Avatar.....Tonight

Off Topic
141

[quote]davidcox1 wrote:

[quote]John S. wrote:
A movie making the human race and our military out to be bad guys, I think I will skip this piece of propaganda.[/quote]

The movie’s protagonists were all human. Just like in other narratives, there are good guys and bad guys on both sides of the battle. No propaganda here.

The armed folks in the movie were contractors working for a giant corporation. Think Blackwater. As a military member, I didn’t feel like the flick pissed on our armed forces. To the contrary, the big hero is an ex-Marine.[/quote]

Weren’t the humans there to collect fuel that they needed? And I view blackwater the same as I do you in the military, both are doing their job in defending us. Someone who works in blackwater gets just as much respect as someone who works in the military, at least that is how I view it.

The big hero of the movie kills a bunch of humans, I can’t see how we can call that a hero.

142

There’s enough killing on both sides to make you feel good about it.

The big hero of Saving Private Ryan killed a bunch of humans too. Are you going to protest that movie?

This military officer is not flattered by your willingness to compare our men and women in uniform to Blackwater contractors who are hired to provide security (not fight on the front lines). Huge difference. Bottom line, this flick is in no way anti-military. It is anti-corporate-greed-backed-up-by-senseless-violence. Most of us can say amen to that.

143

[quote]John S. wrote:

[quote]davidcox1 wrote:

[quote]John S. wrote:
A movie making the human race and our military out to be bad guys, I think I will skip this piece of propaganda.[/quote]

The movie’s protagonists were all human. Just like in other narratives, there are good guys and bad guys on both sides of the battle. No propaganda here.

The armed folks in the movie were contractors working for a giant corporation. Think Blackwater. As a military member, I didn’t feel like the flick pissed on our armed forces. To the contrary, the big hero is an ex-Marine.[/quote]

Weren’t the humans there to collect fuel that they needed? And I view blackwater the same as I do you in the military, both are doing their job in defending us. Someone who works in blackwater gets just as much respect as someone who works in the military, at least that is how I view it.

The big hero of the movie kills a bunch of humans, I can’t see how we can call that a hero.[/quote]

John, look at it this way. What if you were the avatar guys being invaded by an alien force.

You don’t hate them because they’re military, you hate them because they’re trying to fuck with people and the planet. Everyone is doing their job and the Avatar are morally in the right.

144

[quote]davidcox1 wrote:
There’s enough killing on both sides to make you feel good about it.

The big hero of Saving Private Ryan killed a bunch of humans too. Are you going to protest that movie?

This military officer is not flattered by your willingness to compare our men and women in uniform to Blackwater contractors who are hired to provide security (not fight on the front lines). Huge difference. Bottom line, this flick is in no way anti-military. It is anti-corporate-greed-backed-up-by-senseless-violence. Most of us can say amen to that.[/quote]

The big hero in saving private Ryan didn’t turn traitor and start killing Americans, apples to oranges.

Well I can understand why someone who is publicly employed would not want to be compared to someone who is privately employed to defend the nation. From where I am sitting right now, you guys are both doing the same job, and if either a member of the Military or Xe gets killed overseas I will mourn both equally.

So this movie is anti-corporate greed, so they are trying to go after Capitalism by choosing something that is extreme, should have seen that coming from Hollywood. I would have thought more people in America would favor Capitalism.

The more I am hearing about this movie the more I am seeing this as just one giant Fuck You at America.

Tho I have decided that a movie that is this controversial probably needs to be analyzed by me a bit more, I will go watch on Monday just so I can have a complete understanding of the movie.

Will do a review of the movie after I see it on Monday.

145

[quote]John S. wrote:

[quote]davidcox1 wrote:
There’s enough killing on both sides to make you feel good about it.

The big hero of Saving Private Ryan killed a bunch of humans too. Are you going to protest that movie?

This military officer is not flattered by your willingness to compare our men and women in uniform to Blackwater contractors who are hired to provide security (not fight on the front lines). Huge difference. Bottom line, this flick is in no way anti-military. It is anti-corporate-greed-backed-up-by-senseless-violence. Most of us can say amen to that.[/quote]

The big hero in saving private Ryan didn’t turn traitor and start killing Americans, apples to oranges.

Well I can understand why someone who is publicly employed would not want to be compared to someone who is privately employed to defend the nation. From where I am sitting right now, you guys are both doing the same job, and if either a member of the Military or Xe gets killed overseas I will mourn both equally.

So this movie is anti-corporate greed, so they are trying to go after Capitalism by choosing something that is extreme, should have seen that coming from Hollywood. I would have thought more people in America would favor Capitalism.

The more I am hearing about this movie the more I am seeing this as just one giant Fuck You at America.

Tho I have decided that a movie that is this controversial probably needs to be analyzed by me a bit more, I will go watch on Monday just so I can have a complete understanding of the movie.

Will do a review of the movie after I see it on Monday.[/quote]

Bad guys who are Americans get killed all the time in movies. Look at all the Americans who got killed in the Godfather trilogy! Those films aren’t anti-American just because American’s get killed. Westerns often include the good cowboys shooting the bad cowboys, but they aren’t anti-American. Good guys killing bad guys is a time-honored tradition in our storytelling. Not all Americans are good. When they turn genocidal, they need to be stopped. If the movie was depicting a German company mining for a valuable mineral in Poland, would you be upset if the good German’s killed the bad Germans to stop a genocide against the Poles? I think not. The ex-Marine protagonist in this movie kills bad guys to stop genocide. He’s a hero because he kills the bad guys and saves an entire civilization from destruction. The nationality of the bad guys is irrelevant to the story.

I’m glad you plan to check it out and I’ll look forward to reading your post afterwards.

146

[quote]SeanParent wrote:

[quote]OatsNMilk wrote:

[quote]Headhunter wrote:

[quote]carlthescorp wrote:
I watched this movie today in 3-D and let me tell you it was epic. [/quote]

As in, epic fail. Plot was moronic and written by some far left kook bloggers, as far as I can tell.

Movie = Stinkbomb
[/quote]

I’m not an American, and I did not see any link to American history with this film initially, but I got to agree with HeadHunter here. The plot was predictable, and you probably know what was going to happen for the rest of the movie after jake was caught by the natives. The characters were developed in the sense that they were pretty much one-sided. You knew exactly what each of them would have done throughout the show. Sure, there were some “deep” meanings behind the plot but they were rehashed and done several times already.

The movie is great if you are into great visuals and stuff, but thats about it for the movie.[/quote]

dude I like your batman/bruce wayne avatar…where did you get it?
[/quote]

Ah i got it from google images lol. I originally wanted one of the drawings from batman: black and white, where bruce, half naked and with his back full of scars facing away from the image, is looking into a mirror which shows the batman in full gear as his reflection. That one is badass

147

[quote]WolBarret wrote:

[quote]John S. wrote:

[quote]davidcox1 wrote:

[quote]John S. wrote:
A movie making the human race and our military out to be bad guys, I think I will skip this piece of propaganda.[/quote]

The movie’s protagonists were all human. Just like in other narratives, there are good guys and bad guys on both sides of the battle. No propaganda here.

The armed folks in the movie were contractors working for a giant corporation. Think Blackwater. As a military member, I didn’t feel like the flick pissed on our armed forces. To the contrary, the big hero is an ex-Marine.[/quote]

Weren’t the humans there to collect fuel that they needed? And I view blackwater the same as I do you in the military, both are doing their job in defending us. Someone who works in blackwater gets just as much respect as someone who works in the military, at least that is how I view it.

The big hero of the movie kills a bunch of humans, I can’t see how we can call that a hero.[/quote]

John, look at it this way. What if you were the avatar guys being invaded by an alien force.

You don’t hate them because they’re military, you hate them because they’re trying to fuck with people and the planet. Everyone is doing their job and the Avatar are morally in the right.[/quote]

Sick as a dog so no church tonight. Bummer.

You really don’t get it. This movie portrays technology as evil. Remember the line about ‘they killed their own mother’ (we apparently killed Earth) or ‘Now they’ll have to return to their own dying world’ at the end?

To squat in the jungle = good. To have something like a water treatment plant = bad.

To ride on an animal = good. To ride in a vehicle = bad.

I would like to stand next to James Cameron while we watch his wife have an operation to save her life. Then, I would flip off the light switch so we’re in the dark. “Well, Jimmy, there’s your world without technology. How do you like it?”

Or: “Well Jimmy, they shut down the lab that makes anaesthesia. Technology is evil, ya know? Ah well, cover your ears…the screams get pretty bad.”

148

[quote]John S. wrote:

[quote]davidcox1 wrote:
There’s enough killing on both sides to make you feel good about it.

The big hero of Saving Private Ryan killed a bunch of humans too. Are you going to protest that movie?

This military officer is not flattered by your willingness to compare our men and women in uniform to Blackwater contractors who are hired to provide security (not fight on the front lines). Huge difference. Bottom line, this flick is in no way anti-military. It is anti-corporate-greed-backed-up-by-senseless-violence. Most of us can say amen to that.[/quote]

The big hero in saving private Ryan didn’t turn traitor and start killing Americans, apples to oranges.

Well I can understand why someone who is publicly employed would not want to be compared to someone who is privately employed to defend the nation. From where I am sitting right now, you guys are both doing the same job, and if either a member of the Military or Xe gets killed overseas I will mourn both equally.

So this movie is anti-corporate greed, so they are trying to go after Capitalism by choosing something that is extreme, should have seen that coming from Hollywood. I would have thought more people in America would favor Capitalism.

The more I am hearing about this movie the more I am seeing this as just one giant Fuck You at America.

Tho I have decided that a movie that is this controversial probably needs to be analyzed by me a bit more, I will go watch on Monday just so I can have a complete understanding of the movie.

Will do a review of the movie after I see it on Monday.[/quote]

Yes please shut up until you see the movie DAMN!! Also I know its impossible but try going there with an open mind.

The movie is a fuck you at displacement and land rape. So if that’s what you call American then, I don’t wanna live in YOUR vision of America.

149

HeadHunter, did we both watch Avatar?

150

[quote]John S. wrote:

[quote]davidcox1 wrote:

[quote]John S. wrote:
A movie making the human race and our military out to be bad guys, I think I will skip this piece of propaganda.[/quote]

The movie’s protagonists were all human. Just like in other narratives, there are good guys and bad guys on both sides of the battle. No propaganda here.

The armed folks in the movie were contractors working for a giant corporation. Think Blackwater. As a military member, I didn’t feel like the flick pissed on our armed forces. To the contrary, the big hero is an ex-Marine.[/quote]

Weren’t the humans there to collect fuel that they needed? And I view blackwater the same as I do you in the military, both are doing their job in defending us. Someone who works in blackwater gets just as much respect as someone who works in the military, at least that is how I view it.

The big hero of the movie kills a bunch of humans, I can’t see how we can call that a hero.[/quote]

Wait…you view Blackwater the same as the American Military? WTF?

Have you even ever been in the military?

151

How is this film racist against white folks if the main character (who is white) is portrayed favorably and is the one who saves and leads the entire race of indigenous people native to the planet?

152

[quote]165StateChamp wrote:
How is this film racist against white folks if the main character (who is white) is portrayed favorably and is the one who saves and leads the entire race of indigenous people native to the planet? [/quote]

Uncle Jim Bob…it’s the equivalent to Uncle Tom.

153

[quote]Houston07 wrote:
John S., you haven’t seen the movie. Therefore, this will be the last response I gear towards you until you do. He DID NOT…key words…DID NOT…turn against his own. They were merceneries concerned with monetary gain that he turned against. Another thing, they didn’t even want him there on that mission. It was supposed to be his brother. Because of this, the military actually looked down on him (with the exception of the Colonel who was simply using him). You act like he was treated fair and then stabbed his own specicies in the back. Props to him for seeing the bigger picture. Then again, you won’t know what I’m talking about because you haven’t seen the movie. You read a right hand review and are arguing with people who have seen the movie multiple times. Go see the movie and if you still believe everything your saying, then fine. I don’t mind people expressing themselves if they are well informed and generated their own opinion via actually experiencing it on their own.

You sound like an old man cynic pissed off at life criticizing a good natured movie because it gasps isn’t on America’s nuts. [/quote]

honestly…

I would suggest finding a ‘morally-challenged’ girl. then getting her to agree to making you a blowjay in the theater while you are drunk and watching avatar.

make her start about halfway through though. if you time it right you can finish just as they start the final battle.

shit will BLOW YOUR MIND (and your dong!)

154

[quote]HolyMacaroni wrote:

[quote]Houston07 wrote:
John S., you haven’t seen the movie. Therefore, this will be the last response I gear towards you until you do. He DID NOT…key words…DID NOT…turn against his own. They were merceneries concerned with monetary gain that he turned against. Another thing, they didn’t even want him there on that mission. It was supposed to be his brother. Because of this, the military actually looked down on him (with the exception of the Colonel who was simply using him). You act like he was treated fair and then stabbed his own specicies in the back. Props to him for seeing the bigger picture. Then again, you won’t know what I’m talking about because you haven’t seen the movie. You read a right hand review and are arguing with people who have seen the movie multiple times. Go see the movie and if you still believe everything your saying, then fine. I don’t mind people expressing themselves if they are well informed and generated their own opinion via actually experiencing it on their own.

You sound like an old man cynic pissed off at life criticizing a good natured movie because it gasps isn’t on America’s nuts. [/quote]

honestly…

I would suggest finding a ‘morally-challenged’ girl. then getting her to agree to making you a blowjay in the theater while you are drunk and watching avatar.

make her start about halfway through though. if you time it right you can finish just as they start the final battle.

shit will BLOW YOUR MIND (and your dong!)
[/quote]

Genius.

155

[quote]HolyMacaroni wrote:

honestly…

I would suggest finding a ‘morally-challenged’ girl. then getting her to agree to making you a blowjay in the theater while you are drunk and watching avatar.

make her start about halfway through though. if you time it right you can finish just as they start the final battle.

shit will BLOW YOUR MIND (and your dong!)
[/quote]

That is brilliant.

156

[quote]John S. wrote:

[quote]FutureGL wrote:
Lordeeeeee… did everyone miss the whole “mercenary” bit? The colonel and developers are NOT the US military, I thought that was pretty clear. This is essentially a hypothetical civilization with their own military (a military solely devoted to resource procurement), driven only by profit. Yes you can read that as the US but GODDAMN I hope you don’t. If you do then I’m going to go ahead and turn it around: you’re the america hater. Don’t associate modern US with resource-grabbing ignorance. We’re better than that.[/quote]

I don’t want to turn this into a political debate, but anytime a nation is running out of resources they will expand to take more resources. The fact that we have this idea that survival is evil is really really dumb.[/quote]

@ John S. and Big Boss:

The resource was called “unobtainium.” And it was by no means an essential good. Parker (the chief developer) commented on how much money he could get for it, but it was definitely a luxury material. I took it as the new platinum.

SO it’s not: survival is evil. It is: environmentally and culturally ignorant luxury-minded expansion is evil… which is pretty hard to argue with.

157

[quote]Headhunter wrote:

[quote]Big_Boss wrote:
Well…I don’t want to lose too much of myself in the political skat-play of the usual suspects here. But I will say if Avatar sparks that type of nonsense and is worthy of a PWI thread…it MUST be worth a watch.

Also,I always notice that whenever HH criticizes a movie…it’s only after “catching” 15-20mins of whatever movie it is.

EDIT and if you see it in 3-D,this anti-white crap will be the furthest from your mind. You go to the movies to be entertained not for a political hand-job. [/quote]

Started yawning after an hour or so.

I know its annoying when I vocalize/write this but I get SOOOO tired of the hatred expressed for western culture in these dumb-assed movies. They play upon white self-loathing and non-whites’ desire to say: “See, we were right! You white people suck!!”, all for a sack full of money.

They don’t realize that it is western culture that brought humanity up out of the muck. Want to live on the plains of Africa? Squat by the Ganges in a mud hut? Die of starvation next to the Yellow River? Fine. Go ahead. That’s the world without technology. Its all yours.
[/quote]

Ok I get it, but wait. I took it more as a critique of imperialism – and not just imperialism itself but the NATURE of said imperialism. If you choose to draw that back to Western imperialism into Africa, Asia, the Americas etc; be my guest, but the reality is that Westerners aren’t the only historic imperialists (that’s where I accuse you of racism against whites again).

I thought the main idea of the film is that endless imperialism/colonization for the sake of the perpetually out of reach luxury (or I interpreted it as what we mistake for a necessity) …ie unobtainium is NOT the key to actual progress.

158

If humans ever encounter a planet with a less technologically advanced civilization and all we wanted was it’s mineral resources, after this little fiasco we would just come back and carpet bomb/nuke the planet from space, collect the mineral and leave.
In fact, the way the pocahontas story REALLY ended was with “the natives” running casinos.

159

[quote]165StateChamp wrote:
How is this film racist against white folks if the main character (who is white) is portrayed favorably and is the one who saves and leads the entire race of indigenous people native to the planet? [/quote]

Did you read the reasons posted? No.

Only white people who turn against technology/the West/science/corporations are good. Only those who want to crush the other white devils are good.

Why wasn’t the evil colonel a huge black dude like Prof X?

OT: Why is a world dying because it embraces technology? To squat in the jungle worshipping the God-tree is good, but building a water treatment plant or a hospital is bad?

I’m glad the blue creatures never get sick, food is there just for the plucking, on and on. Rename the planet Fanastyland.

160

Evil dude can´t be black or else people will accuse you of racism.