Should My Kids Watch Avatar? A Mom’s Review of FernGully Sequel

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On Christmas Eve, my husband and I took all five (ages 8, 7, 6, 4, 3) of our children with us to see Avatar. We live in Japan, and the dialogue was in English with Japanese subtitles.

True to the rating, there were a few fecal matter related swearing instances, nudish blue humanoid Na’vi decked in strategically placed beads and loin-cloth size clothes, kissing and implied sex. The fibril linking between the Na’vi and the beings in their world was brilliant but erotic. The kids didn’t notice.

Children younger than 13, especially those who are acquainted with video games and sci-fi, should be fine with parental supervision.

All of my children enjoyed the movie. My six year old, who has a tough exterior, a tender heart, and kicks butt on Halo 3, held my hand during one of the battle scenes. He did not cover his eyes, he just wanted to know that I was nearby. He will kill me someday for sharing this with my readers.

While the MPAA was fretting over cigarette smoking, the strong focus on pantheism was the most malignant aspect of the movie. Today (Christmas morning here) I intend to talk with my children about praying to the spirit of the earth versus praying to the Almighty God. We have had a similar conversation over G-Rated The Lion King. Keep in mind, in a country where less than 1% of the population are Christian, my children are exposed to the worship of false gods from the moment we step outdoors. We are sensitive to this, as we should be.

The movie is gorgeous. I have never seen such CG. The creatures, plant life… the whole world of Pandora… was amazing. I am in awe of James Cameron’s ability to capture a glimpse of his genius and share with us creative plebeians. The bioluminescenct plants in the forest were so other-world beautiful, I wanted to touch them.

I cannot wait to see the pictures my children will draw for the refrigerator gallery after seeing Avatar.

While I did not experience Avatar in I-MAX with 3D glasses, I have a feeling it would have been fun. Without these enhancements, I imagine my viewing experience would compare to walking through an iridescent-on-black-velvet Ocean City, NJ, boardwalk poster shop without the UV lights.

Jake Sully, the film’s hero, is a paraplegic There’s-No-Such-Thing-As-an-Ex-Marine. His twin brother was a doctor set to work on planet Pandora as a driver for a DNA-personalized avatar. Through mind control, drivers are able to safely operate their avatars from a distant base while they interact with the Na’vi aliens in the forest. Shortly before the mission begins, Jake’s brother dies. Jake’s biochemistry was a match and, despite lack of scientific training, he is offered his brother’s job.

When Jake’s mind was reborn into his perfect new avatar body, he couldn’t contain his overwhelming joy at being able to walk again. It was very moving. (There is one other moment that grabbed me by the heart. I won’t spoil the moment, but when you hear the line, “My Jake,” remember this review!) I loved the character’s determination despite his bum legs. He kept up and never made excuses or complained. He did not allow others to treat him delicately.

I am looking forward to revisiting a dialog on with my children on disabilities, and asking them what they would do if their legs stopped working.

Cameron captured the details of the world and the characters very well. He underscored the clashes that occur between corporate interests, a private military company, and scientists on the ground who are all working on the same project for different reasons, and how each group interacts with each other and with indigenous inhabitants.

The storyline, albeit entertaining, was a recycled one. While I was distracted by the gorgeousness of the animation and the how-did-he-think-of-that creature concepts, deep down I felt like watching a sequel to Fern Gully: The Last Rainforest (1992).

FernGully is a magical rain forest inhabited by fairies.