Carolyn: Thanks! And I’m so excited for RomCon!

Thom: It does have a super OTT message re: environmentalism. I absolutely do not agree with those who are just annoyed that it’s got such a message, but even I was like, “Okay, I get it, save the planet.” Interestingly, however, that message doesn’t seem to include saving OUR planet. For Avatar seems to be telling us that humans just are NOT going to get it. We’ve destroyed our world because we just don’t get it and never will. Which I think is patently ironic, considering the fact that as it’s a big studio, big budget Cameron vehicle, it’s got corproate tie-ins out the wazoo. So we’re being berated for being bad, bad humans in the film, even as the studio is encouraging the manufacture and shipping of millions of tons of plastic shit (and yes, I’m including the Whopper in that category) all over the world. So, basically, by merely spending my nine dollars to see a film like that I’m probably marginally increasing my carbon footprint. Multiply that marginal increase by the millions of people seeing that film, buying those Whoppers, toys, etc., and we have a huge fucking foot print.

Heather C: Sherlock was good! That’s my next review. Move over Siskel and Ebert!

Alana: Crying is my default reaction to everything. I cry when I’m sad, or happy, or angry . . . pathetic!

Thanks for sharing, Cherry!:-)

Sasha: I’d definitely see it in the theater if you wanted to see it. The special effects really are incredible. I didn’t talk about this here, but the thing I was most impressed by was the intelligence of the alien biology, etc. It really is spellbinding to look at, the detail is so smart and so incredible. And seeing movies alone is awesome!!! Everyone should do it!

Thanks for the review. I was going to pass on seeing this movie in the theater, but I think you’ve changed my mind.

Here is my post about it: http://www.cherrymischievous.com/2009/12/avatar-trailer.html

Heh, right with you on that score on *most* films. And a heck of a lot of books, too. I’m a crier.

I really enjoyed Titanic,but I must be the only person on the planet that didn’t cry. My engineer brain just figured, ‘Hey, its the Titanic. Things are not going to end well.’

It was all sorts of fun.

The one thing I hear that people complain about, something that came up with Wall-E as well, is the fact that there was a bit of an environmentalist message in the film. I’m not sure how environmentalism became something that makes Baby Jesus cry, but I don’t see how you can pull off a movie where the audience roots for destroying nature in the name of financial profit.

I liked the Braveheart Dancing With Wolvesitude of the film. I liked that it was Ewoks versus Stormtroopers, only much more bad ass. I think that my be a particularly American thing too. It’s not that we hate technology so much, but we really loved underdogs because our mythology is based on that fact that this country was established by rag tag underdogs with big hearts who managed to defeat the most powerful army on Earth despite all the odds. Nevermind the fact that now we are now the most powerful army on Earth. We still like to think of ourselves as those brave blue cat-people with nothing more than bravery and a faith in Eywa to help us in out fight against powered armor marines with really big machine guns.

Or something like that.