Avatar

Tuesday night Luis and I went to see Avatar, which we were both really excited about!  We had heard so many great things about it and we couldn't wait to see it.  I really only knew the premise of the movie, which is basically humans trying to take over another planets resources in order to take those resources back to Earth since the humans had used up all their own natural resources.  We saw it in IMAX 3D which was visually amazing! It had been a long time since I had seen a 3D movie and Luis had never seen one!  It was really cool to see the look on his face when things were flying off the screen at us.  After getting over the initial shock of how realistic the 3D effects were, I was in awe of the graphics and just the incredibly imaginative mind of James Cameron.  


About halfway through the movie (its nearly 3 hours long) I started to get a Dances with Wolves meets Braveheart flashback.  But despite this, it was still so imaginative and like nothing I had ever seen that it didn't matter.  I couldn't help but think how much this movie related to events in Colonial America when the settlers stole land from the Native Americans which such disregard for their homes, traditions and culture.  I felt myself wanting to be part of the Na'vi tribe as I watched.  I wanted to live amongst people who appreciated the things they had, who had respect for everything around them, who acknowledged that everything has a spirit.  I think it's something we often forget.  We kill bugs without even so much as a second thought, we pluck flowers and kill acres and acres of trees with such thoughtlessness for the forest and the animals that inhibit it.  Now, don't get me wrong, I am far from a tree hugger but I do think we should only take what we need.  In Avatar, the Na'vi kill their food with such respect.  They thank them for their death and their contribution to the cycle of life and pray for them to reach their version of heaven.  It was really inspiring.  


Avatar also reminded me a lot about the War on Terror.  These humans (Americans) come to a foreign land to liberate the natives (Middle East) and by doing so, can manipulate them to steal their most valuable resource (Oil) without any regard for their thousands of years of traditions because the humans have this insatiable superiority complex.  Hmmm... James Cameron, you are a smart and sneaky man.  But regardless of what you get from the movie, it was absolutely the best movie I had seen in a very long time.  There were points where I would just get chills thinking about how amazing it was.  It really is a must see... plus you get to wear these super cool shades =)