Going to see "Avatar"?

Prepare to be proselytized.

The distinguished filmmaker who brought us Terminators 1 and 2, Aliens, and Titanic (all are films I love, by the way) is releasing his newest creation: Avatar.

When I went to see 2012 recently, I viewed a rather lengthy trailer for Avatar, and as I watched, I sensed some bad mo-jo coming from the screen. It turns out that my concerns have merit.

First, I read this review from John Nolte at the mega-blog Big Hollywood (see blogroll). Now I have heard Avatar's purpose straight from the mouth of the movie's writer/director, James Cameron, who had this exchange with the Today Show's Meredith Vieira:

VIEIRA: Yeah there's a love story and also there's a message about, you know, greed and when people want a lot of things, imperialism. All of that.

CAMERON: And how that tends to destroy the environment and so on. And here they are doing the same thing on another pristine planet that we've done here on earth. So it's a way, sort of looking back at ourselves from this other world and seeing what we're doing here.

Yeah, that's what I want: a three-hour guilt trip and self-flagellation seminar in which I pay ten buck for the experience. I'll pass. If I'm in a generous mood, maybe I'll Netflick it someday.

Good Day to You, Sir