Monthly Archives: December 2009

Every so often, a movie comes along that changes the rules of filmmaking in one area or another. After watching masterpieces like the “Lord of the Rings” trilogy and this summer’s “Star Trek”, I didn’t really think computer graphics could get much more sophisticated.

How wrong I was.

“Avatar,” the astonishing creation of high-profile director James Cameron (“Titanic”), is a staggering feat of cinematic brilliance that truly succeeds in blurring the boundaries between live-action and CGI. It’s already receiving critical acclaim from both viewers and the media, some even hailing it as the “Jazz Singer” of 3D films.

The plot follows Jake Sully, a paraplegic Marine who enlists in the “Avatar” program on the planet Pandora. The multinational corporation he’s working for has come to Pandora in search of the precious mineral unobtanium…but the planet’s natives (12-foot-tall blue-skinned feline aliens known as Na’vi) are proving to be a thorn in its side. The myopically evil Colonel Miles Quaritch promptly assigns Jake to join the Avatar program and broker a peace agreement (primarily involving the relocation of the Na’vi).

Jake’s consciousness is then transferred into his Avatar body – a biological “shell” grown from a mixture of human and Na’vi DNA. In such a form, he can explore Pandora’s toxic atmosphere without the use of cumbersome breathing equipment…and he can also try to infiltrate the Na’vi society and win their trust.

Predictably, he gets separated from his companions and narrowly escapes getting killed by the native wildlife. Enter the heroine Neytiri – a lithe Na’vi warrior princess who calls Jake “stupid, ignorant, like a child.” Of course she falls in love with him.

The first half of the movie mostly concerns Jake’s assimilation into the Na’vi society…but things really take off in the second half, once the humans start getting impatient with Jake’s lack of diplomatic progress. As expected, the big bad industrialists show up with missiles and gunships and start wreaking havoc on the innocent Na’vi. Jake, meanwhile, has become disillusioned with his Colonel’s murderous tactics and now sympathizes with the Na’vi. I won’t spoil the ending (because there’s a great twist), but plot-wise, it’s pretty much a sci-fi remake of “Dances With Wolves.”

First: the good…

Everyone reading this has probably already heard about the spectactular visuals…but no description can give this movie justice. Cameron has created a breathtakingly gorgeous science fiction universe that makes “Star Wars” look like a home movie. Everything – plants, animals, vehicles, you name it – exudes high production values…a testament to the $300 million budget (Just to put that figure in perspective, the cost of the ENTIRE “Lord of the Rings” trilogy was $258 million). The 3D effects are by no means gimmicky – rather, they perfectly complement the action without inducing splitting headaches. Watch it in 3D if you have the chance – you will NOT be disappointed.

Some of the most stunning scenes include a nighttime journey through a bioluminescent forest, a treacherous climb to the nests of dragonlike flying creatures, and a helicopter journey through a labyrinth of floating mountains. And then, of course, there’s the final battle.

I haven’t seen anything quite so epic since the Pelennor Fields fight sequence in “Lord of the Rings.” It’s an astounding, drawn-out tour de force that more than justifies the cost of admission. It’s long enough to completely satisfy even the most destruction-happy viewer, while short enough to ensure that it never gets dull.

Sounds great, right?

Well…not exactly.

The worldview implications of this movie can be summed up as follows: this is the most New-Agey movie I have EVER seen. The Na’vi embrace a form of neopagan pantheism that involves worshiping the All-Mother, “Eywa” (an astute reviewer in the Houston Chronicle pointed out that this is an inversion of “Yahweh”). “Eywa” is basically a sci-fi name for Mother Earth, the “network of energy” that flows through all living things.

It’s like the Force…but then “Avatar” takes it a step further. Trees on Pandora serve as neurons in a great, interconnected consciousness (the whole planet is one huge “brain”) which means that destroying the trees is tantamount to an act of murder. One special tree, the “Tree of Souls,” allows the Na’vi to communicate with their deceased ancestors.

Just in case his viewers didn’t pick up on the ultra-environmentalist overtones, Cameron tosses in a few political jabs aimed at the Bush administration. The evil Colonel Quaritch talks about “preemptive strikes,” “fighting terror with terror” and “shock and awe” before he exterminates scores of innocent Na’vi. Visual imagery employed (helicopter gunships descending into a primitive jungle) evokes images of the Vietnam War. For their part, the Na’vi note the advantage of “fighting on their own ground” and lament that the humans fail to see that “the true treasure does not lie beneath the earth, but is all around them.”

(Cameron said in a recent interview that with “Avatar” he was hoping to return to the philosophical roots of the earliest science fiction. Ironically, the earliest science fiction was heavily atheistic/evolutionary, and dealt with humans trying to find meaning and purpose in a godless universe. The spiritual dimension present in modern sci-fi was introduced in “Star Wars” and “Star Trek.”)

From a Christian perspective, there’s some interesting food for thought. The Na’vi essentially exist in an Eden-like paradise – they live in complete harmony with nature and one another, even apologizing to the animals they kill for meat. Unlike the Sioux Indians in “Dances With Wolves” the Na’vi are morally perfect beings – they do nothing that could be considered “sin” during the course of the movie. There are no examples of primitive sacrifice or savagery, but rather scene after scene of perfect love and unity. In contrast, most of the humans (there are a few notable exceptions) are greedy, foul-mouthed mercenaries who take pleasure in killing

Cameron indicated in another interview that the Na’vi represent “abstractions” or his idea of how human beings should live in concert with their surroundings. Unfortunately, he’s starting from the presupposition that human beings are basically good, and are corrupted by their evil profit-mongering society. If everyone would get in touch with Mother Earth and embrace the lifestyle of the Na’vi, the film argues, we would have a perfectly tranquil society.

But sadly, we aren’t Na’vi…we aren’t perfect. We are fallen beings with an inclination toward selfishness, as the film so aptly demonstrates. Left to our own devices, we are just as barbarous as any of the predators roaming Pandora’s jungles. It would be wonderful if Cameron’s vision was true – if by tapping into our inner spirit-force, we could all achieve unity and unselfishness – but in our world, evil is real. The film leaves these questions of human nature unanswered, leaving behind only a vague chain of New Age environmentalist platitudes.

Other objectionable content: there’s quite a bit of profanity, and the final battle is pretty intense. The Na’vi are pretty scantily clad, but after all, they’re inhuman blue aliens. Overall, the PG-13 rating is never called into question.

The big question: all things considered, should you support it?

Quite honestly, no one goes to see a movie like this because of its philosophical underpinnings. This movie is about the visuals…and quite honestly, a harmony-with-nature worldview lends itself nicely to gorgeous computer effects. Having said that, however, “Avatar” is undeniably a film with a message – an earth-worshiping, evil-humans-are-destroying-the-planet message. It’s not handled well enough to be truly moving – the characters are pretty static, and the villain is unrealistically barbaric – but the ideas are still there.

That’s not to say that there isn’t a grain of truth in it. It’s absolutely important to preserve the planet. It’s even more important to respect innocent, native life – and to be honest, the U.S. doesn’t have the best track record when it comes to that. But in my view, the planet is not a god…or, as “Avatar” would have it, a goddess. I don’t worship creation – I worship its Creator.

“Avatar” is probably going to shatter a slew of records, just like “Titanic.” And in my mind, it’s worth watching just for the effects. In the end, the decision whether or not to see it is up to you. Just go into it with your eyes open.

VERDICT: 8/10
A mixture of brilliant filmmaking and environmentalist propaganda.

Normalized Score: 5.8

Most people have never heard of “John Twelve Hawks” or his “Fourth Realm Trilogy” – a trio of spellbindingly written dystopian novels that probe the heart of modern civilization. While the first book, “The Traveler” was an International-Book-of-the-Month-Club selection, the author himself is famously reclusive. So what is it that really separates this series from the dozens of other science-fiction novels lining the shelves?

Quite simply, the fact that his vision of the future rings true.

The Fourth Realm trilogy is made up of three volumes: “The Traveler,” “The Dark River,” and “The Golden City.” Set in the not-very-distant future, the series is essentially a re-envisioning of George Orwell’s “1984” for the digital age. A mysterious organization of mercenaries known as the “Tabula” hopes to permanently prevent acts of terrorism by keeping citizens under constant surveillance – via an intricate network of microphones, cameras, and computer tracking chips. People will continue to go about their daily lives – without knowing they are being watched – so long as they do nothing to compromise the societal order. Dissidents simply disappear, with many turning up dead under suspicious circumstances.

Sounds familiar, right?

Enter the Travelers and the Harlequins. The Travelers, alone among human beings, can separate their “Light” (their soul) from their physical body, and use it to cross over into one of five additional parallel realms. Each of these five realms reflects Earth (the titular “Fourth Realm”) in some way. This supernatural ability allows Travelers to communicate with the inhabitants of the parallel realms…whose intentions for humanity are unknown. The Harlequins are an order of sword-toting warriors sworn to protect the Travelers. They thrive on randomness, even carrying random number generators around their necks which they use to make decisions (i.e. an odd number means “turn left,” an even number means “turn right”).

As “The Traveler” opens, Gabriel and Michael Corrigan are the only two known Travelers, although their gifts have remained latent. Maya, a bitter young Harlequin woman, is assigned to guard them…but the sinister Tabula mercenary network gets to Michael before she can. Gabriel and Maya, accompanied by an unlikely group of sympathizers, must thwart the Tabula’s plan for global control and try to save Michael.

As the story progresses, Gabriel and Maya draw closer together, which forces Maya to choose whether she will allow herself to feel emotion (the cardinal sin for a Harlequin). Gabriel discovers his Traveler talents, and crosses over into a series of disturbing parallel universes in search of his brother. And all the while, the Tabula is tightening its grip on the world…

From a literary standpoint, the saga is outstanding. The books read like a fusion of “1984,” “The Bourne Identity,” “Atlas Shrugged,” and “The Matrix” – a spellbinding combination that elevates them above the standard piece of dystopian fiction. The series is unpredictable and un-put-down-able. Even more compelling is the books’ undercurrent of truth. It’s a recognized fact that almost everything we do is monitored in some way, by someone. It would be only a short step for the government to collate all these efforts under one banner. This concern has gained new relevance in the era of the PATRIOT Act…is it justifiable for the government to monitor all its citizens, on the off chance that one might be a terrorist? Author Twelve Hawks obviously disagrees.

There are a lot of worldview implications as well. The mythology of the Travelers and the Harlequins is derived from Tibetan Buddhism – a much more mystical variant of Buddhism emphasizing the interaction of gods and demons in a succession of parallel worlds. The whole concept of a Traveler separating his soul from his body is clearly rooted in the New Age concept of astral projection.

While many characters profess to be Christians, their behavior reflects a much more syncretistic worldview. For Twelve Hawks, specific beliefs are not as important as a general support for individual dignity and free will. It really doesn’t matter whether his characters are evangelical, Buddhist, Catholic, Islamic, or atheistic…as long as they’re willing to stand against the Tabula, they’re the “good guys.”

Book 3, “The Golden City,” clears up some of these questions. Gabriel has a long conversation with the spirit of his father that reflects Twelve Hawks’ underlying worldview. According to Gabriel’s father, God created the world and then went silent, with no one hearing from him since. Thus, it is up to individual humans to create their own meaning. The behavior of the Harlequins and Travelers stems from this existentialist outlook. If meaning is found through the choices of the individual, randomness is the appropriate response to a world that seeks to promote homogeneity above all. Their defiance of the Tabula is not just rebellion against oppression – rather, it is the way that they find fulfillment in life.

There is some objectionable content – namely, stylized bloody violence (think: “The Matrix”) and language. There is one scene in Book 2, “The Dark River,” that recalls certain similar mature elements in “1984”…but it’s merely implicit, and is integral to the plot. If adapted into films, the books would probably get PG-13 ratings.

So should you read them?

This series is dark, and at times disquieting. But that’s because it’s very, very close to the world we live in. It’s thought-provoking in a way that few other modern sci-fi/suspense novels have managed to be. While I certainly wouldn’t recommend it to young or sensitive readers, the series is both exciting and eye-opening. It’s possible to value the social/political commentary of this series, while still recognizing the questionable worldview elements in light of God’s Word. Recommended for all readers who enjoy thinking about the balance of liberty and security in an increasingly unstable world.

VERDICT: 9/10
A brilliant work of science fiction blended with a realistic, provocative vision of the future.