We went to the cinema in Plymouth this evening with my Dad to see Avatar. It was his first trip to the cinema in at least ten yearsI was hoping Avatar would meet the expectation I had built up in everybody (I saw it a couple of weeks ago when it opened with my colleagues).
Our first hurdle was the huge cinema in Plymouthand our idiotic presumption that we might be able to walk in (as we do at home) and buy a ticket half an hour ahead of the film. Mistake. We walked in at 1pm, and got a ticket (just) for the 5pm showing. We then wandered into Plymouth, had a drink, a meal, and kicked our heals for a while. Returning the the cinema we couldn’t quite believe our eyesline upon line of people waiting to get into the various theatresmost of them waiting for the screen we were headed for too. I need not have worriedwhen we finally got in, the cinema screen was perhaps the biggest I have seenperhaps seating a thousand people or more. Having seen a couple of 3D movies already, I immediately made a run for the seats fairly near the frontmy Dad and W discovered why once the movie started you NEED the screen to be huge and in your face for 3D to work wellsitting further back (as I did the first time around for Avatar) destroys the 3D effect to a large extent because of the letterbox effect the edges of the screen causes. Anyway. Avatar. What a movieSpending a few more hours in the company of the Na’vi was a privilageand it was wonderful this time to share it with my other half. Whereas my colleagues didn’t really “get” the back story of the movie, I knew W wouldwe came out of the cinema on a huge high, swapping thoughts and ideas about parallels with human historythe various nightmarish acts we have similarly visited upon alien cultures throughout history. For those who wish to find it in Avatar, there is a huge, deep and wonderful message about what we are doing to the world. Many have derided the movie for communicating it, but I applaud it. As somebody famous once said, it is a message that needs to be said again and again, with conviction. Watching Avatar a second time was perhaps even more powerful than the first time (spoiler alert!)the military attack on the home tree was horrific second time aroundand the effect on the Na’vi haunting and upsetting. While travelling home we talked about the suitability of the movie for children; and quite apart from sitting through a 3 hour movieif a child would understand the horrors visited on the indigenous peoople of Pandora. With the perspective of an adultand now a parentI sometimes wonder if we protect too muchif we should allow children to know some of the horrors of the world of grown ups such that their stars may be changed for the better. Who knows.