James Cameron's Avatar is a landmark sci-fi actioner that was widely lauded for its mind-blowing visual effects and Cameron's typically robust direction. The script, meanwhile, cribbed eagerly from the likes of Ferngully and Dances with Wolves, but mostly did the basic job it needed to. That said, there's one horribly-scripted moment early on in the movie, as we're introduced to hard-a** Colonel Quaritch (Stephen Lang), who delivers a predictably stern speech to his soldiers. Beginning his speech with "You're not in Kansas anymore" is bad enough, but the truly offensive line is, "Out there beyond that fence every living thing that crawls, flies, or squats in the mud wants to kill you and eat your eyes for Jujubes." If you're not American and haven't heard of this brand of confectionery, there's a good chance this line will sound like utter gibberish. Even if you appreciate the reference, the phrasing sounds awkward and corny, plus, how can a guy this tough not think of a more bada** pep talk than to refer to soft, squishy candy?
Stay at home dad who spends as much time teaching his kids the merits of Martin Scorsese as possible (against the missus' wishes).
General video game, TV and film nut. Occasional sports fan. Full time loon.
