Why do I like Avatar?

People like Avatar for different reasons. Some said it is a 3D spectacle with eye popping visuals. Some said James Cameron has successful created a beautiful yet dangerous new world, the Pandora. Many said that Avatar opens a new era for 3D movies. But how about the messages carried out by the movie?

For the Americans, they may view this as an anti-imperialist entertainment. After all, Americans like to go to other places, calling local people savages and grabbing their resources by force. Some may consider this as a tribute to native people by guilty American white men, or “Dancing with Wolves” the outer space version.

Some critics said the story is weak (I doubt if they actually get any message from the movie other than focusing on the visuals), there is no witty dialogue, the movie is too serious that it is boring (I fully enjoyed the 2.5 hr movie though and plan to go see it again).

But why do I like Avatar? I enjoy seeing the beautiful world with all these new fauna and flora (have to praise James Cameron for his imagination and creativity), even the very rare humor when the female scientist wanted to collect samples when her life was in danger. I get the messages that man and nature are connected somehow, the weak can stand up against the strong, we should try our best to protect our land, heritage and culture, and we cannot sacrifice our environment for economic gain. In many countries where everything has to give way to economic development, lands and homes are taken forcefully, the environment is destroyed, large corporations and the government coerce people into submission, seeing Avatar is a refreshing and enlightening experience. Ok, even though we can’t do the same thing in real life, we can still immerse ourselves in the movie, imagining we were the nature loving Na’vi people who kicked the greedy corporation / government out of our land!