Jamie Arpin-Ricci’s Review of Avatar

I saw it.  Liked it.  Briefly talked about it with the guys at Taco Bell afterward.  But that was pretty much it.  I moved on.

The blockbuster film by James Cameron, Avatar has broken all sorts of box-office records.  But for me, it was just … well, ok.  Great computer-generated visuals – we saw it in 3D – and entertaining, but there was just something about it.  I couldn’t quite put my finger on it, until ….

Jamie Arpin-Ricci nailed it for me in his recent review of the film:  in discussing the over-the-top evil of the military/corporate bad guys, he writes,  “it allows us the scapegoat of identifying ’sin’ in only extreme categories, thus freeing us from responsibility.”

So well put.  Thanks for putting that into words.  I much prefer a film with nuanced portrayals of good and evil – don’t make me come to your conclusions.

And Jamie warns against uncritically embracing the film and its message as mere “entertainment” when he writes,  “Movies function as a deeply influential mythology in our culture, shaping the way we think and act.”

Check out Jamie’s full review here.

What about you?  What did you think of Avatar?

Related posts:

1. January Month-In-Review: Missional Pastor Edges President Obama for Top Spot