why i'm glad i watched Avatar...

...it reminded me of what i love in a story...

(warning: this might contain spoilers)

-- a great first line: "When I was lying in the V.A. hospital with a big hole blown through the middle of my life, I started having these dreams that I was flying."

-- a main character, usually an underdog, who isn't expecting to be a hero

-- the underdog hero getting the chick in the end

-- flawed characters

-- women who know how to kick butt

-- forgiveness

-- restoration

-- overcoming impossible odds

-- defeating evil

-- a happy ending

on the other hand, part of me is sorry i watched Avatar. it was a great story. i'm in the middle of a revision and i'm not sure i can write a really great story. i'm comparing myself to James Cameron. not a good idea.

i highly recommend it, though i have to warn you, the language isn't great because most of the characters are ex-Marines.

surprised by Avatar

(warning: this contains spoilers)

when i first watched Avatar, i knew i wanted to watch it again. the visually stunning fantasy (or science fiction - take your pick) has romance and adventure and battle. the characters have to overcome great odds. the broken man turns out to be the hero and gets a new life.

but there's more. watching it a second time showed me what that was. evil has invaded the world of Pandora. someone from the outside takes on a new body (his avatar) and becomes one of the native people. he lives with them, learns their ways, and falls in love with one of them. in the end, he has to make the choice to risk everything so he can help them drive the evil that threatens their existence.

i know James Cameron didn't intend it to put Jesus into Avatar. neither did the writers of The Matrix or The Lord of the Rings movies. it happened anyway. i love it when God does that.