I love my mom sometimes *Possible Avatar spoilers*

[smileyeagle1021]

OK, so my mom finally saw Avatar and she was telling me that on her way out of the theater she overheard a couple of younger people talking that the Navi were far too kind not killing every human who wasn't part of Dr. Gracie's team.
Her response to them.
"No, killing them would have been far too much of a kindness. They are returning back to a world that justifies hatred and bigotry off of a book. Back to a world where I thank God my son was born into a civilized country where he is merely treated as a second class citizen rather than being put to death. Back to a world where the air doesn't kill you in 4 minutes in a relatively painless way, but kills you slowly with time and pain as you breath in all the pollution day in and day out. Back to a world desperate enough for resources that they are willing to go to war several light years away to get ONE resource. Death is what they will deserve... coming back to Earth death is what they may desire."

Wow, I didn't realize she could be such a pessimist, but she makes a really good point.

[Wingates_Hellsing]

A bit over-pessimistic for my tastes, but hey, sometimes it's the best way to express way you're feeling/thinking. The world could do with more honesty anyway.

I'm not going to say that Avatar doesn't have valid points to it, just that it's incredibly hammy and overly blunt nearly the entire time. Still, there's value in hyperbole on occasion...

Any civilization is going to hurt for resources at some point, unless they submit themselves to an existence of have-not, and shall not. It's not unreasonable to want more in life, but sooner or later you're going to have to do something to make it possible. Too many people talking about Avatar are IMO judging the motivation by the means. Wanting have a good life and just plain survive aren't bad motivations, nor is the resultant motivation to acquire what you need.

"Dying is easy, it's living that scares me to death."

P.S. Anyone else seen Book of Eli? the world would be much better if more Christians were like Denzel int hat movie (at least partly because they would own with a blade and a USPM ;P)

[smileyeagle1021]

Wanting have a good life and just plain survive aren't bad motivations, nor is the resultant motivation to acquire what you need.

The thing is though, that many could argue (and I'm to some extent one of them), we were given an entire world of resources, surrounded by a solar system of resources... if we fuck up so bad that an entire solar system is not enough... we will deserve what we get.

[jackfaire]

I gotta be the densest guy in the world. I went and saw the movie and enjoyed it. Didn't see an environmental agenda and I didn't condemn humans. I saw individuals some good some bad.

[Amanita]

I remember Princess Mononoke- the storyline involved the conflict between humans and animals, civilization, and nature. There were no clear-cut bad guys- Lady Eboshi was viewed as a villain by the animals because she and her people were digging up the forest for iron ore. But the humans in her settlement loved her because she treated them so well- most of them were former prostitutes, lepers or other "undesirables". She gave them honest work and dignified treatment. And the animals weren't perfect paragons of virtue shining with a holy light, either.

A Toronto film critic was spot-on saying "Parents, don't drop your kids off at this movie and leave them there while you go have dinner- unless you're prepared to answer some pretty heavy questions about good, bad, and ecology."

[smileyeagle1021]

I gotta be the densest guy in the world. I went and saw the movie and enjoyed it. Didn't see an environmental agenda and I didn't condemn humans. I saw individuals some good some bad.

There was a lot of political commentary though (the Bush quotes being the biggest part) and a lot of warning about how easy it is to destroy a world (there is a line about how we already killed our planet and were about to do it to Pandora as well). If you wanted to you could tear this movie apart, frame by 47 hour to develop frame, and find oodles and oodles of messages if you are looking for them... or you could just watch it to enjoy it... the beuaty is that the film works both ways.

[jackfaire]

I guess I didn't think much of that because the movie was set in the future.

What I wonder is when have we made a difference.

Since I was a kid we have become more environmentally friendly in leaps and bounds always getting greener and the cleaner we are the more I hear we are killing the planet.

Seriously if it's getting worse then maybe we should go back to the way we used to do things so that we can have a healthy planet again.