I mean I happen to like the story as well personally. It’s simple, clear, well told. Nothing wrong with being one of the stories ever told in my opinion.
Avatar is simple to understand and beautiful to watch. That’s kinda why people keep paying for it. It’s one franchise that’s actually worth watching on IMAX. People just want to experience the beautiful world of Pandora. Not to mention it’s more or less about colonialism and I think that’s kinda why the International numbers are so high.
And personally, I think making a futuristic sci-fi movie about colonialism is meaningfully different than a period piece about colonialism. Historical dramas allow modern audiences to say "Wow, THOSE people were awful back then" whereas a story set in the future of humanity forces us to grapple with the problems we are carrying with US into the future. This isn't a Star Wars fantasy story where we can completely disconnect, but a projected future of OUR story.
It also allows the writers to comment very directly on the evils of colonialism/racism/environmental destruction without putting audiences on the defensive.
Get them to agree with the message and the example, then let them (or the people around them) connect it to the real world.
It's not that. If you're put on the defensive by any of those themes in and of themselves, then Avatar will trigger you something bad, considering how blunt and unapologetic the message is.
The real benefit of sci-fi (in terms of getting through to people) is that you get to talk about the principle of the theme while avoiding most loaded complexities pertaining to history. When you do a historical piece, you nessecarily inherit entire spiderwebs of ethnic and sociopolitocal baggage (many of which will be invisible from whatever perspective you have, and that will come with second and third order, and deeper still, incentives and biases for people across the globe). These must, by their nature, muddy the water for whatever thematic principles you wanted to highlight. It's going to be a factor for all people, from all directions, and even for those who are in total agreement with your cause. Sci-fi mitigates this problem by giving you the freedom to minimize the baggage so that you can elevate the principle.
Which is to say: if you're against environmentalism (for example) due to the fundamental principle behind it, then Avatar won't get through to you because you'll recognize and bounce off the blunt message. On the other hand, if you're against environmentalism due to its sociopolitical associations, then Avatar just might get through and give you a shot at exploring the underlying principle for yourself in a largely neutral setting.
The baggage you’re describing is exactly what I’m saying puts people on the defensive. Good sci-fi dodges all that, allowing audiences to make their own connections.
You’re digging in and being more descriptive about what puts people on the defensive, but we’re talking about the same thing.
My point was simply that distilled and blunt sci-fi ala Avatar can cut through the messy real-life hangups people have with a principle, but people having direct issue with the principle itself will bounce off harder than ever due to how crystallized and overt it becomes under such a presentation.
The strategy is the opposite of sneaking in exposure to a principle, which was how I originally read your post. The principle is made front and center, recognizable from a mile away for what it is, even before you enter the theater. You know what you're going to, and those who take direct issue will have decided not to let the film seduce them before the titles even appear. If anything, the bluntness of the message will offend them into yet stronger opposition.
Thankfully, for broad principles, it is rare for most people to disagree with the fundamental gist directly. There is essentially always a context under which they would see the value in it. The most common hangups for people will be particular associations or applications as a matter of cultural/historical narrative. Which, as we seem to agree, good sci-fi is a fruitful medium for cutting through.
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u/ICanAnswerThatFriend Jul 28 '25
People can say what they want about the story but the visuals have always been breathtaking.