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More on Jake & His Calling

When Jake gets left because he was chased by some huge Pandora black panther-type beast, a fantastic scene by the way, he has to find his way in the dark. The female Avatarian, Natiri, saves him and tells him it’s his fault the animals that attacked him had to be killed. His existence in the forest, his ability to make fire (none of which would have saved him in the movie – symbolic of technology not saving man; then how did you make your movie without technology – one of many self-contradictions in the movie), are an affront to Pandora. He’s supposed to mingle with the wildlife, with nature, not take dominion over it. Yet, even the Pandorans take dominion over the creatures, like the horse-like creatures and the flying dragons. More contradictions.

In the Director’s Edition on the DVD there are 16 extra minutes, which has some key events narrated. Natiri’s sister was killed by the humans, shot in the schoolhouse set up by the Dr. (Sigourney Weaver). That explains a couple of things. 1) Why Natiri is so hostile at the beginning, and 2) why the Director could portray the Pandorans as so innocent. The sister and some other young people had set fire to a bulldozer. Killing them seems like overkill and makes the humans look like the original aggressors.

The scene in the forest when the “seeds of the sacred tree” gather and rest upon Jake is remarkably similar to Jesus’ baptism, where the Holy Spirit lighted upon Him and the Father’s voice said, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased.” I don’t know if the Director, Cameron, is trying to replace Christianity with the Pandoran Pantheism, or if he just couldn’t come up with anything better. In any event, the more things change, the more they stay the same. For dramatic effect, nothing beats God giving His sign of favor on the stranger, the One from the Sky People.

Just for grins: Regarding the attire of the Pandoran women, someone at Victoria’s Secret needs to develop a Pandora Nature Wear line.

To be cont’d.