When James Cameron's "Avatar" came out, everyone said it was basically "Dances With Wolves." I've never seen the Kevin Costner flick, but I know what it's about and yeah, I see the similarities. I still love "Avatar," and wish the sequels were a thing already instead of it being a ten-year escapade of Cameron saying "the technology just really isn't there yet."
At this point, those who loved "Avatar," don't really give a shit anymore. The steam can only last so long. But now that I bring this revelation to the surface (get it? Cause Atlantis sank) Disney may shut down the whole venture entirely, and we may never see 'Avatar 2-5."
I recently watched Disney's "Atlantis: The Lost Empire" and couldn't help but notice the stark similarities between this and the aforementioned "Avatar." In fact, the second "Avatar" film is supposed to be on a water planet, even more, similar to "Atlantis." You're slick Cameron, but not that slick.
The crew seeing Pandora for the first timehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ziBFh3V1aM&t=59s
I am going to describe one of these movies, and see if you can figure out which one I am referring to:
An outsider protagonist joins a collective team of specialists in search of a new society. The protagonist falls in love with the princess of these new people, and together they fight against the main character's people, after learning of their true motives. While he wants to help the discovered people, the main mission was to collect a new energy source. This ensures into a war of sorts between the natives with the protagonist on their side, against the military leader who was leading the search from the beginning. The other specialists develop a conscious and join the protagonist as he helps the newly found people. In the end, the military leader is killed and the protagonist wins, choosing to live among the new people, who accept him and those who helped as one of their own.
Were you able to figure out which movie I was referring to? I'll give you a hint, the movie's title starts with the letter "A." There are differences obviously, as "Atlantis: The Lost Empire" not only has a subtle but only has a run time of an hour and 35 minutes, while "Avatar" is just shy of three whole hours!
Colonel Miles "dickhead" Quaritchhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ziBFh3V1aM&t=59s
The Atlantis Crew, with Commander "dickhead" Rourke at the lefthttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pZXNBq1AOoc
But they follow the same basic plot and have the same archetypes: The villain in both is a military leader. Both specialist teams include a computer wiz and a female mechanic (both of Hispanic heritage, which is oddly specific). Each protagonist falls in love with the princess of the new people (I can't remember if "Avatar's" Neytiri is a princess, I'm pretty positive she is, and her father is the clan's leader. But regardless, she and Princess Kida from "Atlantis" are very similar in terms of attitude, desires and the importance to the plot).
Neytirihttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ziBFh3V1aM&t=59s
Princess Kidahttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pZXNBq1AOoc
And the ulterior motive is a power supply. In "Avatar" its Unobtainium and in "Atlantis" it's the energy crystal.
Unobtainiumhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ziBFh3V1aM&t=59s
The Energy Crystal on Kida's neckhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pZXNBq1AOoc
Both newly discovered people have remained hidden from the main group of characters' society, and have more indigenous ways to their living. And in both a war breaks out to obtain the new power source, with the protagonist joining the Atlantians or Navi, becoming one of their people at the end (while it is symbolic in "Atlantis" and literal in "Avatar").
IT'S THE SAME MOVIE. That must mean they both ripped off "Dances With Wolves." Does that entitle Costner to residuals?
Oh yeah, both teams have really cool ships they ride in too. In "Avatar" they have those cool helicopters, and in "Atlantis" they have the coolest submarine ever! And Kida becomes one with the energy source, and the Navi become one with the tree. My head is spinning from all the similarities.
The Atlantis Submarinehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pZXNBq1AOoc
Was Disney aware of this? If not, you're welcome. I'd like to be a screenwriter, so if you feel so obliged, not monetary reward is necessary. Just let me write a movie for you guys.
Look, both movies have a clear message: people become selfish and take, and become greedy and lose regard for others. In doing so, lives and ways of living are destroyed, and cultures are left to history. They are both good movies. I remember when I was a kid, I thought "Atlantis" was the coolest movie ever! I was convinced Atlantis had to be real or at least hoped so. And I remember being blown away by the visual spectacle that is "Avatar."
I'd love to see the sequels, I mean, I've been waiting ten years now, and according to IMDB, the release date for "Avatar 2" is next year. And Cameron has been saying that he is filming the four sequels back to back to back to back so that he can edit them all at once and release them yearly. That would be cool moving forward. But how much of "Atlantis: The Lost Empire" do you think will find itself in these sequels? As I said, the second installment in the "maybe will be an actual franchise" franchise is supposed to take place in a water world, which conveniently is where Atlantis sank to, in the water.
The face Milo made when he found out "Avatar" ripped off his moviehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pZXNBq1AOoc
