Avatar vs. FernGully Similarities - Nothing New Under the Sun
81Avatar. Who hasn’t heard of the hottest movie since ... Titanic? Avatar struck awe into the hearts of many Americans who were filled with desire for the untainted and primitive world called Pandora. Not being impressed by the trailer, I was surprised at how much I actually enjoyed the movie, having been a little afraid I would laugh out loud at the ugly blue people to the embarrassment of my friends in the movie theater. I did enjoy it though and wouldn’t mind a little vacation to Pandora, but only if I get constellations on my nose.
FernGully. Do you remember that cartoon from the ‘90s with the little fairy and the evil rainforest killers? Probably not. My afore-mentioned friends in the movie theater didn’t remember either. Too bad for them. To them, Avatar was a new idea. But for me, it was like Déjà vu. I had seen all this before when I was a kid.
Watch this clever video that combines both Avatar and FernGully, and then take a look at how similar the plots really are.
FernGully
- There once was a beautiful rainforest untouched by humans. Tiny flying creatures called fairies live there in peace with nature until the arrival of MAN on ugly noisy tree-killing machines.
- Crysta, the scantily-clad fairy, discovers Zak, a human in human form who is helping to destroy the forest. She saves his life by promptly shrinking him down to her size.
- Unfotunately for him, Zak can’t fly. Fortunately however, Zak is more likeable than most humans because he’s cute (as much as a guy with long blonde hair can be cute).
- Zak lies to Crysta about who he really is.
- Crysta shows Zak around her home. There are colorful animals and lots of plants and everything is green and alive.
- Crysta’s almost-boyfriend is jealous of Zak (but they become friends by the end of the movie).
- Crysta and Zak jump in puddles that light up when they touch them.
- Crysta and Zak fall in love and go on a date.
- Zak (formerly clueless like most humans) sees the beauty of Ferngully, and has a change of heart about murdering trees that would never murder him. He fights for Ferngully with the help of some magical glowing things and a flying bat.
- The rainforest wins and the humans lose. The End.
 | Amazon Price: $7.25 List Price: $19.98 |
 | Amazon Price: $3.87 List Price: $9.98 |
 | Amazon Price: $2.99 |
![FernGully: The Last Rainforest [Blu-ray]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51nXx361rWL._SL75_.jpg) | Amazon Price: $12.90 List Price: $19.99 |
Avatar
- There once was a beautiful planet untouched by humans. Giant human-like creatures called Na’vi live there in peace with nature until the arrival of MAN on ugly noisy spaceships.
- Neytiri the scantily-clad Na’vi discovers Jake, a human in Na’vi form, who is helping to destroy the forest. She saves his life, but has no need to shrink him down to her size.
- Unfortunately for him, Jake can’t do anything. Fortunately however, Jake is more likeable than most humans because he’s cute (as much as a guy who has blue skin can be cute).
- Jake lies to Neytiri about who he is.
- Neytiri shows Jake around her home. There are colorful animals and lots of plants and everything is green and alive.
- Neytiri’s almost-boyfriend is jealous of Jake (but they become friends by the end of the movie).
- Neytiri and Jake run through plants that light up when they touch them.
- Neytiri and Jake fall in love and go on a date.
- Jake (formerly clueless like most humans) sees the beauty of Pandora and has a change of heart about murdering trees that would never murder him. He fights for Pandora with the help of some magical glowing things and a flying Toruk.
- The rainforest wins and the humans lose. The End.
 | Amazon Price: $18.49 List Price: $39.99 |
![Avatar (Three-Disc Extended Collector's Edition + BD-Live) [Blu-ray]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51pa%2BdQfl9L._SL75_.jpg) | Amazon Price: $28.49 List Price: $54.99 |
 | Amazon Price: $19.99 List Price: $34.98 |
 | Amazon Price: $21.81 List Price: $29.98 |
What's cool about AvaGully
It’s fun to imagine a fantasy world where everything is beautiful.
It’s fun to run around barefoot with corny songs in the background.
It’s fun to fall in love under the stars.
It’s fun to fly.
What's stupid about AvaGully
They generalize about the human race, basically saying that humans hate nature.
They put trees and animals on the same level as people.
They find god in nature.
They think nakedness is cool.
Why Is Avatar So Popular?
Well, green is the new black, they say. And a movie with environmentalism on its agenda is bound to be hot. So everything is exaggerated: humans love to destroy; they live in ugly places; they only work for money; but true nature-lovers love nature like a god; they are spiritual and talk to plants and animals.
Why is this wrong?
There is a huge difference between the Creator and the creation. We get in trouble when we blur the lines and start worshiping the creation. As stewards of the earth, we are called to take care of the plants and animals. Conservation is a good thing. But putting plants and animals on the same level as man, and putting all three of us on the same level as God, is just plain pantheism.
"Professing to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man and of birds and four-footed animals and crawling creatures. Therefore God gave them over in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, so that their bodies would be dishonored among them. For they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen." ~ Romans 1:22-25
In Conclusion
Avatar may be James Cameron’s biggest hit yet. He gave us Terminator and Titanic, both incredibly popular movies, but his moviemaking talent continues to break new ground. Or does it? Watching Avatar brought back some memories for me. It was like watching FernGully for grownups. But I have heard Avatar compared to other cartoons as well, like “The Smurfs” and “Thundercats.” Maybe children really are the future, if our childhood cartoons really are future box-office hit movies.
There is nothing new under the sun. “Avatar” scored with the graphics, just not so much with originality. As Magi Lune, Crysta’s spiritual mentor, says,“There are worlds within worlds, Crysta.” And there are movies within movies, apparently.
I enjoyed watching "Avatar" and "FernGully", but I disagree with the underlying message. This is my opinion ... what do you think? I'd love to hear your opinion. Please leave a comment below!
Read more about cartoon influence in Avatar
- James Cameron's Avatar vs. Cartoons from the '80s an...
Unless you've been living under a rock or hibernating in Antarctica, you will have noticed that a rather popular movie about blue aliens and evil humans pretending to be aliens has recently hit the shelves of...
If you enjoyed this hub, you might enjoy these:
- Actors and Actresses from Tim Burton's Alice in Wond...
Tim Burtons Alice in Wonderland, set to be released March 5, 2010, is gaining a number of fans eager to watch the movie the moment it is released, myself included. With decades of imaginative, unique films... - Tim Burton Movies, From Bizarre to Bewitching
Tim Burton. If you asked me which person in the entire world I would most want to have a conversation with, I would be tempted to say Tim Burton. I just want to know ...What goes on in that mind of his? Does... - The Box: Movie Review
If someone promised to give you a million dollars (tax free) and all you had to do was shoot someone, would you do it? Ill assume that you would be astonished at such a terrible offer. Well, what if... - I'm an Escapist Trying to Escape Escapism
You may not have heard the term escapism, but you probably have indulged in a little bit of it. According to Dictionary.com, Escapism is the avoidance of reality by absorption of the mind in entertainment... - Government Interference in Education
Public school education has become a thing so commonplace, that hardly anyone ever questions it as a trustworthy way to educate children. We have so long been enslaved to the whims of the government, that we... - What the Beatles Believed: John Lennon Quotes and Ly...
The Beatles were extremely popular during the 1960's British Invasion, and they remain popular still today. I sometimes wonder what made The Beatles so popular. Was it their youthfulness, their catchy songs,... - How to Change the World by Writing
An average of 12,000 people google the words - Book Review of America's Youth vs. Big Government by...
Are you discouraged by the current state of the nation? Are you disheartened at your small ability to make a difference in the future of our country? With the economic crisis and the rise of the so-called...
CommentsLoading...
Thank you, Jane, for reading and commenting (you flatter me). You're right, the movie's message wasn't subtle at all, and I can appreciate the moviemakers' bluntness in saying what they believed. I disagreed with them (obviously), but still managed to come away with a good experience (but maybe that was because I was in the company of good friends). I hope I wasn't overly critical. I did enjoy the movie, even if just for the fantasy-world-experience.
I remember Fern Gully. It was a great film not to mention how much I loved Batty. I agree with your assessment on how the films generalize human nature to want to destroy nature. Not to mention that people are willing to give up everything for the creation. I don't understand why people stage protests to live in trees when the tree is actually sick and affecting other wildlife. I think that's just Hollywood's way as well to be overly preachy on certain topics. Great hub!
Thanks for reading, Kendall! FernGully... it was one of those cartoons that just stuck with me! I really liked it when I was a kid, but now I see the obvious message of it. Thanks for all your thoughts - I agree!
I'm commenting based on years/decades old memories of Ferngully, so I'm not sure, but didn't Zak break his fall from a treetop by grabbing large leaves as he plummeted to the ground, and didn't he also climb on a bulldozer that was harvesting trees to try to stop the destruction? Just like Jake! Didn't both movies have an overly large tree as a central theme? Didn't both movies have a wise older female character in-tune with nature? I didn't see any of this in Dances with Wolves! Even Sigourney Weaver admitted on SNL that Avatar was just a rip-off of Ferngully :-) (I did like both movies though - Robin Williams voiced Batty in Ferngully, and the Blue Genie in Aladdin, so he could do a comedic blue Na'vi in the upcomming Return to Avatar - The Last Alien Rainforest).
Hi Marc, your comment made me smile :D All those similarities you mention are true as far as I can remember. Great idea about Robin Williams making an appearance in Avatar 2! I think you should submit that idea to James Cameron! Thanks for reading, it's nice to hear from someone else who remembers FernGully!
hmmm..you make a lot of good points here. i didn't realize james cameron ripped off his version of "Avatar" from "Fern Gully" until I read your blog. lol. thanks for letting me know. although, this doesn't change my opinion about "avatar" as i still found it to be a great film in it's own right. I'll definitely check out "fern gully" though since I always heard of it, but I never bothered to see it since I was never much of a fan of Don Blue's work. Sure, he had a few good ones like "American Tale" and "Land Before Time", but most of his other films stank. Thus, I never bothered with "Fern Gully" but after reading your hub, I think I will give it a shot. Thanks.
Oh one quick note though. You were wrong about Jake lying to Neytri about who he was. As I've seen that movie twice, in both 2d and 3d, and Jake never once lies to her about who he is. Sure, he may have lied about what his intentions were, but he never lies about where he comes from. He even tells them that he's a warrior from the human colony. However, everything else you pointed out seems accurate though. thanks again for the read.
Stevennix2001, thank you for reading and taking the time to comment! I believe you can watch the entire FernGully film on YouTube. Let me know what you think. I personally like American Tale better.
Thank you for pointing that out. When I said that Jake lied, I meant that he held back information, which to me is the equivalent of lying. I've only seen the movie once though, so I appreciate your mentioning that he never outright lied, as I don't always have the best memory.
I would like to politely disagree with the generalizations you listed in your conclusion, especially "They generalize about the human race, basically saying that humans hate nature." They in fact do the exact opposite. These movies show how just a small group of people can ruin the world, and all it takes is an equally small group of people to turn around and change what is wrong. These movies applaud the individuals who are trying to make the world a better place, and open the eyes of the people who refuse to believe that we as the human race are doing anything wrong. They aren't trying to put humans and animals on the same level. These movies are trying to establish a sense of respect and thankfulness for all we have, and all we are destroying. If we don't take care of the Earth, the Earth will not last very long at all. Everything was perfectly fine on this planet for BILLIONS of years, and in the span of 5 seconds on the evolutionary clock (the amount of time humans have existed in the hour that is the life of the earth), we have managed to destroy vast amounts of forests, coral reefs, and waterways. We have depleted the ozone layer, caused global climate changes, and killed off more species in one sitting than have been killed off since the great extinction back in the dinosaur ages. These movies aren't telling us to put nature above ourselves, but simply serve as a shock factor to show the less educated and the lest thoughtful examples of humankind that perhaps it is time we start reversing our damage.
~ "Are you hoping for a miracle, as the ice caps melt away. No use hoping for a miracle, there's a price we'll have to pay..." ~
Renata Vidovic, thanks so much for taking the time to share your thoughts! We do disagree however. I believe the movie did make generalizations about the human race. If I'm not mistaken, there were only a handful of human beings who actually cared about the people and nature on Pandora. Everyone else, from what I remember, was labeled a "bad guy."
You say, "Everything was perfectly fine on this planet for billions of years..." Let me ask, were you there? How do you know? Carbon dating a bunch of old-looking rocks? The environmentalist agenda that is being so widely propagated is a bunch of lies. We are not destroying the earth. There is no extreme global warming. People like (must I name names) Al Gore are spitting out lies to promote their own agenda, and we civilians are often blind and thoughtless enough to believe them.
Human nature is such that it always balks against God's will. We naturally want to take things into our own hands and control the earth. But in reality, God is all-powerful. I love planet earth. I do. We, as stewards of the earth, need to practice conservation. We need to take responsibilities for our actions. But let's not get carried away and start believing the lies of the environmentalist agenda.
I didn't even realize how similar these movies were. Nice comparison Rose West.
I'm sure a year from now I'd have totally forgotten Avatar, other than the neato visuals in 3d. I still have fond memories of Ferngully as a kid, and the songs it had. Your hub just got me to watch the "Toxic Love" clip on youtube, sung by Tim Curry. I remembered it being better, but still aged well :)
Pumpkin head, thanks for coming by to read! I hear I missed out by not watching the movie in 3D - heard it was pretty cool. But yeah, I definitely didn't get into the story all that much. FernGully... funny how memories are often better than reality :)
Very insightful hub and I agree with your opinions about both these movies. I remember Fergully well and I can see the similarities now. I liked Fergully but wasn't that thrilled with Avatar, it was long and I didn't care much for the underlying messages that you mentioned as well. Great hub. Rated it up. Cheers.
Hi ladyjane1, thank you for reading and for the rating :) I didn't like Avatar as much as all the hype led me to expect, but I remember really liking Fern Gully when I was little.
I too realized right away that Avatar was, for all intents and purposes, a carbon copy of Fern Gully when I saw it (excluding the fact that it doesn't have the epicness of Tim Curry). In some ways it's very similar to Pocahontas as well. I agree that the movie seemed pretty ridiculous to me too, and story wise it is, but I did enjoy it for the most part as well.
I do have to agree with Renata Vidovic's statement about human generalization not really being there, and there are statistics to support her point. Namely the statistical score of Americans who are concerned with climate change. A mere 28%, meaning that the majority isn't concerned with it. Just like in the film, where we have this small handful of people concerned with the welfare of the planet, those people being the scientists who have studied the planet. The rest don't care, they have their own business to attend to which, in this case, involves actual business (from this point, the point being the idea that marines are all nuts and all corporate leaders are ultra greedy, though most certainly have shown themselves to be so, I do agree with your idea of generalization).
However, I must say I strongly disagree with the "blurring of the lines between Creator and creation." As someone who has taken some studies in religion and mythology I don't see the idea being anything close to what you said. The fact that the Na'vi worship their planet as their creator is a very ancient means of thinking, a means that has been around much longer than the concept of a deity who willed everything into being. The Greeks thought like that, actually, in the concept of the Titan Gaia. She was the embodiment of the Earth and through her the rest of creation sprang forth, but not because of will. Rather, according to the Greeks, the Titans, which lead to the creation of the rest of life, were born of Gaia's union with the sky. The basic idea is similar to the idea of Eywa, though the Na'vi are much more heavily based on Native American Indian, Inuit, and (as referenced in the film) Aboriginal peoples in terms of their culture.
Lastly, as for this so-called "environmentalist agenda," well the Church has agendas as well. Everyone does. So, as someone who stands the middle ground and actively chooses to believe none of it, I'm simply going to say that I'll stick with the ideas based in evidence that our science and history continues to show. I will always take the tangible over the speculative, and the existence of a deity, being something impossible to prove or disprove, is the ultimate in speculation.
Oh, and one more thing: Toxic Love was the best part in Fern Gully. Period.
Agnostic Nihilistic, the name you have given yourself rather depresses me, and I hope you won't always view the world with nihilism. I have to disagree with you about the idea of a planet creator being around longer than the idea of a creator with a will. I believe the earth was created by God, Who is independent of His creation. Of course, many people (almost since the beginning of time) have put themselves and the surrounding creation on a level with God, mixing up the true balance of Creator/creation. This worship of nature is rebellious; it is an imbalance of the proper order of things. It is easy to believe in things that we can see and touch, and it is hard to believe in something or Someone that we cannot see. But that which is hard is often the most worthwhile. Science and history are fallible - they get screwed up by the failures and untruthfulness of men. But the Word of God is perfect and completely trustworthy. Trust in man-interpreted science, and you will be disappointed. Trust in the God of the Bible and you never will be.
I, being a huge FernGully fan in my earlier years, also made the comparisons. not only with FernGully, but also Pocahontas as someone mentioned. Considering even just the few people that have commented here that had not seen FernGully, I think Avatar was a great way to expose a wide audience to the important lessons many forget on a daily basis (by ignoring the deep effects of products and their creation we buy and use all the time not only environmentally but also on a social scale) not only to respect our earth, but also other cultures. yes it over generalized to drive the point home but thats the trend in much of today's entertainment industry...that is being dramatic, because that is what is most entertaining and sells. plus it wouldn't be as much of a tear jerker if u can't really hate the antagonist.
i'm not a bible thumper, but i was raised going to church and isn't there passages in the bible, and every other religious text, saying that the "divine", or the "light of god" is in everything. therefore in respecting all life we are respecting "god" because realistically, "god" is just another way to explain energy (which is neither created nor destroyed)... is praying to a tree any more crazy than praying to a man in the sky. the tree that the Na'vi occasionally worship is a beautiful metaphor for the recycled energy that is everywhere, lucky for them they are smart enough to tap into the collective consciousness that is our earth....o and by the way, man interpreted science is just as, if not much more, untrustworthy as man-interpreted religion...especially the multi-interpreted-by man-bible. at least science is testable, and can admit when it was wrong and progress toward ultimate truth. tested evidence and theoretical speculation (be it imaginative) are both important and dangerous in their own ways, but both are needed for our evolution as humans, and that i think is the most important point of the movie...that we can not progress if we kill what allows us to live.
kacabla, thanks for your comments and opinions. I disagree with you, however, about passages in the Bible speaking of the divine being in everything. I have never read anything in the Bible that says that God is equated with created things. Perhaps you are thinking of the passages about the Holy Spirit who dwells in believers. But the Holy Spirit is still a separate entity. God is not another word for energy. Worshiping the creation of God instead of God is an abomination to the One who commands exclusive worship. Bowing down to a tree or a rock or an all-around-us energy is like slapping the face of God.
I would also like to mention that God is not the "man in the sky". He is the sovereign Creator of us and everything around us. He is all-powerful, all-knowing, and omnipresent. He is God the Father. He is Jesus Christ. And He is the Holy Spirit.
Obviously, you and I see through different worldviews. The way we treat science and religion can't help but be different. Everybody has to decide whether they will live a God-centered life or a man-centered one. Personally, I don't trust the nature of man enough to depend on him for my salvation.
I will say this I like both movies and the worshiping of nature was in our world brfore the worshiping of god, its a different belief, to each there own I am not christian, I believe in Hellenism, which is the worship of the ancient greek gods. I find your statements prejudice and insulting to other beliefs.
Voajus, I must disagree that the worship of nature originated before the nature of God, and I have to wonder where you get your evidence. Obviously we have completely different beliefs, though I am surprised to hear "Hellenism" and curious as to how you live in worship to the ancient Greek gods.
Excellent--clearly a lot of thought and research was put into this article. It must have taken you weeks to put this together. Great work. I can tell you had plenty of good reviews about this.
Hi Nat Amaral, thank you for reading! I enjoyed putting this together :)
Rose, I am moved by your words as Iam also a christian and disciple of Jesus Christ. You wrote precisely and truthfully, Much love and keep spreading the word, i hope others have the ears to listen.
Hi Ian, I'm so glad you found this! Your words are very encouraging - thank you!
Avatar and Ferngully the same movie? Yes they were but to be fair Star wars and Lord of the Rings are the same movie. How many times has cinderalla been remade with different names for the charactors. Some people mentioned Pocohantas, how about Brother Bear, that movie was full of spirits and all living things being one. Great hub.
Hi ruffridyer, thanks for your visit! I haven't seen Brother Bear, but from what I hear, it probably has some Avatar similarities too.
Well Avatar in itself is a brilliant movie and I'm a HUGE fern gully fan. But I think the message is being mangled up by too much thinking and taking EVERY aspect and relating it to real life. In avatar their God IS nature so therefore they worship nature. This is not a "message" this is a storyline, it is years of planning and mapping out a fantasy colony in a fantasy world. If there is a message in this film it is simply meant to say that we need to be more respectful of human nature. And in essence we ARE killing our mother nature. It is fact and to deny it is stupidity. And the generalization of humans in avatar as the bad guys? Well were humans, we lie and steal and cheat and murder. We burn down lands we make weapons of destruction and blow shit up. Humans can be the most VILE creatures....however as humans we also have a great capacity to love. And I believe that is the true message of this film. Humans can be disgusting, they can go in and take what they want(circa native american periods, remember that?) But there are good people, and we need to learn to protect what we are given. We need to become a race of connection and not consumption. But that is just my opinion. Also loved Tim Curry! TOXIC LOVE FTW!
... like watching FernGully for grownup - this is the point. Excellent post - I can bet James Cameron have read it too.
All in all it's a
Fern Gooly and the last airbender :D
Hi Ken, thanks for your comments! While I am a big fan of fantasy and the creation of new worlds in fiction and movies, I believe that truth will always be the same, no matter what the story. What I mean by this, is that the fact that Pandora is a fantasy world and the god of Pandora is nature, does not justify a message glorifying nature. I hope I'm being clear here: yes, mankind often messes things up; yes, we need to take care of the creation around us. But humanity is not on the same level as the rest of nature, and heaven forbid we worship it. I agree that we should not be damaging consumers, but I would say we need to go beyond mere connection and become caretakers of the world. Nature is not our mother; we should not treat it as such.
Hi avatar games, thanks for reading! I rather doubt James Cameron has read this, but that would be very cool!
Rose West, your arrogance is self evident. With over 3000 deities to choose from you're certain that the one you have chosen is the only real one. As a Christian, you should be humble enough to admit that the words in the Bible are also open to interpretation. In all honesty, unless you have the original tablets given to Moses, the word of God you claim as perfect and completely trustworthy was in fact written by human hands.
Liberty, the thing is, I didn't choose the God I believe in - He chose me. Whatever people say, I have a personal relationship with my Savior. This is evidence no one can argue about with me. Christianity is unique in that salvation is by grace alone - nothing I can do can save me. Being a good person will get me nowhere. I need the saving work of Christ to change my heart and make me a new person. And if I said that the Bible is open for interpretation, I wouldn't be a very consistent Christian, would I? Yes, the Bible was written by humans, but it was inspired by the Holy Spirit. The many authors of the Bible are all united in the truth that they wrote.
One mistake: "They think nakedness is cool" seems to be under the wrong subhead. Nakedness is very cool. Well, technically, it's cold, but it's cool as well.
Haha Tony, very true :) Perhaps I should have said something like: "They think unashamed public nakedness is OK."
both movie shows the cruelty of men in nature and both zak and jake fell inlove with the other race and that what makes it so unique.. fern gully is my best movie i ever watch when i was a kid now this avatar thing is so awesome.. but still fern gully take the credit for me
Hi Joennel, thanks for your comments. I too enjoyed Fern Gully when I was a kid, but Avatar just seemed a bit too much.
Hi there... great article... and i agree with everything you said... just happened to come across Ferngully on TV and watched it for nostalgia's sake, and then started noticing the similarities, and thought that i couldn't be the only one who thought so. But i do have one question, is your name really Rose West?
u1d2c3, thanks for reading! I must admit though, Rose West is a pen name.
As a Christian, I find myself constantly baffled when user others thatthink the Bible is not horrible tainted by humanity. Especially the utter and obviously truth that our Bible has literally been rewritten to fit the ideals of people throughout the centuries. the Bible has been rewritten and changed and manipulated so many times since it's creation that the true word has been long lost to us for centuries. it's a shame... and a horrible oversight toward humanity to not realize that. Anyway... before man knew God, he knew the Earth, his cradle, his provider, his world. As much as my faith dictates my life I still know that once, long ago, God wasn't even a thought in mans heart. Like all great things, he was discovered, though he was discovered at his own time of choosing when we were ready to comprehend his existence.
John, thank you for your thoughts, but your first statement seems extremely contradictory. You are a Christian, and yet you do not believe the Bible to be the infallible Word of God? I confess I'm not sure where you are coming from.
Rose, I was reading your postings with interest until you posted that you're a creationist. I honestly didn't think people really believed in that any more.
Hi Alex, yes, people do still believe in creationism, though it is against the mainstream. The thing about truth: it doesn't change. I suppose many people believe in evolution today, but that concept hasn't been around for very long. Creationism? It's been around since the beginning of time.
Really enjoyed your view on Ferngully and Avatar, but if i may bring about a point i think that religion can be a rather vague topic so i would rather avoid that all together, and point out that the tree they worship has some sort of being not like a god but like a person, in my opinion its almost like they are worshipping a king, i say this based on the fact that when jake asked the tree to help them fight it did (kind of, it sent monsters). The tree is kinda like what the movie said, its like a biological network like that of a human being, just a lot more evolved persay (i realize its a tree maybe its some sort of smart tree)
Hi JohnDoe, thanks for reading and commenting. Religion, or rather faith, is a big deal for me, so I can't really avoid it. Your perspective on the tree is interesting, but seems a little like you're trying to avoid conflict.
thank you for responding, its not so much im trying to avoid conflict but try to bring up a diffrent view on the matter, i believe that in many ways they are similar as are many movies but in many ways they are diffrent. For instance Avatar brings a science into the equation like the biological tree, where as in Ferngully its about magic. I also think Avatar gives a more realistic scenario of human nature when the man in charge ordered for the land to be destroyed and the soldiers and followers believed it to be right, this is similar to real life such as when settlers came to canada they basically took all the land for themselves bit by bit, this conflict still goes to this day. Where as in Ferngully human nature isnt brought out to this extent, in fact they almost say it isnt human nature by making a toxic monster the bad guy.
Hi again JohnDoe, I appreciate your bringing a different perspective to the table. I hadn't thought much about the magic vs. science issue. I think I agree with you on the portrayal of human nature. It's funny how we like our enemies to be "ideal", especially in kids movies like FernGully - something outside of them makes them bad. But in reality, we have all it takes in ourselves to become the enemy. Thanks for your comments!
I don't want to hear about how "stupid" native tribes are for respecting nature instead of Jesus. I could say the same thing about respecting jesus instead of nature, but i won't because I'm not close-minded like you. Did you really quote a bible verse in a film review about a film that has nothing to do with religion?
urbanite, nature has nothing compared with Jesus - nature can't save our souls. I sincerely hope I am not being close-minded; I truly want to speak the truth. Maybe it's just me, but Avatar seemed pretty religious.
Jane Grey Level 3 Commenter 2 years ago
Wow- incredibly insightful comparisons, not just with Avatar and Fern Gully, but also with the deeper foundational problem between worshiping of God and worshiping of His creation. It's amazing to me how non-subtle the movie was in its exaggerated worship of pantheism and paganism. I haven't seen Avatar myself, but the trailers give it all away. Great article! I really enjoyed hearing from the mastermind critic.