访谈录 2010-01-05&01-07 阿凡达风暴（在线收听）

We’re gonna close here tonight at the movies with Avatar, a 3D movie, so successful that it's safe to say now, if you haven't seen it, then you know somebody who has or will . On the face of it, it appears to be about big blue people with strange faces. But that's just the face of it, a lot of folks say there's whole lot more going on in this movie, our report tonight from veteran movie-goer, Mike Taibbi.

Just about all the critics agree, Avatar's special effects are beyond dazzling.

“Oh, my god!”

The conflict between human corporate raiders from Earth, (“You’ve got to obey the rules!”) and the strange blue tinted race on the planet Pandora. (“We have an indigenous population of humanoids called the Na’vi.”) is all relentlessly breathtaking, especially in 3D.

Well, you don't sell a billion tickets this fast unless there is also a story that has people talking . Even a story some early, negative reviews called simplistic, heavy handed, boilerplate, and one big cliche. Politically conservative critics have gone further. One reviewer calls the story of a human undercover spy who sides with his new blue brethren against the mercenary army that hired him , a big dull America-hating PC revenge fantasy. Others say, typical Hollywood.

“Avatar is a movie that is masquerading as a critique of capitalism. But it's also a movie that could never have been made without our kind of a competitive capitalistic society.”

Before its release, Cameron himself who as the director of Titanic, knows a bit about block busters, seemed unsure of exactly how Avatar would do. He said he did have a legitimate love story at its core, and the message right for the times.

 “Once people start talking about this emotional reaction they're having to this movie and the word of mouth spreads. I think we won’t fall as quickly as most films fall.”

An awful lot of film goers agree.

“Yeah , The message worked as clear as day that…you know, it was amazing.”

“I thought it was great because it was more, like, environmental, it was kind of like a love story. Also, it was action.”

Veteran film critic Jeffrey Lyons says the filmmaking draws you into an amazing story period, the message just one part of it.

“It works on every level, it's almost a perfect movie."

Whether it's perfect or not, or whether it's the message or the movie making. (“This is our land.”) As the saying goes, money talks. Avatar is now the fourth member of the billion dollar movie club, the fastest to get there, and still flying high. How is that for a message?

Mike Taibbi ,NBC news, New York.