7. Imperialism & Colonialism - Avatar
James Cameron's political themes in Avatar are so on the surface that they barely qualify as subtext at all, a clear shot at imperialist and colonialist attitudes, given that the Pandora natives, the Na'Vi, are depicted as peaceful beings at one with their planet's flora and fauna, while most of the human characters are shown to be militaristic, selfish douchebags who just want to strip a land of resources that they have no right to. Some even went as far as to interpret this as an allegory of America's actions in the Middle East, where their relentless pursuit of oil has been perceived as driving them to inhumane ends. On top of this, the film is also heavily environmentalist, noting how the fetishised military technology is a collective machine for wanton destruction that simply ruins lives and damages Pandora's health forever. The problem is that while many political messages in movies are easy to ignore, whether they're good causes or not, this one leaps out at the viewer from the outset and never lets up, which over a near 3-hour run-time really begins to grate.