Avatar in 3D

As children, we read stories about magical worlds and goblins and wizards and wicked witches and all that. Try that with kids now, and some stick-in-the-mud will accuse you of indoctrinating children with New Age nonsense. If a recent op-ed piece from The New York Times is any indication, the big movie hit this season, James Cameron's Avatar, is the latest attempt by some conspiracy to drive us all to burning incense and reading tea leaves. Or something.

It’s fitting that James Cameron’s “Avatar” arrived in theaters at Christmastime. Like the holiday season itself, the science fiction epic is a crass embodiment of capitalistic excess wrapped around a deeply felt religious message. It’s at once the blockbuster to end all blockbusters, and the Gospel According to James.

But not the Christian Gospel. Instead, “Avatar” is Cameron’s long apologia for pantheism — a faith that equates God with Nature, and calls humanity into religious communion with the natural world.

Either that, or it's just a nice story. You go to the theater, you see the movie, you walk out, your life is the same. What could possibly go wrong?

Now when you go to the theater, you have the choice of seeing "Avatar" or "Avatar 3D." The former is awesome enough, as it takes computer-generated animation to a new level that leaves the Star Wars movies in the dust with cheesy sci-fi flicks of the 1950s. But the latter is even more awesome than that, if you can imagine. "Sal" and I went to see it last night. It was my first experience with 3D movies -- at 55 years of age, isn't it about time? -- the kind requiring those special glasses. These weren't cheap cardboard glasses, mind you, but with really nice black plastic frames. They had recycling bins outside the doors when it was over, but I managed to collect a few to take home, for when the DVD of the 3D version comes out.

In the second clip, Grace Randolph gives the low-down on the blockbuster movie, then gets reactions from audiences fresh from the theater. It is brought to you by Indy Mogul and Next New Networks.

For those who can't see it, her tee-shirt says: “National Sarcasm Society. Like we need your support.” Cute.
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