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[Chad Sietsema]

Sunday evening… the Christmas letters had been sent, the weekend was winding down, but we weren’t quite prepared to surrender ourselves to the coming work week just yet. And even though the Vikings would be playing on national TV (twas the night before Monday, and all through the nation, the Vikings would cause nothing resembling sensation…), we – my wife, youngest son, and I – felt like a movie. My son, age 20, had his mind made up, we were going to see Avatar – in 3D. Seeing it in 3D was definitely the right call. The cinematography was (at times) spectacular, and the CGI special effects are cutting edge, but it’s the 3D that pulls it all together and makes this movie an experience. You walk away from the theater feeling as though you’ve been to a theme park like Universal Studios or Disneyworld, rather than having sat through a 2 ½ hour movie.
The plot is predictable, and the manner in which the story unfolds is equally so. There is also an undercurrent of a couple of political agendas that are hard to miss as well. As we left the theater, I said to my son, “I saw this movie 150 years ago. It was called ‘The Battle of Little Bighorn’ back then. Because as sure as I’ll drink egg nog and snack on lefse on Christmas morning, the antagonist in this movie is General George Custer, and the protagonist is Crazy Horse. The only thing missing is that our anti-hero isn’t surrounded by a ring of smiling blue faces as the lights are winking out from his worldly presence. But it is a 15-foot Smurf that brings about his demise. It’s too bad that James Cameron felt that the eventual leader of these strange humanoids had to be a human of the earthly variety (in sheep’s-skin, the Avatar). That aspect of the movie rings a little of “Dances With Wolves.” It seems condescending to have to think that these intelligent creatures would not be able to muster enough self-determination/motivation to protect themselves and not be able to formulate their own strategies for doing so without their savior, Jake Scully.
If you’re irked about any semblance of a hint of being lectured, or talked down to, about planet/mother nature abuse then maybe this isn’t the movie for you. Save Mother Earth is definitely one of the morals of this story. And, it seems Mr. Cameron wouldn’t mind if you feel a little shameful about how the heritage of this country was laid at your feet, either. But, if in the heart of the country where the Sioux uprising of 1862 is part of our past, you have reconciled your own guilt against your place in this world, or if you can set your guilt aside for a few hours… this movie is entertaining and a visual smorgasboard.

[Dan Conner]

Sunday evening… the Christmas letters had been sent, the weekend was winding down, but we weren’t quite prepared to surrender ourselves to the coming work week just yet. And even though the Vikings would be playing on national TV (twas the night before Monday, and all through the nation, the Vikings would cause nothing resembling sensation…), we – my wife, youngest son, and I – felt like a movie. My son, age 20, had his mind made up, we were going to see Avatar – in 3D. Seeing it in 3D was definitely the right call. The cinematography was (at times) spectacular, and the CGI special effects are cutting edge, but it’s the 3D that pulls it all together and makes this movie an experience. You walk away from the theater feeling as though you’ve been to a theme park like Universal Studios or Disneyworld, rather than having sat through a 2 ½ hour movie.
The plot is predictable, and the manner in which the story unfolds is equally so. There is also an undercurrent of a couple of political agendas that are hard to miss as well. As we left the theater, I said to my son, “I saw this movie 150 years ago. It was called ‘The Battle of Little Bighorn’ back then. Because as sure as I’ll drink egg nog and snack on lefse on Christmas morning, the antagonist in this movie is General George Custer, and the protagonist is Crazy Horse. The only thing missing is that our anti-hero isn’t surrounded by a ring of smiling blue faces as the lights are winking out from his worldly presence. But it is a 15-foot Smurf that brings about his demise. It’s too bad that James Cameron felt that the eventual leader of these strange humanoids had to be a human of the earthly variety (in sheep’s-skin, the Avatar). That aspect of the movie rings a little of “Dances With Wolves.” It seems condescending to have to think that these intelligent creatures would not be able to muster enough self-determination/motivation to protect themselves and not be able to formulate their own strategies for doing so without their savior, Jake Scully.
If you’re irked about any semblance of a hint of being lectured, or talked down to, about planet/mother nature abuse then maybe this isn’t the movie for you. Save Mother Earth is definitely one of the morals of this story. And, it seems Mr. Cameron wouldn’t mind if you feel a little shameful about how the heritage of this country was laid at your feet, either. But, if in the heart of the country where the Sioux uprising of 1862 is part of our past, you have reconciled your own guilt against your place in this world, or if you can set your guilt aside for a few hours… this movie is entertaining and a visual smorgasboard.I recently saw the 3D version of the movie myself. I thought it was outstanding. The special effects were unbelievable! I thought the story line was good, as well. The moral would benefit us all. I didn't look at it as something to feel guilty about, only something to consider. There are few movies that don't try to communicate some moral value. I think you are just being a little too sensitive to it. Just consider it and move on, if you wish. There's no reason to be offended.

[Chad Sietsema]

Oh, I wasn't offended by the story at all. And I don't feel the least bit guilty about my place in the world. I'm just familiar with the history of this area, and of the events of the Black Hills in the mid to late 1870's, and I recognized the parallels. From Chapter 12 of Dee Brown's Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee, Crazy Horse dreams his way into the real world and teaches his people new ways to fight the white man. This occurred just prior to the Battle of Little Bighorn. The Sioux uprising of 1862 here in Minnesota also has a chapter devoted to it in Mr. Brown's book. An entire book devoted to the uprising is Duane (might be Dwight, can't recall for sure) Schultz's Over the Earth I Come. Again, not offended at all by the movie. I enjoyed it very much. It's just my opinion that Mr. Cameron wanted to create a 3-D sci-fi version of "Little Bighorn." My 2 cents.