Did you read the
headlines about people suffering clinical depression because they couldn't visit Pandora in real life?
You make these statements based on your own opinion as though they are factual. So many people disagree with your opinion that it actually made headlines!
Here's a 101 page forum
thread to help you cope with your PAD (Post Avatar Depression). Yep, it was common enough to be named.
ROFL.
I'm sorry, but...ROFL.
Did you read the article? It's based on the "clinical data" of 1,000 message board posts. And the second link is to an Avatar fan site.
I can show you 1,000 message board posts about people depressed that McDonalds only has the McRib back for a limited time.
The fact is, films do NOT bring on clinical depression. If someone is predisposed to such a thing, seeing a film may be a trigger - i.e. my life sucks, I wish I lived there, oh why can't I live there. But...seriously? These people no doubt have severe mental issues, but it's not because of Avatar. If anything that is situational depression, which is really more of a big bummer.
In any case, those with "Avatar" depression aren't likely to make a huge dent in attendance numbers. Which was, you know, the point. And if "PAD" is so bad, then surely Disney does not want to exacerbate the situation by giving them the "reality", when in truth they cannot stay there forever, either. Maybe Disney should install dorm rooms in one of the structures for these folk?
I'm not saying Post Avatar Depression should become a clinical term. I point it out to refute the claim that Avatar did not create a world. What movie has created such an engaging world that there were news reports of depression experienced by people who wanted to visit it and couldn't? Avatar is the only movie that comes to mind.
The only thing is says to me is that news outlets were so desperate to put up another story about Avatar that they went and mined fanboi message boards to come up with a story, making the "victims" the butt of the joke. They wanted to cash in as much as possible before everyone forgot about the film, like the public largely has now.
The astronomers, planetary geologists, biologists, and aerospace engineers that assisted Cameron in creating as accurate and authentic of a fictional world as possible would like to have a word with you.
Cause we all know what classic storytellers astronomers, geologists, and biologists have been throughout the ages, don't we?
It's funny, because you actually did just prove my point. Yes, technically I'm sure it's accurate. Great. So the science geeks who actually care about that stuff will be satisfied. Cool.
But...it can be as accurate as can be, but that doesn't make it compelling. Let me provide you with an example.
"At 28.4195 degrees north, and 81.5812 degrees west, Cinderella Castle is 189 feet tall, including the 6-foot moat. It is constructed of 600 tons of steel and concrete, with the exterior layer largely consisting of fiber-reenforced plaster. The moat holds 3.37 million gallons of water, and the entire structure contains 27 towers."
vs.
"As you approach the town square of the eternally classic Main Street, the majestic beauty of Cinderella Castle beckons you to venture further into the Magic Kingdom. The tips of it's golden spires shimmer in the sunlight, hinting at the magical experiences that await you beyond it's drawbridge."
Now, probably not the best example on a Disney board (as the facts and figures fascinate many of us), but you can be as scientifically accurate as possible, but that doesn't make a great nor compelling world.
Yes, there are very pretty vistas in Avatar. But it doesn't create a compelling world. I hate to bring up Star Wars again, because my feelings for Avatar have nothing to do with Star Wars, but as many mistakes as Lucas made, he succeeded in creating a vast universe where you feel like there is a story under every nook and cranny. People have been able to write entire books about the people in just the sole Cantina scene in Star Wars - where they came from, why they were there, what they did after. That's why so many were disappointed in the prequels; he kept spending time going over the same stuff, and instead of exploring all that could be explored we just kept going to back to whiny baby Darth. Potter is the same. It created a living breathing world that just feels ripe for exploration.
Avatar feels almost clinical. Self-contained. Which, hey, might actually lead to a good theme park attraction. I don't doubt that he had tons of scientific advice, it shows. But all the accuracy in the world doesn't create anything compelling on it's own. I'll take the explosions and blaster fire sounds in Space and all the other technical no-no's and non-realities of Star Wars over a clinically sterile environment that feels almost claustrophobic (again, ironic since it does show pretty vistas and scenery).
