Last night I saw Avatar in 3D at Kingston Odeon. The film is massively popular, earning James Cameron - its producer, director and writer - even more than Titanic in the box-office. And it hasn't hit DVD yet!
However, what struck me about the film, after the spectacular special effects, was the plot-line. Scenes where the US Army charged around Pandora (the planet where the alien race of Na'vi live) destroying it for material gain, scarily echoed the destruction of the Amazon and polar ice-caps much closer to home.
There is no doubt Avatar includes a hard-hitting parallel between the havoc the military characters of the film are wreaking on Pandora and the situations in places all over the world. For example in places like Africa and the Middle-East, where Western rulers and their armies have a frightening tendency to show up, take whatever it is they want and start hugely damaging wars in already fragile areas to cover their tracks. Then they up and leave to avoid any more deaths in their ranks, leaving behind a country or area that is almost totally shattered and war torn.
What is your opinion? Have I got this completely and utterly wrong? Let me know in your comments, I look forward to reading them!
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