviors. The similarities between Avatar and other movies (Dances With Wolves, Pocahontas, Fern Gully) have already been amply covered by everybody in the universe, so let's just skip that. Suffice to say, it's all true.
Let's start with the characters. The only characters I gave a god damn about were my girl Sigourney Weaver, as the ass-kicking scientist Dr. Grace Augustine, and Neytiri, who I had a huge crush on, but isn't necessarily complex. And the rest of the Na'vi are pretty chill, if not simplistic native caricatures. The villains are laughably bad. The dialogue may be mediocre for most of the protagonists, but the two bad guys (the Colonel wazzhisname and the head of the mining corporation some dude I don't remember or care his name) were painfully simplistic caricatures. Yeah, I fucking get it, the corporation head is a money-grubbing sociopath who openly calls the Na'vi bug-invested savages, and the Colonel is a bloodthirsty sociopath who wants to wipe out the Na'vi because he kicks puppies. My intelligence was insulted. Yes, I get it, all right? It's bad that they want to chase the Na'vi out of their home to get unobtanium (seriously? Seriously.). They're horrible, horrible people who only think civilized humans are sentient beings worthy of consideration. They're bad. Bad, bad, bad.
Jesus H. Christ, learn some subtlety.
Speaking of subtlety, let's talk themes. Industrialization and capitalism are bad. Environmentalism, simple living, and pseudo-pagan inclinations are good. You want to present a theme to the audience? Let them figure some of it out by themselves. You don't just equate a bad theme or concept with bad, bad people and leave it at that. That's simplistic transference.
Dad and Rachel kept asking me questions throughout the movie. They are not science fiction buffs. A lot of the things in the movie were brand new and fantastical to them, especially the mind-synching, both with the avatars and with the forest (I've seen this before), the floating rocks, the walking mechs, etc. This shit ain't new. It's fun, pulp science fiction stuff, and can be amazing when done right and explored for all of the implications and possibilities, but you can't just throw some brain hacking and armored suits into a movie and call it "brilliant" and "imaginative".
The plot itself was exactly what you would expect. As stated previously, it's a rehash of several stories in the "white man goes native" genre. Guy goes on mission, originally to subvert native population from inside. Guy becomes one of them. Guy learns the natives are good guys. Guy falls in love with native girl, usually a princess. Guy aids natives in war against his own people. I kept hoping the writers would subvert some of these stereotypes, but it played out like a laundry list of elements included in this story archetype.
I did appreciate the badass women of the movie. Dr. Augustine, Neytiri, the female Na'vi, and the female Marine pilot did not succumb to usual female stereotypes of having to be rescued, soft feelings, maternal bullshit, etc. Yes, some women experience this, and that is in no way a bad thing, but not all women do by virtue of having a vagina. And this does not mean women can't kick ass and be as complex as the male characters--or at least as complex as the characters in a uncompleted movie.
The special effects were all they were hyped up to be. Honestly, I think the pretty blinded people to the simplistic nature of the movie. Pandora is lushly and gorgeously rendered in superb CGI. The world is fun, and the Na'vi, if not pulpy in their rendition as noble savages, are interesting nonetheless. All things considered, the world building is solid, although not original. It was indeed a feast for the eyes. It's a shame the creators could not have taken such solid visuals and put them with a complex, compelling story, without bashing the viewer with simplistic ideology and symbolism.
So, is it possible to write a movie with fantastic creativity, complex characters, sympathetic villains, subtle, nuanced situations, and a protagonist who fellowships with the native/indigenous population in a non-insulting way? Is it possible to do an environmentalist, industrial-versus-indigenous movie with fantastical elements right? You're god damn right it's possible.
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(no subject)
Date: 2010-06-07 08:27 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-06-09 11:00 pm (UTC)It's more fun when you're just dealing with the Na'vi. I stop giving a shit as soon as humans get involved.
(no subject)
Date: 2010-06-07 10:44 am (UTC)As per the above poster, I too started to cheer for the badass colonel for being the only somewhat fun character in the whole story. He was so over the top he came back around the other side and into awesome. In fact, the whole mindless bleeding message made me want to cheer for the great future military-industrial complex. I hope they come back and kick those blue savage's asses, and get all the unobtainium they want. And I hope we use it for cheap plastic crap we don't need.
SPACE AMERICA, FUCK YEAH.
SHOOTING MISSILES INTO YOUR FIBER OPTIC TREES YEAH.
(no subject)
Date: 2010-06-09 11:00 pm (UTC)Oh snap.
(no subject)
Date: 2010-06-07 11:14 am (UTC)brb rewatching GitS:SAC again.
(I have actually not yet watched Avatar. I don't have an awesome tv for the graphics shit so I know I will just be incredibly underhwelmed)
(no subject)
Date: 2010-06-09 11:00 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-06-07 12:33 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-06-09 11:01 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-06-07 02:29 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-06-09 11:02 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-06-10 04:56 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-06-09 04:17 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-06-09 11:02 pm (UTC)True about the hivemind. I'd like to see it explored more. By somebody who can write better.
(no subject)
Date: 2010-06-10 12:22 am (UTC)Yeah. There have been a lot of things that have done the whole syncing thing.