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Avatar: The Philosophy

Submitted by Econophile on 01/22/2010 15:52 -0400

From The Daily Capitalist:

Q: Is Avatar a metaphor for "capitalism?" A: Yes, in James Cameron's populist vision of "capitalism."

Q: Is the rape of another planet capitalism? A: No.

Q:Is the movie left wing Hollywood schlock propaganda? A:Yes.

Q: Is the movie marvelous entertainment? A: Yes.

Q: Is it also something else? A: Yes.

* * * * *

Here are some typical and atypical reactions to the movie:

From Hollywood Elsewhere:

The political import of Avatar -- and there's no waving this aspect away because it's right in your face start to finish, and especially in the third act -- is ardently left. It is pro-indigenous native, anti-corporate, anti-imperialist, anti-U.S. Iraq War effort, anti-U.S.-in-Afghanistan (and anti-troop-surge-in-that-country, or strongly against the thinking of President Barack Obama and Gen. Stanley McChrystal), anti-rightie, anti-Bush-Cheney-Rumsfeld, etc.

From Reason.com:

That Avatar's melodramatic attacks on corporate interests and its defense of simple, natural living come packaged as one of the most expensive, and probably the most technically advanced, corporate films in history would seem to indicate that only quality bigger than the movie's stupidity is its head-in-the-clouds hypocrisy. Cameron's made a movie that he intends to be epic and awesome, but the only thing that's awesome here is his total lack of self-awareness.

From Mises.org (Stephan Kinsella):

And at its core it was very libertarian: it was about a group of people (the Na'vi) defending their property rights on the world Pandora from aggressors (the human invaders), and about one of the humans (a soldier named Jake Sully) deciding to join and help the right side. ... the plot is about property rights. In particular, the property rights of the Na'vi, in an established tree-city that they have clearly homesteaded.

Like many stories, you can read into it what you wish: people see things through the prism of their experience and philosophy.

I think all views are correct but I also agree with Stephan Kinsella who wrote the Mises.org article.

* * * * *

I'm going to guess that James Cameron, the producer and director, doesn't share the my free market philosophy, although he has benefited greatly from capitalism. To be cynical, suppose he didn't have any philosophy and he was just trying to come up with a story line that would sell movie tickets. He would do so by tapping into lowest common denominator concepts.

What sells? Hmm. Greedy capitalists are bad. Native people are good. Despoiling the environment is bad. Roll that up into a hero's quest (think Joseph Campbell here) and you've got a big hit. Layer on top of that fabulous special effects and you've got a mega-hit.

I very much enjoyed the movie. Regardless of the plot, it was an amazing and stunning visual experience. It took Cameron about 10 years to make it, one of the reasons being that he waited until the technology caught up with his imagination. The plot was obvious and lacked sophistication, but Hollywood and James Cameron are not known for deep stuff. He sure as hell knows a lot about selling movie tickets.

* * * * *

Here's the plot. At this point, for those of you who haven't seen it yet and don't want the plot spoiled, you can stop reading here: I'm going to discuss the movie and the plot.

An evil (obviously American) corporation (think Alien) is mining the planet Pandora. The planet is sparsely inhabited by 10' tall humanoids, the Na'vi, who hunt and gather in a challenging jungle environment. They live in peace in a tribal society. They have definite territories which they occupy. The jungle is the environment into which our hero is plunged. In order to try to understand and control the Na'vi, the Corporation has created its genetic hybrid of a Na'vi, an avatar, which are "driven" by humans who are computer-linked (by wi-fi?) to these bodies. The crippled hero joyously inhabits his new body and infiltrates the tribe. He eventually crosses over to their side, becomes a Na'vi, falls in love with the chief's daughter, and leads the Na'vi in a war against the invaders who are trying to steal their land. He ultimately goes through a spiritual and physical transformation. The Na'vi win. Of course.

* * * * *

There are several broad themes: the hero quest; an epic struggle of a people to survive against evil; the myth of the "natural man;" the myth of greedy "capitalism"; the despoilment of the environment.

For the "hero quest" go read anything by Joseph Campbell and you'll figure it out. In the famous PBS series, Campbell discusses Star Wars and the hero quest of Luke Skywalker as an archetype of this theme. These myths, or Jungian archetypes, go way, way back in human history. They are deep in our cultural DNA.

The concept of the "natural man" or "noble savage" is a recurring theme in western society. The idea is that "modern" society is fake and man must get back to nature and his roots to be a complete human being. I don't have a problem with anyone wanting to do that. But there's a reason people leave the jungle. Such a life, as Hobbes famously said, was "nasty, brutish, and short."

The noble savage is a myth. Human beings are pretty much alike where ever you go. Tribal societies are much the same as us: they love, lie, cheat, steal, act honorably, act with self-interest, without self-interest, cooperate, murder, war. Spare me the few exceptions you may find and go watch Dances With Wolves to make yourself feel better. But it's a myth that runs deep, especially in our complex, modern society. We all know the feeling we get when we walk in the woods or take a vacation in the mountains.

* * * * *

Is it free market capitalism that destroys their world?

The Na'vi have property rights to their home world. In order to mine minerals, free market capitalists would need the consent of the owners of the property they seek. That concept is enshrined in the theories of Natural Law. The fact that someone can take something by force doesn't make it right and it doesn't make it capitalism.

I'm not ignorant of the parallels of the founding of the U.S.A. Or the interface of any first or second world company seeking resources in third world countries. When technologically superior people meet primitive people we all know who wins. It's not right. And it's not capitalism.

In that respect we Americans were no different than other European cultures. Our history with our native people and Africans is sordid and wrong. But at least we recognized our faults and strove to correct them. What we did do when our republic was founded was to write into our constitution the concept of human rights and natural law. Among those rights is the right to own property. It took a civil war to apply it to all Americans.

* * * * *

When you apply force to a situation outside of the rule of law and human rights, it isn't capitalism. It has a lot of other names: fascism, state capitalism, mercantilism, oligarchic dictatorship, whatever. What the "Corporation" in Avatar was doing was just stealing property and ignoring human rights. No rule of law restrained them.The "Corporation" was nothing more than a mafia stealing the Na'vi's land by force. The fact they had "shareholders" doesn't change that fact. Nothing free market there.

The same thing is still happening in places like the Amazon or the Niger Delta. The issue of property rights is a complex issue, but in most third world countries the concept is that the State owns everything and your hold on a piece of dirt is tenuous unless you can bribe someone or you have more guns. That doesn't sit well with societies who have lived there for countless generations. The locals are fighting back.

It is the governments of Nigeria and Brazil, Venezuela, Colombia, and Peru which deny the locals rights to their property. These countries have never established a rule of law which define, establish, and protect property rights. Many international oil companies come in and "buy" oil rights from the government. Many of these contracts are not based on free market capitalistic morals, but rather employ the force of the state against the poor locals who may own the oil. The governments use these corporations to milk the resources for their personal benefit. Very little oil wealth sees its way to the poor.

Yes, it's a mess. If these countries were able to create a free market capitalist system, establish well defined property rights, the wealth would be spread to more people and their standards of living would improve as has happened in most capitalist countries.

* * * * *

If I were to rewrite the Avatar story line, I would instead have a dictatorship send in its military to take over the planet in order to get the resources. They would send in shock troops to round up the Na'vi and send them to re-education camps where they would learn that the new social system was really good for them. Some Na'vi would be traitors to their species and become a part of the New Order. Meanwhile their planet would be mined by government sponsored corporations without regard to the results to the environment (no property rights). A human hero would descend to the planet in his avatar body and preach the words of freedom and natural law to the Na'vi. He would form a guerilla army which would destroy the invader and free the Na'vi.

Then it would be more true to life.

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Mon, 01/25/2010 - 03:01 | 205103 Anonymous

Ask yourself a question:
How would your perception of the movie change, if the military guys would all look Arab or blond with blue eyes or Russian or be "Alien" creatures?

And the 'fight terror with terror' and 'shock and awe' quotes in Avatar are _exactly_ as stupid as they have been in RL (real life)!

Fantastic movie!!!
Groundbreaking for this generation, just like Star Wars had been for the previous.

Sat, 01/23/2010 - 11:16 | 203731 Gordon_Gekko

I don't the movie is against capitalism at all (and no, the US is not capitalistic), but against imperialism. Excellent movie, BTW.

Sat, 01/23/2010 - 12:07 | 203760 moneymutt

Good point.

Because of past few hundred years of world history and a western perspective, I too often conflate imperialism with capitalism. Capitalism in modern west was birthed, or at least nursed to healthy adulthood, by the wealth accumulated via imperialism, genocial land theft, human slavery, and stealing natural resources but imperialism certainly does not have to be capitalistic.

What economic system was Rome? What was Germany and Japan in WW2? What was Ghenghis and his Mongols, Alex and his Greeks? What is China as it takes over Tibet and other regions around it? What was Russian when it took over its USSR satellites?

Not this list puts western, mostly capitalistic imperialists off the hook. Europe's brutal takeover of Africa, Americas, and Asia from 1500s to 1800s, in sheer numbers of dead and lost: land, liberty and cultures, I believe, exceeds in infamy what any other imperialists before or after has accomplished.

Imperialism comes in many forms...all of them wrong in my view.

Sat, 01/23/2010 - 00:28 | 203460 Dehrow

To the people who say that Avatar is libertarian and about defending ones property, didn't the tree get blowed up? I wouldn't really call that defending anything.

However, to me, it seems that God saved the Na'vi in the end, thus making the film conservative at best.

Sat, 01/23/2010 - 11:45 | 203748 moneymutt

No, the movie makes Navi's God more like terrorist org Hamass in the Gaza Strip.

Hamass in Gaza, like Navi god, is trying to protect property rights of the long-time inhabitants of a region, the Palestinians, who have deeply held religious beliefs including religious connections to their home land. Navi god and Hamass refuse to acknowledge the rights of recent immigrants who usurped their land forcibly and Navi god and Hamass work toward the expulsion of the invader from the region entirely, including using violence against them.

Hardly a conservative friendly perspective.

Only difference is, Navi God was successful, Hamass is not, rather it is presiding over a virtual ghetto/urban prison and recent immigrants to Israel from all over the world are not about to be leaving on a space ship anytime soon.

Sat, 01/23/2010 - 00:11 | 203448 Anonymous

This movie sucked. It would have been off the hook if the humans first inserted a bunch of Predators to knock off the Navi, but then the Navi incubate a bunch of "Aliens" from "Aliens" to fight back. Just when it looks like a draw, the Krel come in and take over the whole planet, but their derivative machine goes out of control and the entire solar system goes kerblooey.

Sat, 01/23/2010 - 00:09 | 203447 moneymutt

I too like econophiles review, very thoughtful.

I do differ with econophiles alternate script. The dictator should be lame, selfish, incorrigible Navi that was expelled from his community due to his repeated offenses, who then went to mining company and sells out, asks for military support and financial help to take over his people's land. Company gives him this position, not because they see him as helpful or smart, but to squelch protest back on on earth that the Navi are being abused for to bring abundant, cheap resources back home.

But sorry Econophile, the mining company is just like big businesses in third world nations with a wanted commodity. Yes some times imperialist is tyrannical govt but more often it is a multi-national company bribing local govt. Company is not sent by dictator back home, but rather imperialism most often comes from a country that has democracy or fairly decent equality back at home. See US Marines protecting United Fruit in Latin America, US constantly skirmishing in oil rich countries, US govt promoting people/using settlers/pioneers as a civilian army to take land from native Americans. See Britain and other European nation's businesses engaging in African slave trade in 1800s and the Pope meeting with competing European nation states to split up the boundaries of colonized Africa so Europe would not have to fight among themselves over the loot they were extracting. Now granted, the businesses benefiting form the captive human labor, land and resources of the African, Caribbean, and Latin American colonies were often cronies of the govt...but they were not always typically coming from dictatorship..they were legit and genteel businesses, they were businesses, like the slave ships companies that started London's insurance business and stock markets...even set off manufacturing boom of ships and shackles.

A good plot twist for next movie would showing the struggle caused by the Navi revolt back on Earth because we have a somewhat analogous situation with a country currently in the news, Haiti. With France's internal strife, the Haitian slave revolution was a huge economic blow to France, cash cow colony suddenly went dry so they ended up having to sell US the LA purchase. Who knows what US territory would like without that...once we had LA purchase, clear the way for a US president to go to war with out approval and take ("annex") half of Mexico. With LA purchase, would we have expanded west like we did...but I digress. In the movie, back on Earth, a whole new country could start challenging US because of the loss of wealth from mining company, US economy could be hurting and we could be losing territory... and mining company could come back lying about the abuses of the mean and evil Navi and the death of Americans, so US military could come back in force to retake Navi, with of course some sellout Navi's helping.

Sat, 01/23/2010 - 00:03 | 203442 Anonymous

The blue zombies look like the regular Hollywood crowd, unloved and desperate for attention, and Avatar is a pathetic jerk-off of a very infantile and confused man.

By the way, pandemonium is more valueable then unobtanium.

Fri, 01/22/2010 - 23:44 | 203424 Tethys

I generally have no problem suspending disbelief for the sake of being entertained. And in my opinion Avatar was quite entertaining. Simple plot? Sure. I don't require complex twists in every movie, sometimes it's nice to just go along for the ride.

That said, it's hard not to notice that a lot of movies lately are just framework for product placement and propaganda. The blatant incessant Sony logo or the head-scratching political reference (like the 'fight terror with terror' and 'shock and awe' references in Avatar, which brought audible groans from those around me during the film, or the puzzling, out-of-nowhere King Julien rants in Madagascar 2 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0479952/board/thread/134624993 to provide two examples) are to me the equivalent of the ringing cellphone - totally punts you 'out of the moment' and back to reality.

Some movies, typically those intended for younger audiences, go beyond the random rants and fold the ideology directly into the plot line ("Wall-E" environmentalism/anti-corporatism with a dose of a stupid (Bush) 'president', "Aliens v. Monsters" with, again, the stupid (Bush) president). I would bet you won't be seeing any 'stupid president' movies for at least the next three years.

I guess Avatar has the message to push as well. But perhaps the advantage of the simple plot is that it leaves lots to interpretation - 'This is our land' is the kind of rallying cry that can be taken up by more than just the intended audience:

http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/film/a...

Fri, 01/22/2010 - 23:33 | 203412 OutLookingIn

This latest product of Hollywood is nothing more than a money making machine for the entertainment industry. Which is a good thing. Don't get me wrong, I love money too. However this medium used to carry with it some responsibility for social commentary, by using it's powerful communication tool.

I'm thinking the iconic "Grapes of Wrath" as a powerful message to society during a time of social turmoil and duress. Along with the lessons and understanding that was taken away from the theaters, went a better equipped citizen to deal with those trying times.

Hollywood has in recent times shirked this social responsibility, as has big business, along with great swaths of Main Street, as greed, hubris and a disregard for ones fellow citizen, has replaced honesty, forthrightness and the basic desire to 'do the right thing'.

This production is a sad commentary on how far this society has progressed down this road of narcissism. By the way - loved the movie!

Fri, 01/22/2010 - 23:19 | 203395 Mr Lennon Hendrix

+1 for JC...no not James, Joseph!!!!

Simply; Hegelian. Good side, bad side. Right vs. wrong. State vs. people. Demcat vs. Redumblican. This vs. that. Bla vs. bla. FUCK hegel!!!!!!!!!!!

Fri, 01/22/2010 - 23:18 | 203393 BlueStreak

I took the wife to see this, and I really enjoyed it, it was worth watching for the CGI.

I asked my wife what she thought of it and she asked me if I had ever seen Pocahontas?

Fri, 01/22/2010 - 21:58 | 203292 rapier

It is always best when analyzing the political subtext of movies to just forget about the whole thing. Or you can wait for Red Dawn II. Whatever.

Fri, 01/22/2010 - 21:15 | 203210 dark pools of soros

this debate is stupid... there are a ton of movies with the same story line as Avatar so if we dig up Princess Mononoke are we hating he troops? supporting terrorists?

face it American - you can't have your dirty laundry all over the yard and get mad when the landscaper chops it up

Fri, 01/22/2010 - 21:02 | 203177 phaesed

1. You assume we have a free market. - We don't.

2. Before you think corporations are responsible, watch Food, Inc (http://tvshack.net/movies/Food__Inc___2008_/) and tell me what you think of Monsanto (who makes farmers purchase seeds each season despite the fact that the seeds grow on the fucking plants, putting out of work the Seed cleaners who used to recycle the seeds. Don't use Monsanto seeds? Don't worry, if your neighbor 5 miles away does and the pollen floats through the air and infects your crop, the copyright over the genetic material transfers... i.e. you better start paying up. Try to fight with a lawsuit? Delay, delay, delay until you're broke) What about Smithfield or Tyson... want to know what your chickens do? Eat shit all day long with no daylight... any farmer who refuses to shut in the chickens gets their contract revoked... How is ANY of this free market? YOU DO NOT HAVE RIGHTS. The lobbyists do.

3. People are committing suicide over this movie because they wish they could live somewhere so beautiful. Funny... this country used to be that beautiful. Until the rain became acidic, the rivers became toxic waste dumps, trash dumps are land fills, mountains are stripped, holed out and waste is runoff into the nearby rivers.... I'm so glad I pay $1.00 for a gallon of clean water, how long before I have to pay for clean oxygen?

4. Free markets do not exist without accurate information. Accurate information does not exist as long as corporations are not forced to publicly disclose all material information. Corporations will not disclose all material information as long as they don't have to. Corporation don't have to unless they are forced to. Corporations won't be forced to as long as they can pay senators to support them. And guess what, the campaign contribution limit became irrelevant this week with our bought and paid for Judicial system allowing corps to run ads for political candidates.

Once again. YOU DO NOT HAVE RIGHTS. The corporations do.

ps.... I wouldn't advocate TV shack if the actors didn't get paid $20 million per film when a starving actor who is just as good would do it for $50k. Not to say good actors don't deserve good pay, but seriously.... do you think Tom Cruise would think he's a fucking alien overlord if he didn't earn ridiculous cash? Puhleez, that fool would still be smoking pole.

Fri, 01/22/2010 - 21:05 | 203193 WaterWings

Repeal the 14th!

I agree with almost everything you said except that the tone I feel from your post is telling the author something he already knows.

Fri, 01/22/2010 - 22:00 | 203298 phaesed

"I agree with almost everything you said"

LOL! That's a first eh WW? :)

I'd say most market savvy capitalists realize this, they just don't want the masses who give their retirement funds to others to manage to know :(

As for the Austrian economists? ughhhh.... there hasn't been one since Hayek that realized the full implications of Economic theory.... sorry, it's just my opinion, but it's one based on a shitload of reading :) And yes, Hayek was a freakin genius, probably the greatest Austrian since Menger.

Sat, 01/23/2010 - 05:53 | 203618 WaterWings

Better to work the details out with integrity - always do enjoy your posts. I see your avatar and I would consider myself dishonest not to read it - even though you have many superiorities in relevant fields here at ZH - always a pleasure to scan the banter - and always a pleasure to offer an opposing view.

Fri, 01/22/2010 - 21:00 | 203176 zero intelligence

The story line was simple, but I thought it was pretty good. Actually, I thought the characterizations were pretty good too. The military guy and the corporate guy were not really caricatures. I meet real people who are not much different than this. The corporate guy is not really saying, "yeah, this is evil, but it's profitable so tough shit!" Rather, he's saying, "I don't really see what the fuss is about. It's just a stupid tree, and we really want that unobtanium. We've already given them schools and whatever, and we're even funding this 'avatar' project to bring peace and understanding. Can't we be sensible?" This is what the corporate guys actually think.

I've talked with a lot of corporate guys in the mining business. Mostly they want to do the right thing in a messy business. But, they also really, really want those minerals. Other companies are not so nice. Look at Big Oil in Nigeria or Ecuador, or the agribusinesses like Monsanto, or the wars over the copper mines in the Congo.

I thought the film was very well made. People are squirming because, guess what, humans really are destroying the Earth! And, we hate having our nose rubbed in it.

Fri, 01/22/2010 - 21:01 | 203187 WaterWings

I can imagine the sequel will follow the footsteps of the final paragraph of this excellent article.

Fri, 01/22/2010 - 19:54 | 203087 Anonymous

19Oh please, its a movie with a story. Like "Wall Street" was a movie with a story.

Fri, 01/22/2010 - 19:45 | 203072 Chopshop

" To be cynical, suppose he didn't have any philosophy and he was just trying to come up with a story line that would sell movie tickets. He would do so by tapping into lowest common denominator concepts. "

the single stupidest, most ass-backwards, dead-wrong comment i have seen yet as per Cameron & Avatar.

hats off for taking the cake !

way to do your research before inserting wadlow-sized foot into mouth.

" The plot was obvious and lacked sophistication, but .... James Cameron [is] not known for deep stuff "

ever actually research Camerons' background ??

are you aware of his board membershipS on places like NASA ??

thanks for your take; tells me a lot about you when reading your takes on the market.

Fri, 01/22/2010 - 20:52 | 203172 Burnbright

And what was the point of this response? Care to explain why he is wrong or just make terrible ad hominem attacks, because that says loads about your intellect and character.

Fri, 01/22/2010 - 19:07 | 203005 Anonymous

First, Americans, not just local dictators, did and do deny property rights to those who have something of value to a powerful interest group. This is not news. Whether it is eminent domain in Hartford, Connecticut to move out homeowners and build commercial developments or in Central America (to ostensibly stop the spread of communism and maybe control local agricultural resources) or in the middle east to control oil or the Wall Streetwalkers (at the expense of you and me, we pay to get screwed). America as represented by GHW Bush sees itself as having the right to do what ever it takes to maintain "the american way of life". Property rights be damned!

Second, and more importantly, I would like to believe that Cameron is trying to give Americans, among others (Chinese perhaps) a simple mirror to observe themselves. Americans and their institutions are just as capable of ruthless and unjust and stupid behavior as the worst dictatorship (slavery is a good example as is Iraq/Afganistan). Americans and humanity need to notice that this is happening and begin a new conversation. The Na'vi may be idealized, but up until now, the dominant mythology has been savage rather than noble savage. The idea is to start a new conversation about justice and distribution of wealth. Seven billion people can not live the "American way of life" because there are not enough resources. Conversely, is it advantageous for species survival, never mind just, that given that some nation has a technological advantage, it has the right force a such a wasteful and skewed distribution of resource?

Like it or not, we are a small component of a large and infinitely complex ecosystem. The Na've were smart enough (or just lucky enough) to live in harmony within the constraints of the system. And they discovered that the planet is really a sophisticated thinking system of which the Na'vi are only a component. Humans do not seem so wise. Consciousness and intelligence are really just a tiny (in terms of time) evolutionary development whose outcome is far from determined. Cameron may just be trying to get us to use the fortuitous, so far it seems, evolutionary endowment to consider carefully how we treat one another as well as the planet to which we are so intimately tethered. Given Katrina, the 2004 tsunami and now Haiti, I find Cameron an optimist.

Fri, 01/22/2010 - 19:00 | 202995 carbonmutant

Sounds like Cameron wants to do for Space Exploration what China Syndrome did for Nuclear Power.

Fri, 01/22/2010 - 19:56 | 203092 Anonymous

That makes no sense. You are saying Cameron is against space exploration?

Fri, 01/22/2010 - 23:37 | 203417 Unscarred

It really is a shame what China Syndrome did to the U.S. nuclear industry- but it really was one helluva movie!

Fri, 01/22/2010 - 18:54 | 202977 Unscarred

Thank you for posting these opinions.

I passed on seeing this film because every review I read/heard, while praising the incredible cinematography, blatantly stated that the storyline was very, very weak. Now I'm REALLY glad that I passed...

As for propaganda:

In all Mr. Hiaasen's books for children, young readers are asked to sympathize with environmentalists who thwart businessmen, even when the good guys take destructive measures such as sinking boats or torching billboards. And the eco-tropes that have worked so well for Mr. Hiaasen -- Good nature! Bad capitalist! -- are steadily creeping into books across the age range.

Fri, 01/22/2010 - 19:18 | 203026 Anonymous

You're denying yourself a fun time. Your arguments apply equally well to Disney World. But hey, some people hate Disney World, so that's OK. The rest of us enjoy our time here before we die.

This story line is not THAT weak. Just average, when you compare it to all the other movies made these days.

Fri, 01/22/2010 - 23:33 | 203406 Unscarred

Totally agree. For most people, it doesn't take much to please; just look how well "change" has worked out for them.

Fri, 01/22/2010 - 18:50 | 202966 Anonymous

After watching the film, it occurred to me that if the "unobtanium" material (which was never discussed in terms of any actual function beyond being valuable) were replaced by a specific plant extract that was the cure for a plague that was killing the entire population of earth, people watching the film may have come awy with a different perspective.

Fri, 01/22/2010 - 23:38 | 203421 Anonymous

"Unobtanium", at least in the context of the movie, is a high-temperature (really high, as in room temperature) superconductor. The corporate suit guy had a magnet on his desk with a chunk of this stuff floating over it (Meissner Effect in action). Real-world "high temperature" superconductors (for now at least) require liquid nitrogen to cool them down before they exhibit superconductivity.

Good movie overall, but I figured it was ended on a high note with the noble natives whooping up on the evil whitey corporate bastards. At a guess, the next scene after that involves them getting into their starship and heading home, and just coincidentally lighting the drive with the exhaust pointed at the planet. Prob'ly not a good fit for the narrative tho.....

Fri, 01/22/2010 - 20:34 | 203144 Anonymous

Presumably the plant extract wouldn't require the destruction of the planet and the displacement of the native people?..just saying.

Fri, 01/22/2010 - 18:38 | 202948 Anonymous

This flick is also banned in China. Clearly both communists and capitalists are not happy with this movie.

Fri, 01/22/2010 - 23:52 | 203429 moneymutt

i think econophile review and the world reaction to this movie perfectly describes the common ground conservative populists, libertarians, and progressive populists have....

Ethical libertarians who are not simply apologists for anarchy and legal corruption for certain big business understand deeply that people's basic property and democratic rights should not be violated. Americans are willing to give in on lots of liberties other countries would not, but we've got the private property right ingrained and when we see little Chinese lady in her hut with warm, traditional and spiritual decorations like a humble kitchen and altar in the corner in her multi-generation neighborhood being bull-dozed under for a now, unneeded commercial skyscraper or dam without any due process.

Conservatives populists know such tyranny, if done by a govt or govt supported businesses, as is the case in China, is wrong and that we must be vigilant against and conservatives would see that a people unarmed against tyranny in trouble...although, it seems if Navi had to abandon their traditional cultural ways to fight like Earthlings, they would rather be dead.

And progressive populist know its wrong to abuse others not like us for our benefit and are skeptical of big businesses running amok, and also don't like the lack of democratic rights of the Navi.

In some country, regular folks are fighting the tyranny of their govt taking their home, not allowing them free speech and elections and due process, in other countries, regular folks are fighting tyranny of cartel/monopolistic businesses that have favored, crony status propped up by corrupted govt. However, we regular folks are in league against tyranny in either form and relate to those fighting for democratic rights, due process, property rights.

I see this as a reason as tyrannical types all around the world dislike this movie and why regular folks enjoy the ride and relate. Shoot, even a middle class American can feel a bit like a Navi, we some national symbols ruthlessly destroyed on 911, we are losing are homes to foreclosure by big byzantine business bureaucracies that have special protection and representation with the govt that we do not have, who do not answer our phone calls, do not listen to us, lie to us, care not at all of our sob stories. We hold religious beliefs that are often under assault either because we are the majority religion losing its preeminence and being culturally swamped by atheists or new religions, or we a minority religion that the majority treats with suspicion. We see how we have only crude tools to protect ourselves against our sophisticated masters, who's wealth and power gives them seemingly impossible advantage over us ordinary people

Sat, 01/23/2010 - 14:11 | 203852 Tethys

+1, agree with WaterWings

Sat, 01/23/2010 - 05:46 | 203616 WaterWings

Very, very dense. This is powerfully significant. Thank you.

Fri, 01/22/2010 - 23:06 | 203383 Tethys

If you believe Reuters, this movie is not 'banned in China' - rather it is now the top grossing film in China ever. I think you are referring to the removal of the 2D version (not the 3D version) to make way for a national Chinese film about Confucious.

http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE60J36F20100120

Fri, 01/22/2010 - 20:21 | 203127 Chopshop

way to note the only 'news' story of mention for Avatar, outside of the obvious, Anon; good catch guy.

if only someone could speak toward that topic, (without toeing the Chinese gov't' party line) ... hmmm.

Sat, 01/23/2010 - 01:10 | 203496 Econophile

I already wrote on that: Avatar's Big Tix Boffo Bombs with Chicom Film Czars.

Fri, 01/22/2010 - 18:38 | 202944 Anonymous

I loved Avatar in 3D. Most amazing movie I've ever seen. Most entertaining. But not the Best movie I've ever seen.

It had a whole bunch of problems. Truly, the story is something written by a 12 year old boy.

This review is one of the best I've seen. Everyone else tries to capitalize politically on it by claiming all kinds of crazy stuff.

So now China's government, Russian authors, Social Conservatives, Liberals, Fiscal Conservatives, Libertarians, Anti-smokers, Minorities, Feminists, and Erudite critics hate it. Seems everyone does.

Except me and the other average Joes about to make it the largest grossing movie ever.

Fri, 01/22/2010 - 20:56 | 203180 WaterWings

WOAH! Slow down there - you've just run over a Na'vi:

http://blog.mises.org/archives/011295.asp

Fri, 01/22/2010 - 18:18 | 202889 MachoMan

I thought cameron had been sitting on this script for decades? This is kind of like calling the last star wars movie a commentary on the iraq war... An afterthought at best... and most likely a desperate attempt to overanalyze a jackoff movie.

Fri, 01/22/2010 - 21:30 | 203248 duo

Let's see, Aliens, The Emerald Forest, Dances With Wolves, the Smurfs, and stupid bipedal robots a le Robocop/IronMan/District9.

In Cameron's defense, the script may have been written 9 years ago, but many people ripped it off between then and now.

Fri, 01/22/2010 - 18:15 | 202881 Burnbright

Thank you econophile. Honestly I thought I was the only one who noticed all the contradiction of logic in movies like these. Not to mention the dialogue is high school level at best.

Fri, 01/22/2010 - 18:14 | 202877 Anonymous

And then... and then I'd like say, "Hey! Where's the bitches at? I want me a blue bitch."

Yeah; that's what I'd do.

Fri, 01/22/2010 - 17:18 | 202847 Ragnarok

Think FURNGULLY!

FernGully: The Last Rainforest (1992 Ferngully is a rain-forest, it is home to a race of fairies who have never seen humans and believe Humans don't exist and only exists in stories. That is until the arrival of Batty, a wacky bat who tells the Fairies that he has seen the Humans. Curious, when she sees smoke from Mount Warning, a fairy named Crysta travels beyond Ferngully and discovers a group of humans is destroying the rain-forest. Crysta discovers a human named Zak who is helping destroy the rain-forest and accidentally shrinks him. Once discovering the beauty of Ferngully, Zak and Crysta learn the Fairies and Ferngully itself are in mortal danger, when the humans free Hexxus, a evil oil-like creature who along time ago was turned into a tree when he tried to unleash chaos in Ferngully and has taken over "The Leveler" a logging machine as he begins his evil scheme to destroy Ferngully and only Zak, Crysta, Batty, Pips and The Beetle Boys can defeat Hexxus and save Ferngully from destruction.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0104254/

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Fri, 01/22/2010 - 19:49 | 203079 Anonymous

A fairy movie with Cheech & Chong? And Tim Curry!? Running to netflix right now.. thanks! ;)

Avatar: The Philosophy

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