matt007

Avatar (the movie)

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Just saw it. in 3D even :-)

 

Very good movie - it really opened my eyes about what interconnectedness means. I thought it was interesting that the technology of interfacing appears determine the final choices people make. Those who chose to interface via machines, vs those who interfaced via the living na'vi organism. One was iron and death, the other - life and light.

 

 

If I had a gripe it was that I thought the politics didn't have much subtlety.

 

I am looking forward to seeing what fans will make of the Avatar universe in the years to come.

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JK have you seen the movie yet? If not, I think you may have the wrong idea of what is about? It is NOT pro war.

 

Agreed.

 

JK, I've been confused through this thread, wondering why you think the movie is war propoganda. The people who promoted war (the type of men who would think "They're just fucking trees!") are the bad guys in this movie. Hell, the planet Pandora itself attacked the human murderers!

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dull note: definitely. not. war propaganda.

 

Well well well, has Avatar induced into all of man a newfound enlightened state of spirituality and and oneness with all of nature? No, I don't believe so.

 

But perhaps it planted the seed. For a select few pots that is. As much as I can hope, this movie changed, at least one person's life for the better, and for all I know that person may have stumbled upon thetaobums.com and a new Way and Path of life, all possibly inspired by the deep spirituality of Avatar, the planted seed. For many, the seed is a genuine profound spiritual experience, others even a psychedelic/hallucinogenic induced spiritual experience, from cartoons like DragonBall Z to Avatar (:P) the Last Airbender, to music, to books, to love.... whatever plants that seed that may one day grow into a fully self-realized and happy person living a life they never dreamed of before the seed..... well, if you plant it, it will grow. I have much respect for the tale of Avatar, for it plants its seed in many a place across our home Earth.

 

I just got back from the theater about an hour ago. Personally, I loved the movie. I am also a huge Star Wars fan, as someone mentioned earlier, both movies impacted their psyche; that statement rang a lot to me because such is the same case with me, Avatar and Star Wars (having more than a few parallels themselves) are both huge affirmations of many of my beliefs. The cinematography was spectacular and truly raised the bar, but the star aspect of the movie was the message it conveyed, which unfortunately was most likely completely unrealized by most of the audience. If you cannot understand this message for yourself through immersing yourself in this insightful and affirmative tale, I doubt you'd have much hope attempting to get to the true core of it by reading random synopsizes.

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Fuck this movie rocked. Go see it go see it go see it in 3D if possible.

 

I was tearing up many places.

 

It made me so sad and so thoughtful. Really made me think about my race, the human race, the American race, as I left the movie theater and drove through the paved grid.

 

Made me want for a real community. A community of aware beings.

 

Can't find very many here in the midwest. :o

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Made me want for a real community. A community of aware beings.

 

Can't find very many here in the midwest. ohmy.gif

 

It's funny because I bet almost everyone else in the midwest was thinking the same thing after seeing this movie.

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Just saw Avatar. WOW. Lots of tummy trembling and emotion watching this masterpiece.

 

I had been avoiding this thread in case of spoilers.

 

It was a tricky journey to actually get to the movie. We were going to go on Tuesday but it didn't happen. Booked the tickets online for Wednesday and drove to the theatre, but my partner D has glasses and forgot to put her contacts in so we turned around and went home to get them, drove back and got in no worries, it's been selling out most nights and the theater was packed so we cheated and stealthy merged into the line near the fount to secure good seats. Then just before the house lights went down one of D's contacts comes out. I found it and she put it back in, but it came out again so just as the previews were starting we had to leave as D couldn't see. 3d move without stereoscopic vision :lol: turns out the dolby 3D glasses would have fitted over her glasses... if she hadn't left them at home. I though it was quite funny as she had never seen a 3d movie ever and was really looking forward to it. Then she almost cried, which wasn't funny. The manager was REALLY good offering exchange of tickes or money back. So nice to get good customer service for a change.

 

So I managed to get out of work early today so I could do my training in time to pick her up at 4 (with 2 sets of contacts and glasses and make the 5pm screening tonight.

 

Technologically the 3D was jaw dropping but I really like the theme of the movie. Sure it's a linear cowboys vs indians variation but I've just got to hope that packing out theaters and exposing the masses to that sort of theme may rub off on them.

 

I thought it was GREAT. I like the New-Agey Life Force theme a lot.

 

Me too, I'm a closet hippie tree hugger.

 

I was 7 when Star Wars came out and it impacted my psyche. This movie is like that.

 

Yes I think so.

 

Well well well, has Avatar induced into all of man a newfound enlightened state of spirituality and and oneness with all of nature? No, I don't believe so.

 

But perhaps it planted the seed. For a select few pots that is. As much as I can hope, this movie changed, at least one person's life for the better,

 

May we all learn to truly see each other :)

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Now that I just saw the movie in 3D I can add my two cents :)

 

Go see it.

 

If a person wants to know what living in union with Tao can be and feels like...this is a good representation.

It doesn't mean we have to get naked, ride flying lizards, curse the modern world, and become lithe acrobats but wouldn't that be fun?

 

:D

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I liked the movie, solid story, fantastic 3d, the world itself was a fantastic character.

 

Perhaps I was stuck in an overly analytic mindset watching it because I also felt it was predictable, preachy and the human characters lacked the depth of the background world.

 

Strangely it didn't go over well with my 12 year old son or his friends. That might limit its mythos power unlike the Star Wars saga which connected to all ages.

 

 

Michael

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^ Now I want to see Pocahontas too. Avatar was a great movie, if Pocahontas comes even close to how good Avatar is I definitely want to see it. I've heard the saying that there is no originality left in the world, but that doesn't change the fact that Avatar was awesome. Also, I heard someone say that Avatar is subliminally about what we did to the Indians and also that it's about what we are doing to the middle east, so using the Pocahontas story in this new context would be brilliant.

Edited by Old Man Contradiction

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Guest paul walter

^ Now I want to see Pocahontas too. Avatar was a great movie, if Pocahontas comes even close to how good Avatar is I definitely want to see it. I've heard the saying that there is no originality left in the world, but that doesn't change the fact that Avatar was awesome. Also, I heard someone say that Avatar is subliminally about what we did to the Indians and also that it's about what we are doing to the middle east, so using the Pocahontas story in this new context would be brilliant.

 

 

I think you want to see 'The New World' (Terence Mallick) rather than the Disney version. As for being 'subliminally' about Natives and Iraq! Is it possible to be that desensitised to such an explicitly defined film? Paul.

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remember Pocahontas? the same theme...

 

Look at the date I wrote this message at. But it was before I saw the movie.

I think the Pocahontas paquet was some kind of envelope to make the mystic message easy to get thru.

I plan to see it on IMAX. The 3D experience wasn't that great...

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Avatar was awesome.

 

From:

 

http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Film/Avatar

 

"Tropes Are Not Bad: Most Triumphant Example since Star Wars. Boy, did this movie put it to the test. Those who didn't like it think that the cliched story was its downfall. Most people who loved it think that James Cameron achieved the amazing feat of making all those cliches feel fresh and exciting again."

 

I heartily agree.

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Avatar tells people what they want to hear. Does that make it a great film? Or propaganda?

 

The planet's pagan natives are simple and pure. Yeah, they are kinda spiritual in a non-specific, non-threatening way. Yet they possess neither sufficient wisdom nor power to repel a tiny army.

 

And Lo! A lone Caucasian appears, to lead them to victory! He sacrifices himself for the people, only to rise from the dead at the closing credits!

 

It's a story we've never heard before!

 

:P

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James Cameron's supposed to be making at least one sequel to Avatar, based on the enormous profits rolling in, according to an 'authoritative' internet report I saw. I for one, would not find watching any more of the Na'vi story very interesting, but it would be interesting to see what story line they come up with. Prequel, I'm betting...

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I think my favorite thing about the movie was the depiction of nature on the planet: the phosphorescent forest, the levitating mountain/islands, etc. The chi bits were cool too, but I thought the exploding stuff was pretty run of the mill, and I hated the "rock 'em sock 'em" robot suit things. The message was as subtle as a sledgehammer, but maybe that is what is needed at this time. Overall, I definitely thought it was worth seeing, and would rate it a solid 8 out of 10.

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Avatar tells people what they want to hear. Does that make it a great film? Or propaganda?

 

The planet's pagan natives are simple and pure. Yeah, they are kinda spiritual in a non-specific, non-threatening way. Yet they possess neither sufficient wisdom nor power to repel a tiny army.

 

And Lo! A lone Caucasian appears, to lead them to victory! He sacrifices himself for the people, only to rise from the dead at the closing credits!

 

It's a story we've never heard before!

 

:P

 

Really it seemed like a tale of the need for balance. They had the spiritual side down, very well, but had not advanced in their abilities to protect themselves from outside threats.

 

Spoilers***************************************************

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Skip to the end and they were escorting the Humans off the planet, so they could continue with their nature based lives. BUT, they were well armed to defend against the non-natural threats the humans represented.

The Na'vi, now can learn to balance their connection with nature with the real ability to protect it. As the latin phrase goes "Si vis pacem, para bellum". Also, he only nearly sacrificed himself, if you recall, he survived. It was the Na'vi that sacrificed themselves (and a couple of the other humans). He didn't die, nor was he wounded right before his transition to his avatar body.

Edited by Taoist81

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