It’s best to approach Avatar as if it was the beautiful awe-inspiring result of a megalomaniacal potentate, like the Taj Mahal or the Forbidden Palace or the Bellagio Hotel. The irony of a $300 million dollar project (with tie-ins to produce countless plastic figures with McDonald’s) that celebrates a nature-loving society prevailing over a greedy corporate one hasn’t been lost on some of my more perceptive friends (Menton 2009).
The environmental impact of such a colossal undertaking undermines the message of the movie. And that doesn’t figure in the inevitable explosion of materialistic consumption of video games, action figures, key chains, and probably a new wave of consumers hungry for 3D TVs.
Yet what can I say. You have to watch this movie. And you have to watch it on an IMAX screen in 3D. For the same reason people visit the Pyramids or Angkor Wat. Not only is it a fascinating work of art, it’s a game changer. It will probably change the way blockbusters will be made. Continue reading Avatar and the Films of Hayao Miyazaki
The Quilting Sword 