here with anne thompson focusing intensively on the technical aspects of the film
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aao0YSITuxc&feat…

the first one is more relevant to some of the points discussed on your episode 105; about the obvious environmental message, the politics in the movie and its clear references … cameron seems even clearer!
the second one its just fascinating…

hope you might find them interesting or just fun

I can tell you went into this film with a close mind to begin with.

First off, you do see the Na'Vi eating, when Jake is first allowed to sit with them, they are shown eating as a group around the fire. Also they are shown hunting multiple times, they only show one kill because it would get boring to show it over an over again. They assume you're intelligent enough to make the conclusion that the other Na'Vi are hunting as well.

And unobitanium as poop? Really? I think it's safe to say that since they know enough about the Na'Vi biology to make Avatars then they would know what their waste is. They know exactly what unobitanium is, and its a naturally occurring mineral in Pandora's soil. Ever think that maybe that not only is it a good fuel that the humans need, but that it also acts as a form of fertilizer? If that was true it would only make sense that a giant tree would grow above its largest deposit.

I would also hardly call the Na'Vi a people with a “heart of gold.” They are very quick to jump to executions. They are by no means “tree huggers” they have a literal connection with the world around them that translates into a spiritual.

There is a lot more going on in this film than you give it credit. You clearly walked into it already forming an opinion and wanted to go against the majority by picking out made up flaws. It's a familiar story, but despite a few cheesy lines, it was very well told. I'm a cynic that normally hates spectacle over story movies, but I went in with an open mind and saw the heart and complexities that people quick to judge would miss.

Also multiple directors is almost always a bad idea. Instead of getting one fluid idea you get a fragmented film where you can usually point out what was created by either director.

First, let me preface this by saying that I am morally opposed to war and guns and I strongly dislike real violence. That said, Gareth, the truth of the matter is that in most cases, order can only be achieved by violence. Any nation's border became that way through bloodshed. Dynasties that last 1000 years were formed through war and violence. Villages and tribes ensure their safety through the use of extreme force. While people like you and I may prefer peace, we live in it only under the threat of extreme violence to any enemy that tries to oppose us. Apart from the final conflict between the Na'Vi and the encroaching humans, violence is hinted at with the first rider of that big dino-bird “uniting the tribes”. I guarantee they didn't see that fierce beast and think “Wow. What a pretty dino-bird! Okay, your fashion-sense in aerial mounts is what is has inspired me to join peacefully together with you.”

***WARNING: Minor Spoiler below, but not a movie-ruining one***
Avatar truly disappointed me from a story perspective, and thus, overall, as a movie. Yeah, it looked great, but that's not enough for me. That's probably why I can't find Megan Fox attractive. She looks great, but there's no substantively keen wit to go along with the package. I'm sick and tired of the “savage people” with the “hearts of gold” who teach the white man to live as they do, subverting him to their side and inadvertantly creating in him a messiah for their people. The story would be far more interesting as a tragedy than a comedy (which is basically what it was by the end). Maybe they could make it to be like an Aztec/Conquistador theme where the savage people see the white people as their gods, ensuring their doom. Also, what was with the “unobtainium”? The highest concentration was below the tree inhabited by the cat-smurf people? Did anyone stop to think that maybe it was just cat-smurf poop? I mean, our cat does her business and buries it, so why wouldn't they? Lastly, this was a tribe of warriors and hunters, right? Yet, you never see them eating and there was only one hunted animal the entire movie. The rest of the time, the tribe's warriors just seem to walk around a lot.

The story was so terrible that I didn't care about the special effects of the movie. Maybe it was truly ground-breaking from a technology perspective, but illusions are useless if you can't sell to the audience that they're real. In my opinion, I think this movie was just too big for Cameron, or for anyone. I think we need to evolve to a style of film-making where there's an extra director for every $100 million spent. One can work with the story and actors, putting the kind of precise detail that Cameron devoted to the visual aspect. The other director works only with the visual aspect, weaving it into the story-line so that you're keeping pace with what's been created instead of overreaching and surpassing it. That's what happened here. But, I'm not a director and I don't understand the hierarchy involved with film-making, so maybe that all exists and they just did a poor job of execution.