| James Cameron does not make a ton of films, but | | | | existence of a god. If we make contact with another |
| when he does; he does it right. Any director can | | | | race of beings, and their religion turns out to be very |
| make a bunch of movies, with a few that turn out | | | | different from our own; than what does that tell us |
| to be exceptional. Cameron seems to focus on | | | | about the existence of a god? I don't want to get |
| quality over quantity, and in my mind that makes him | | | | into a debate over the existence or not of god, but I |
| one of the most successful movie directors of his | | | | do feel that these questions need to be asked. |
| time. Titanic will always remain his crowning | | | | It is true that in the past humans worshiped nature |
| achievement. Avatar is a very close second. | | | | as a god or gods, the religion is known as Paganism. |
| The film takes place on a moon known as Pandora in | | | | Since the Navi seem to worship nature in the film, |
| the year 2154. Humans have come to this moon to | | | | this has some people in the religious community |
| mine a precious mineral known as unobtanium. The | | | | worried. That Avatar will somehow cause a |
| name is hilarious in my mind, unobtanium. We have | | | | resurgence in the Pagan religion. Would that be a bad |
| gone there to obtain a mineral who's name suggests | | | | thing? I am not sure, but what I am sure of is that |
| unobtainability. Clever. This moon, Pandora, is inhabited | | | | we could stand to respect nature a little bit more on |
| by a race of beings known as the Navi. They are | | | | this planet. |
| much larger than humans, we look like only children | | | | In the film, the Navi have stricken a balance with |
| when standing next to one of them. They are a less | | | | nature. They live within nature, as a part of it. Of |
| advanced race as far as technology goes. We get | | | | course in the film, they have a much cooler |
| the impression throughout the film that they are | | | | connection to the world around them. The Navi are |
| more in tune with nature than they are with | | | | actually able to plug themselves into the world around |
| technology, which explains why they appear to be | | | | them. Their hair ends in a set of nerves. Other life |
| less advanced. Money seems to be the driving force | | | | forms have this same trait, even the trees and the |
| behind technology. Without money, one has to | | | | Navi can plug into these other living things. When |
| wonder how far we would have come technology | | | | they ride their version of a horse, they plug their |
| wise. The main premise is that we are there for | | | | nervous system into the animal. The same goes with |
| unobtanium and the Navi are in the way. | | | | their flying creatures. They can plug into trees and |
| One of the villages happens to be under a giant tree | | | | hear the life forces of the world around them, past |
| that is growing over the largest deposit of the | | | | and present. This is a brilliant conceptual aspect of |
| mineral anywhere on the planet. The mining company | | | | the film that really sells the Navi culture. How cool |
| has contracted with the military to relocate the | | | | would it be if we could do that? More importantly, |
| indigenous population so that they can begin mining | | | | what would nature have to say to us if we could? |
| operations. The Navi, however are not willing to | | | | It is natural to lash out when you feel threatened by |
| leave. Humans have engineered Navi bodies mixed | | | | something and that is all the religious community has |
| with human DNA. The DNA of a human used in each | | | | done with this film. Any time someones belief system |
| body is specific so that the body can only be used | | | | is threatened they feel the need to react, so I can |
| by the donor of that DNA. The human who donated | | | | understand their beef with this film. What they need |
| the DNA can go into a machine and be linked to the | | | | to realize though is that this is a brilliant work of art, |
| Navi body. The humans use these Navi-human ( called | | | | and nothing more. It takes place on a fictional planet |
| Avatars) hybrid bodies to try and gain the trust of | | | | in the Alpha Centauri star system. The Navi are not |
| the Navi people. | | | | real, and unfortunately the amazing planet of Pandora |
| At first this technology was used to study the Navi, | | | | is not real. How cool would it be if it was? I wouldn't |
| to try and understand them better. Thus their is a | | | | mind spending a year or two there. The fact that the |
| clash in the film between the scientists running the | | | | religious community felt threatened in any way by |
| program and the mining company. The scientists | | | | this films message leads me to wonder just how in |
| believe their is much more to be learned and gained | | | | danger the belief in a god truly is. |
| from the Navi than just the unobtainium. One of the | | | | Never mind the fact that the main message had |
| scientists that was to operate one of the Navi | | | | nothing to do with worshiping nature as much as it |
| bodies dies. Fortunately he had a twin brother, who | | | | had to do with respecting it. I don't know if a great |
| happens to be paralyzed from the waist down, that | | | | pagan revival is going to come about because of this |
| can operate the body. They share the same DNA, | | | | film. I doubt it, but anything is possible. What I do |
| and so the body should work for him. The problem is | | | | know is that the film is so much more than a simple |
| he used to be a soldier. The commander of the | | | | message. It is a work of art that is meant to amaze |
| group responsible for clearing out the Navi sends him | | | | our imaginations. The planet Pandora is beautiful, with |
| in to try and gain Intel. This paralyzed soldier is the | | | | floating mountains, misty forests, and trees as big as |
| main character of the film and his name is Jake Sully. | | | | sky scrapers. The variety of plants and animals a |
| While in his Navi body he comes to learn the ways of | | | | feast for the eyes and the imagination. If their is any |
| the Navi. When he realizes that the mining company | | | | real message to be had from the film is that greed is |
| is willing to wipe out the Navi in order to obtain the | | | | bad. I would think the religious community would have |
| unobtanium, he decides to help the Navi fight back. | | | | focused more on this positive message. The fact |
| The story is a bit more complicated than that, but | | | | that the mining company was willing to kill the |
| you get the basic plot of the film. I highly | | | | amazing Navi and destroy the land above simply to |
| recommend it to anyone that has not seen it. The | | | | reach a mineral below. A mineral that they are only |
| graphics are amazing! Unfortunately the religious | | | | after, because it will make many people back on |
| community has taken issue with the film. Really | | | | earth richer than they already are. In my mind that is |
| people? How ridiculous can we get as a society? | | | | the true message of the film, if there is one. That |
| Their main problem with the film is the Navi's worship | | | | we cannot simply destroy for the sake of Greed. |
| of nature and their god known as the Eywa. I don't | | | | Whatever message anyone of us chooses to come |
| even know where to begin with this. We have not | | | | away with, the important thing is that you saw this |
| made contact with another race, as far as we know, | | | | movie. It is rare that a film comes along that |
| as of yet. If that day comes, do we really believe | | | | stimulates our imaginations, and gets us to think |
| that they will believe in the same god that we have | | | | about possibilities. What fantastic planets may lie |
| come to believe in on this planet? If they did than | | | | waiting out there for us to discover. I highly |
| that would go along way to proving that our version | | | | recommend Avatar to anyone that has not seen this |
| of god is right, but that has not happened. That | | | | film. It may very well be one of the greatest |
| means the jury is still out in my mind on the | | | | cinematic feats of our time. |