Comments on: Why Star Trek is Better than Avatar

By: Dan Haggard

Dan Haggard — Mon, 10 Jan 2011 01:29:35 +0000

Fair enough Josh – I guess as a critic it’s important to keep in mind that different people will be affected by different narrative techniques differently – what may seem dry and boring for one viewer will be the opposite for another.

Perhaps also you’re right that Avatar needs to be approached from the perspective you suggest. This may indeed mean that it deserves more credit than what I give it – but I’d have to think about it. But I’d disagree that movies like Lawrence of Arabia don’t have the sort of tightness that I’m talking about. LOA in particular is extraordinarily well written.

If Sully had said things like – ‘I’d grown up hearing stories about Pandora and the primitive creatures that lived there’ – then I’d agree with you more I think. Then we’d get a quick sense that Earth people look at Pandorans in a patronising way – and it would also setup Scully as having come from this culture. This would make his development arc from stool pigeon for the military to Pandoran sympathiser more intelligible.

But thanks for your comment. I’ll definitely have another think about it.

By: Josh

Josh — Sun, 09 Jan 2011 19:26:12 +0000

I have to disagree and say that Sully’s awakening from cryo and subsequent entrance into Pandora does serve Avatar in a huge way, by creating a very palpable sense of tension/foreboding/mystery for the adventure ahead. This isn’t a quick, two-hour Hollywood story in the way that Star Trek or Indiana Jones or whatever other action franchise you can think of usually is. Instead, I would liken it more to the historical epics of David Lean (Lawrence of Arabia, Doctor Zhivago), where a very simple story of friendship/romance is set against the epic backdrop of a nation’s (or in this case the future history of an entire species/planet’s) salvation. With this in mind, having every word and action contribute to the overall resolution of the plot is unnecessary, because the story is now about more than just one man.

Also, I would argue that Sully’s words “I grew up hearing about it, but never thought I’d be going there.” during his opening narration do serve a purpose in that they give you an idea of what it’s like to live on an Earth where the idea of other worlds harboring life is an everyday reality. It imparts a sense of history not only on the main character, but also the world he comes from – our world. Without this line, we would never know the common man on Earth (the “grunt’s”) feelings toward space travel in the 22nd century. With it, we know that it’s viewed with very much the same “no big deal” attitude in which 99.9% of America viewed NASA’s shuttle program.

By: Brad

Brad — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 10:52:41 +0000

Im fairly sure Cameron originally envisioned Avatar sans-humans (most certainly sans Worthington since the guy was probably wasted on a couch somewhere in Perth, Western Australia at the inception of this film) and merely a 3d construct akin to a Computer Demo that highlights the intricate brilliance of his new 3D Camera Technology, but in the last moments before release some MBA holding post-yale PA in the Cameron “junket” shouted – QUICKLY! THE GUYS IN MARKETING SAY WE CAN LEVERAGE HUMAN RETARDEDNESS AND MAKE MAD BANK IF WE MAKE A HIPPY SCI-FI FLICK OUT OF THIS RENDERED FOREST – WE HAVE 30 MINUTES TO COME UP WITH A STORY! SOMEBODY CALL WEAVER AND ANY OTHER WELFARE ACTORS IN, STAT!

Having said that, Avatar rocked, just pop your favourite tunes into yr mp3 player and wear headphones when watching it. Star Trek was also v.cool, a bit lame though due to distinct lack of Denny Crane. DENNY CRANE NEVER LOSES!