The Ultimate Fan's Guide to Avatar, James Cameron's epic movie (Unauthorized) Review

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The Ultimate Fan's Guide to Avatar, James Cameron's epic movie (Unauthorized) Review
I have very mixed feelings about this book.
Some of it was very interesting, particularly the material about the backstory and the scenes left out or changed from the script. Some was moderately interesting but could probably have been reduced significantly, such as the material about Joseph Campbell's Hero's Journey and how it relates to this movie, comparison with Cameron's earlier movies, and the history of SF in general. And some that might have been of interest was left out altogether. I'm surprised the author didn't seem to notice the similarities between the banshees and Anne McCaffrey's Pern dragons. Another item I missed was how the hunter-gatherer Na'vi reacted to the humans' cultivation of their flora.
One thing I found really irritating was the focus on sex. I suppose there ARE hidden sexual connotations. But this young buck of an author had to have had his imagination directed by his hormones to have spent as much time on them and to have noticed all the things he did. Personally, I don't see why the neural connection between the Na'vi and their animals must be regarded as orgasm or bordering on bestiality. They had connections with their Mother Tree and their Tree of Voices, didn't they? As Grace says, all of Pandora is part of a network. Period.
The writing could have done with more editing. There are clear grammatical errors scattered throughout. Paragraphs seem to run on and on for pages and pages. I finally realized part of that is because of the formatting of the Kindle edition -- paragraph breaks tend to get omitted. However, I think in many places the author does run his paragraphs together.
Overall, I'd say the book was of some use, but was rather wearisome to read.The Ultimate Fan's Guide to Avatar, James Cameron's epic movie (Unauthorized) OverviewAvatar is the most successful movie of all time, surpassing the record held by James Cameron's previous monster hit, Titanic. It is also the most expensive movie ever. With its adoption of modern 3D techniques, Avatar is arguably the most spectacular film of all time. Kevin Patrick Mahoney explores how Avatar has reached this pinnacle of success. The film has not been universally praised; some critics have pointed to an overly simple plot and dialogue. However, Kevin reveals that there are many complex themes that lie behind such apparent simplicity. This book begins with a thorough review of events as they happen on screen, including the many scenes deleted from the film, and then proceeds to explore some of the most interesting themes in more depth. Kevin examines how James Cameron has adapted Joseph Campbell's theory of the Hero's Journey in Avatar. The Na'vi's planet, Pandora, is very paradisiacal, so this book discusses how it's related to the Biblical Garden of Eden. In addition to this, Kevin dissects Avatar's rather confused politics, the controversial depiction of the US Marine Corps, and the accusations of racism that have been hurled at the film. Since Jake Sully is introduced to us in a wheelchair, Kevin examines the representation of disabled people in Avatar and other science fiction dramas. Some of Avatar's subtle depictions of sexuality seemed to be mainly directed at adolescent boys, so this book also dissects some of the more 'blue' aspects of the movie. Moreover, Kevin Patrick Mahoney reveals how Avatar relates to James Cameron's previous blockbuster movies.

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James Cameron's Avatar: The Movie Scrapbook Review

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James Cameron's Avatar: The Movie Scrapbook ReviewSo far there are two books out there for Avatar that give details on the world of Pandora. Avatar: A Confidential Report on the Biological and Social History of Pandora (James Cameron's Avatar) and this one. The first is loaded with scientific theory and jargon, and while that's great for the people who are interested in knowing the super technical stuff Avatar: The Movie Scrapbook is also a great resource for those who want to know more yet not enough to write a science journal on the movie. The scrapbook is essentially a light technical manual that covers a lot of the animals, plants, and vehicles seen in Avatar along with details on the Na'vi and their culture.
The pros of this book as opposed to the survival guide come firstly in the easy to read information of the world of Pandora. It's the kind of writing that is easy enough for grade schoolers to read while at the same time not too simple the young adult reader can't appreciate it. Granted your high school student may find the writing simplistic, but that is made up with the second pro: the information. The book has dozens of entries on various subjects from the movie from the gunships and gear the humans used to the musical instruments used by the Na'vi. It seems to cover much of the info in the survival guide (almost in the same order as well), but condenses the details into simple descriptions. Keep in mind it's basic details. If you want a true technical manual then you should go for the survival guide. Interestingly enough there are a few entries in this Scrapbook that aren't touched on in the survival guide like the giant excavator, the tree of voices and woodsprites (those little floating seed things that seem to be omens for the Na'vi).
While the survival guide has more detailed information it lacks something this book has in spades. Large detailed images. The Movie Scrapbook is actually a larger sized book than the survival guide (about twice the size in fact), even though it's thinner in pages (1/4 the thickness of the guide). In that larger size you get bigger, more detailed pictures. While you will find a few pictures in both books the scrapbook touts some really nice images not seen in the survival guide, or even the movie for that matter. The larger size of the scrapbook also make it easier to thumb through and read comfortably compared to the significantly smaller survival guide.
So if you like the movie and want to know a little more about the world James Cameron put together then this book may be right up your alley. If you are a tech freak and are looking for lots of details then pass this up. If you are the uber-fan then maybe get both if you can get the scrapbook for a good price. The images on the book would make it worth it.James Cameron's Avatar: The Movie Scrapbook OverviewIn the futuristic world of Avatar, Jake, a wounded ex-marine is thrust into an elaborate scheme to mine an exotic planet for its rare and valuable natural resources. Scientists have created Avatars -- bodies designed to look like the planet′s alien inhabitants that have to be operated by a human consciousness. Walking in his Avatar body, Jake finds himself drawn to the planet′s way of life. But as the threat of war grows ever closer, Jake finds himself torn between his human roots and the new friends he wants to protect. Ages:3 - 7

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Avatar: A Confidential Report on the Biological and Social History of Pandora (James Cameron's Avatar) Review

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Avatar: A Confidential Report on the Biological and Social History of Pandora (James Cameron's Avatar) ReviewSomeone from the Resources Development Administration (RDA) labs has leaked this confidential report. Not only that, he/she has successfully sold this online (where I bought mine) and at major bookstores! That's one smart, profiteering, mole.
This is the fact book on Pandora, the kind of book issued to soldiers who are about to invade that planet for its precious resources. It has all the information on the ecosystem, resources, flora, fauna and the native population called Na'vi, complete with all their culture and behaviour. There are classified information on the weapon systems used by RDA, including the Avatar project. And everything is accompanied by CG images.
I had some hesitation before buying this survival guide and it's not because I'm afraid that James Cameron might send Avatars to get me. I like art books and books on movie production, this book is neither of those. This is really a visual companion to all the stuff that's shown in the movie. It's for the ultimate fans, those who need to know every little detail, from the ferns on the ground to the mating habits of the Na'vi.
It's an interesting book but recommended more to the hard core fans of the movie.
(More pictures are available on my blog. Just visit my Amazon profile for the link.)Avatar: A Confidential Report on the Biological and Social History of Pandora (James Cameron's Avatar) Overview
A field guide to Pandora-the mesmerizing world of James Cameron's Avatar.

Four years in the making-and 15 years since its conception-Avatar is a live action film with a new generation of special effects, delivering a fully immersive cinematic experience of a new kind, where the revolutionary technology invented to make the film disappears into the emotion of the characters and the sweep of the story.

In Avatar: A Confidential Report on the Biological and Social History of Pandora we are introduced to Pandora-a pristine and beautiful moon in a distant solar system-its exotic ecosystems, and the indigenous race called the Na'vi. By piecing together photographs, scientific field notes, and research data, citizens on Earth have collected the information in this field guide as a way to highlight the lessons Pandora can teach the people of Earth, who have struggled to survive as their planet's critical resources are depleted.

Though Pandora has proven to be an exceedingly profitable source of natural resources, the environment-from its gravity-defying floating mountains to the small but venomous hellfire wasps and the gigantic carnivorous thanator-poses continual dangers to RDA. Catalogued with unparalleled precision and access, this field guide provides highly detailed descriptions of the unique creatures and plants found on Pandora, the culture, language, and physiology of the native population, as well as RDA technology and weapons.

Eager to save the Earth, the activists have culled this information in hopes to expose the corporate greed and disregard for the native inhabitants and their environment that governs RDA's presence on the foreign moon.

This is the evidence in their case to save Pandora-and themselves.


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