Analyzing the Arguments in Avatar

Reading the first sample paper, I was struck by the writer's observations about Toy Story.  I had never analyzed the film because it's a kids movie; I viewed it as being escapist and nostalgic rather than critical or rhetorical.  I can see that the screenwriters had used exaggerated comparison to be funny, but I'm not sure that they were trying to prove a point about families.  Science fiction, on the other hand, usually contains a message hidden within the story that can apply to the viewer's life.  But movies don't always work on both levels, sometimes the meaning is valid, but the movie isn't entertaining, and sometimes the story is entertaining, but the meaning is lost in the setting or special effects.  The latter is the case for the movie Avatar, a film with incredible animation but lacking a coherent message, mostly because of the Cameron's failure to effectively utilize exaggerated comparison.

There are conflicting messages in Avatar from the beginning.  The music has strong African influences, Pandora's vistas are a rain forest, and the protagonist is a Caucasian veteran.  On face value, one might think that the movie is about racial inequality, because the Na'vi seem to be distinctly third world, and all of the humans seem to think that they need to be educated and westernized.  The trouble with such an argument is that there are people of all races in positions of authority within the ubiquitous and unnamed “Company”, from African American, to Indian, to Hispanic.  Therefore, all of the exaggerated comparisons that could be made between these backwards blue aliens and Native Americans or Amazons or Africans do not seem as valid.  Yes, these individuals who work for the Company have been homogenized, but they do remind us of the failings in our own history that we disapprove of in the present, so surely they have been overcome in the future, as well.  That they haven't seems unrealistic, leaves the viewer wondering how these Humans can be as ignorant as Cameron claims.

As it turns out, in the future, everyone is equally taken advantage of by the Company, and the economy is still down, despite the fact that the Company can afford to make “a significant investment” on spaceships and clones.  Cameron falls back on an old cliché for his bad guys, which has gotten a little old after using it in both Aliens and Titanic.  The viewer can immediately draw several parallels between Avatar and Aliens, whether it be the evil and removed Company with a far reach, the Marines that are eager to kill aliens, the hydraulic robots that sentries are strapped into, or Sigourney Weaver strutting around telling us that The Powers That Be are idiots.  But one starts to wonder just how bad the economy is, if they've got a monopoly on Pandora mining this rare ore, and somehow have the ability to fund a huge military operation, on top of the even more expensive scientific one.  Some viewers probably won't be able to get past the Company and its employees as antagonists, and yet the protagonists work for the Company, as well, while we're left wondering why the Company (or at least their mercenary branch) completely ignores the scientific findings that they've spent so much on.

The military presence is problematic:  Marines are stupid and will follow any orders that the Company might give, we're led to believe.  So being violent is wrong?  Maybe not, because the Na'vi turn out to be warriors, exceptional ones, though they have strong religious ties to Pandora as a nature goddess as well.  Which is an odd direction to take the story in, in a way.  Of course the backwards natives are religious, one might think from a modern perspective, and yet they revere the environment, which is what we are expected to do in real life, as well.  Only, somehow, the Company and military seem to have forgotten that, despite the fact that they have purportedly already destroyed Earth's environment.  So now Cameron is not only insulting the military, but the viewer as well.  We're so stupid, that we're destroying the planet on purpose, even though we know what we're doing, both now and again in the future.  The odd thing about his position is that most people in the military are more conservative and religious.  I suppose that would make them anti-environment in his view, but wouldn't they also be more likely to recognize the Na'Vi as also being religious?  Which could open an entirely different can of worms with conflicts around the world, but he somehow dodges this by making it seem as if all Humans are now religious-neutral, instead of making this just another repeat of westerners trying to convert the natives to Christianity.

This does not change the fact that, at the heart of the matter, Cameron is arguing that Nature is aware and should be elevated to a god-like status.  The Na'Vi are able to interface with horses, pterodactyls, hammerhead buffalo, panthers, and even trees.  The trees make one huge brain, with the power to give life.  So how does this compare to our own planet?  Anyone who has seen the Lion King knows that we are connected in a Circle of Life, but everything about Pandora is carefully orchestrated and interconnected in such complex ways that it's rather hard to believe that such a world could exist without being designed to be so.  If there is an Eywa, is he also arguing that God, or at least a god (perhaps Mother Nature), exists?  It's all rather vague, and he never answers the question.  Instead, the outcast soldier rallies the warriors to defeat the technologically superior Marines, which leaves the viewer feeling skeptical that such an ending is even probable.  Still, he poses interesting questions.

Wow

Imagine that, when RTD finally gets off his pansexual bandwagon, the episodes on Torchwood actually become good! First we have the ex-TW member who's sucking the life out of Gwen (simple yet brilliant), and then we get a TW lite episode, with a guy who's rather like Elton, but even more lovable. The random pics on the phone were poorly handled once they paid off (my mobile won't let me take three pics in a row, at least) but was cute in concept. i like how Gwen had to follow the clues and it was like she could hear him. And did you notice? She got a new car. i guess the insurance paid off or she decided she didn't want to keep the car she bled all over? Who knew that Suzie was so malicious? So maybe the show gets better, but it took seven episodes that were pretty lame to happen first. i like the credits, but it needs more Ten (lol, like that's gonna happen).

from boring to disturbing

So, coughing up rose petals, there's an interesting way to die. i felt bad for that girl until she gleefully let her invisible friends start killing off classmates and family (i didn't feel as bad about the pedophile, but what did the stepdad do that was so horrible? i mean, he was a jerk, but he was trying to protect her). The bit with Jack's lost love was so pointless (ETA: not that she was a lost love, but that she ignored Jack's advice and was stupid enough to go outside). i wanted the cat to save her somehow, but it just sat there. Too much to ask for i guess. /sigh Not at all the ending i wanted, though seeing Jack actually be emotional was nice.

And then we get the crazies in the country. It was like a bad horror film where no one actually died, the just were freaking out about people that were already dead. It was funny, how Ianto said he hated camping, because they didn't get to camp. i suppose it featured members of the team, making them care about them a bit more. But Gwen and Owen... can i just slap that girl? i didn't take her for stupid like that, to try to fix one bad situation with another bad one. Plus, it's just sick. Why did she even join Torchwood if what she really wanted was a desk job?

huh?

Okay, so first off they find a machine that can make you see emotional events in the past and future. Somehow, i'm not impressed. Though, at this point, i am more than ready to kick Owen off the team. He's rude and out of control. He's not in the slightest bit attractive, and that has more to do with his attitude than his appearance. Does anyone else find it odd that there's already been two murderous members of the team and the old fart basically forced Gwen to kill him?

And then there was Ianto and the Cyberwoman. i didn't think that Ianto had it in him to betray everyone like that. All i know about him is that he's coupled with Jack later on, so i just assumed that he wasn't into women. What really disappoints me about this is that, while it's an interesting concept, it's been done before on Star Trek Voyager (with Seven of Nine) and they really didn't bring anything new to the table. In fact, they gave up for all intents and purposes. i expected them to shoot her, but i am shocked that they endorsed capital punishment like that. It wasn't her fault the Cybermen had reprogrammed her.

tentatively venturing into Torchwood

So i watched the first two episodes of Torchwood last night (this morning actually) because i was looking to fill insomnia time. Thus far, i don't feel anything for the team: they're all so closed and standoffish. Even Captain Jack doesn't seem his usual happy go lucky self, not any real flirting to speak of. i guess he's lived through a lot, and it's all hidden, and he's not the same person he was when traveling with the Doctor. It's a bit odd that he's obsessive about handy (how did the alien pick up on that?) and standing on top of buildings (i guess he's looking for the Doctor?).

It's all more raw than Doctor Who. So far, we've seen everything through Gwen's eyes, except for brief glimpses of the lives of the Torchwood members. i like her well enough, i suppose, but she seems very innocent, whereas Jack basically knows everything (kind of a Doctor figure in a way, especially with the technobabble). There are bows to Star Trek DS9, with the cog-like door and bringing sex to the forefront. So far, it's not moving me enough to feel anything for it, really, not love or hatred, it's just kind of meh. Time will tell, i suppose.

watching the West Wing

Last night i watched some West Wing from the first season, which is something that i hadn't done in a very long time. i was shocked to discover that i had seen six out of the first eight episodes. i didn't think i started watching the show until the second or third season. i'm wondering if i caught reruns later on and didn't realize that it was the first season because Moira Kelly is only in half of the episodes.

i forgot how much i loved this show. i absolutely love CJ's klutziness and ineptitude with men (which is funny because Danny's throwing himself at her). i love Toby's crankiness and Sam and Josh's sarcasm. i love Leo's authority and quiet fortitude in the face of his divorce. i love that Donna wants to buy a dvd player, but can't because the administration doesn't "trust her to make a smart investment" so she keeps the change from Josh's lunch for the same reason. i love the chemistry between Jed and Abbey, how she didn't come in right away but was instantly the perfect first lady for the president that has the tendency to get pissed off at the wrong time for the right reasons. i love how this president is pro-life and has faith despite the fact that he's a Democrat (actually, his Catholicism is probably why he's a Democrat, i'm merely commenting on the fact that most in that party are not pro-life, though i am glad to say there are exceptions), that he's a complete nerd, that everyone in the office is brilliant, but makes mistakes like the rest of us.

Merlin "Sweet Dreams"

i hope that i don't offend anyone when i confess that i found this show to be well bad, and it did little to improve my opinion of Georgia Moffett as an actress. It was a little funny, but considering the fact that John Hurt is in it: travesty. Even the evil jester (formerly from Big Train) couldn't redeem it. Georgia's voice is sooooooooo annoying (ETA2: i guess she got her voice from her mother), and nothing about the show is at all realistic. Epic fail.

i'm really trying to give her a chance here, guys, i am.

ETA: Okay, i will admit that the fact that she decided to keep her son definitely earns her props. Videos like this are just too cute! ("I don't have a third favorite")

Fringe is still fantastic

Well i finally caught up on the last four episodes of Fringe, and i'm still loving it. i don't even know where to begin, because Olivia, Water, and Peter are all just lovely to watch as they try to figure out whatever weird mystery TPTB throw at them each week. We finally got a couple of questions answered (or out in the open at least) as to Olivia's childhood experiences (as Olive) and the fact that Peter is from the other side. As a tentative Olivia/Peter shipper, this bothers me, though, as they have already said that it would be disastrous for people from separate dimensions to procreate together (do they seem like they want to have kids? still...). i think that eventually Peter is going to find out, and that he might not be too happy about it.

finally, someone is on the same wavelength as me

My sister stumbled upon this quite by accident, but i had searched to see if anyone shared my theory of "Amy Pond" actually being a young Donna.  She finally found someone who came up with this theory last May:  Could Karen Gillan Be the Young Donna Noble?. Their theory is slightly different than mine (they believe that Donna is going to grow younger?) as i think that the Tardis will take the Doctor back to a point in time where he happens to run into her. Only a couple more weeks to find out!

dw new earth

Aside from the super hot kiss with hair pulling... this episode is rather ridiculous.  The Face of Boe makes his yearly--in person--appearance, Billie and David and some other guy get to try to act like Madam Hooch/Lady Trampoline, and all anyone needs is a good hug in order to get better... and a little disinfectant apparently.  Which is funny, because without fail using disinfectant makes me ill.

What's rather odd is that, later on, the Doctor is all gung ho about no one dying, while here he's like "it's your time."  What exactly is the moral of the story?  Make sure to tell yourself you're beautiful and die in your own arms, cuz no one else cares?

DW the Christmas Invasion

So... Rose is such a whiner in this.  One third of the world's population is about to kill itself, and she's whining about the Doctor being unconscious (ETA: when, ironically enough, it's her fault).  "Oh, he's abandoned me, boo hoo" get a grip.  The universe does not revolve around Rose Tyler.  She acts like the Doctor is a god or something.  Nearly invincible, he may be, but everyone gets sick from time to time, at least us mere mortals do.  i'm also not sure what she was hoping to accomplish lying through her teeth to the Sycorax:  she could have died, two men already had for less lip.

i love the new Doctor.  He talks a mile a minute, is clever, sarcastic, champion of the planet, i could go on.  Simply put, he's brilliant.

dw Bad Wolf and Parting of the Ways

i love Lynda, she's sweet.  (:  The Doctor says all he's looking for is a "quiet life."

The Doctor and Jack are both affected by Rose's "death" equally, they just react in completely different ways.  It was very weird for me to see him do his "shut down and think" thing for the first time.  In fact, he doesn't do it often.  He usually plows ahead and makes things up as he goes along.  Jack, on the other hand, charges in, guns blazing, but doesn't even shoot anyone other than the Anne-droid.  He'll fight if he has to, but not needlessly.  They were actually smart to wait until they were no longer outnumbered and could make an easier escape without needless casualties.

i love the Doctor when he's goofy, but i love him even more when he's indignant.  The most brilliant lines in all of series one on his part are from "No...it means no" to "And doesn't that just scare ya to death."  The Doctor is like a sleeping dragon, he's all cuddly until you tickle him, and you only get so many chances before you run out of his mercy.

Rose is slightly jealous of Lynda it seems.  Lynda and the Doctor have an awkward good-bye, and cannot tell whether they should hug, or kiss, or what.  Jack, on the other hand, is soooo young.  He trusts the Doctor implicitly.  But the Doctor... the choice that he is planning to make, the destruction of Earth and the majority of the human race, is horrible.  This is the same sort of choice that Ten was against in Journey's End, the choice that Martha was going to make.  It's odd how things change.

i cannot believe that Rose was cruel enough to tell Mickey that there was nothing left for her back on earth.  This includes him and her mother!  And when she said something so utterly cruel, i cannot believe that he helped her.

But i do love the Bad Wolf.  She is brilliant, but she is also deadly.  All that light pouring out of her, the ability to see what was and is and is to come... it's like she became a goddess.  And though she saved Jack's life, no one is meant to have that power.  But at the same time it was good, because she was being selfless, and she enabled the Doctor to be selfless.  Instead of a Doctor born of the Time War, we received one born of love and mercy.  That's the most powerful thing in the universe all creation.

DW Boom Town

i had only seen this episode once before, and i must confess that it was a lot better than i remember. Actually, all i really remembered from it was the date with the assassination attempts and the egg. There's a lot in the middle, like Mickey and Captain Jack and the Doctor verbally sparring (too much testosterone in the Tardis, methinks). What's really funny is how Rose and Mickey go off on their date, and then the Doctor and Margaret, and Captain Jack is gleefully tinkering away in the Tardis with a cheesy grin. It's absolutely hilarious.



But Rose is horrible. Her entire date, all she does is talk about the Doctor. Then she puts down the fat shop girl, when all she used to be was the skinny shop girl. Mickey has a valid point when he says that all she does is cut him down and leave him waiting.  By the end of the episode, you can see that she wants to turn back time and be with Mickey, but you can also tell that the Doctor's feelings towards her changed in the Empty Child (he certainly doesn't want Captain Jack to have her).  My sister points out that all she does is use people, and it's a very valid observation.  She used the Doctor to go back and see her father.  She used Adam to show off.  She uses Mickey all the time without a second thought (i've never really understood why she was with him, but because of the events in Age of Steel, i am totally on his side).  The more i rewatch this series one, the more i wonder why i liked Rose so much:  she certainly had issues.

Spooks Code 9 Stunk

i just watched the last part of it, and i cannot believe the way it ended. From the beginning, i felt the show was trying to do a Dark Angel meets Alias type thing, but it never really delivered. None of the characters were fully developed, and the ending was just epic fail. What was the point of watching any of it if it was all going to be for nothing???

Doctor Who the Long Game and Father's Day

LG
This episode is odd. Adam is saying that he can't compete with the Doctor and the Doctor is annoyed with both him and Mickey. When Simon Pegg said: "There's something wrong here" i was like "yeah, you're blond." The Face of Boe is announcing that he's pregnant... i thought that Captain Jack was the one who said he'd been pregnant before???

FD
"An ordinary man, that's the most important thing in creation." That seems to be a very odd thing for the Doctor to say. Is that was Rose is thinking of while talking to Donna in Turn Left? And since when does everyone think that she and the Doctor are a couple? He's so much older than her, and they have absolutely no chemistry. The Doctor already thinks an "ordinary" life is the ideal, the getting married and having kids stuff. Why can't the Doctor ever have that? Is it because he hasn't met the right person yet? That he won't let himself? What.

Little Mickey is so cute. Rose is not so bright, and a terrible liar. Course, Jackie isn't so bright, either. How did Rose get brown eyes when both of her parents have blue? Lol, Companion Brown, Doctor Blue --> Companion Brown, Doctor Brown --> Companion Blue, Doctor Brown

p.s. Something that's odd is the posters saying that Margaret Thatcher won't serve a third term, when i'm pretty sure she did. Wishful thinking on the parts of TPTB?

Dalek

First off, stop flirting with that idiot, Rose. Secondly, they keep throwing around this love word, and i don't see any chemistry between the Doctor and Rose (not to mention that she's still with Mickey, for crying out loud). Third off, the Doctor eagerly holding a gun is SOOOOO wrong (this i cannot emphasize enough, and it's one of the things i'm worried about possibly being problematic with Eleven. Fourthly... what did he just do with his spheres?

This is a great bit of science fiction, making you feel sorry for the bad guys, but what message were they trying to send?

Lastly, stop putting down the Tardis, it's so much more than a box!


ETA: i'm not meaning to insinuate that the Doctor couldn't love Rose in other ways, of course, however, Nine isn't exactly fuzzy. In fact, it's very hard for me to come to grips with the fact that all Doctors are the same man atm. i'm in for another period of readjustment. Don't worry, as soon as i get used to Matt Smith, they'll kill him off.