If you missed Avatar in the box office, you’re a member of a small and very exclusive club. As the highest grossing film of all time, Avatar is director James Cameron’s wildly successful follow-up to his last wildly successful feature film, Titanic. And for those expecting to be wowed, he definitely doesn’t disappoint.
With a budget that rivals the GDP of some small nations, Cameron uses cutting-edge animation technology to tell the epic story of one man’s attempt to save a futuristic alien race—the Na’vi—from human annihilation. With powerful themes of self-sacrifice, contextualization, stewardship of the environment, peace, and anti-materialism, Avatar is full of tremendously valuable principles. But not all elements of this movie are positive, and it’s a good idea to be on the lookout for some of the rather dubious themes.
The religion of the Na’vi mirrors a Native American religion that believes in the spiritual connection between people and the environment—and it’s this religion that Cameron presents as enviable. Coupled with goddess worship and some apparent attempts to bash America’s foreign policy, this New Age philosophy taints what is otherwise a beautiful and extraordinary ride.
Despite these philosophical shortcomings, Avatar is a sweet story of sacrifice told through a breathtaking display of special effects—even without the 3-D glasses.
Rebecca George is a huge fan of good books, sappy movies, and catchy music. She lives in Scotland with her husband, Christian, who’s a PhD student at the University of St. Andrews. Rebecca writes young adult Bible study curriculum and enjoys perusing the interesting articles on myMISSIONfulfilled.
If you missed Avatar
