The story was archetypal. Sure, there were one-dimensional characters. The dimension they did add, however, you were unable to connect with. It is explained away by you as a dissociative disorder, or as too convenient. Think of the conflict the Na’vi princess must have experienced, for example.

You mentioned the notion of having a “more advanced race coming in to dominate the backwards civilization”. I think from that moment on, perhaps you are missing the point.

The humans represent the more technologically advanced race based on what many of us think of as “technology”, but they are clearly not the more advanced race in spiritual or moral terms. They are not able to live in balance with nature (hence the need to destroy other worlds to gather “unobtanium”), and deem that the need for these resources outweighs any other regards for destroying life, or other ways of life.

To me, that is at its core what being -savage really is-. When you use up and destroy everything you have then you just go take from others, kill and continue your destructive ways (unrestrained by even your own morality).

A society that has not advanced beyond this way of thinking is nothing but a cancer. Sure it grows… wow look how big it is! But it is a cancer. It is out of control. When you take the covers off of it, it is governed by crude and basic rules and serves no purpose in the grander scheme of things other than to spread its own malignancy.

Humans have a way of looking at the size of the growing cancer as justification of its existence and justification of further participating in the spread: “Look at our empire, and our shiny buildings! Our way is right! They have no shiny buildings… they are puny and insignificant. We can avert our eyes with confidence as we destroy them, because they are like ants and we are like gods.”

I agree with you that the film has a curiously unsatisfying taste to the way it was wrapped up. That is, I believe, because they are trying in a sense to sew up a huge moral dilemma that we as a society have ourselves not resolved.

Your dissatisfaction, in my opinion, is more that the film didn’t end with our typical pattern for dealing with these conflicts… so it was like hearing someone say “A… B…” without the final “C”.

There were no negotiations on extracting unobtanium that (temporarily) satisfies both sides, no agreements that amount to forced relocation, no orbital bombing.

Subconsciously, we all know these kinds of situations end badly for the underdog. That makes us uncomfortable, and uncomfortable about the end of the movie… because somewhere deep down, buried under our shiny buildings and military machines, we know it is not right. By not showing the next step, Cameron keeps us right at the edge of the conflict in our minds.

In a way, I think that is spectacularly clever.

To keep it short welcome back to Science Fiction James. Sadly you are going to continue playing second fiddle to District 9 for 2009 supremacy.

It’s good but completely devoid of logic on so many levels and the human characters utterly cookie cutter. The thing is the visuals are breath taking even with those awful 3D glasses and the action perfectly executed. A sequel more or less could be better but honestly what other then the unexpected could possibly happen.

i’m outa here

2 out of 10 or out of 5?

I saw this last night. I thought it was pretty good. I tried to put a lot of the negative thoughts aside. I actually went into the theater thinking this movie was going to be ALL hype and not really good at all.

I found it good, and maybe better than I thought it was going to be. I “got” some of the themes of the film, but what it missed to me was the emotional connection. I think it was because it was just too damn “predictable”. I was rooting for this to be a BEST PICTURE, but it fell FAR FAR from that. Maybe if it had a better twist to it I would have enjoyed it more.

On the technology side, I think the way they make movies was pushed a little farther and I expect people to continue to use similar and more powerful technology. The facial expressions are amazing on the CGI.

It’s worth watching.