SAVANNAH, Ga. (WSAV) — There’s been a sizable debate online about the cultural impact of James Cameron’s “Avatar” franchise. I think that now, after $5 billion at the worldwide box office across three films of equally high quality, it’s time to put that debate to rest.
Returning to Pandora for three hours every couple years is always a special treat, especially since Cameron and his collaborators have created such a rich and exciting world. The exomoon is brimming with life and discovery and mystery around every corner and that is part of the joy of these films.
These films are rich with characters who inhabit Pandora. Jake Sully, Neytiri and their children are all mourning the loss of the eldest Sully child differently. The film allows us enough time with each of them to get in their heads and see things through their perspectives. Opposing them are Varang, the leader of the Ash Clan, and Colonel Miles Quaritch, the film’s best character, who is now really getting used to his new Na’vi body. His story is a mirror of Jake’s in the first film. It’s done in an incredibly interesting way – whereas Jake embraced the Na’vi, Quaritch resists his new form and the Na’vi culture (for now, at least)…