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LOL: James Cameron’s Avatar is Disney’s Pochontas

Posted on Monday, January 4th, 2010 by Peter Sciretta

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Did you know that James Cameron’s Avatar is just Disney’s Pochontas in disguise? Of course, this isn’t very surprising. If you know anything about screenwriting or storytelling, than you know about Joseph Campbell’s Heroes Journey, the mythic structure that has been utilized in many many Hollywood films. You might remember that popular video from College Humor which compared JJ Abrams’ Star Trek to the original Star Wars. Someone once created a similar comparison between Star Wars and Harry Potter, which also humorously demonstrated the underlying structure of Campbell’s teachings (I’ve also included that after the jump).

Avatar is really Pocahontas:

Harry Potter vs. Star Wars:

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via: pascalboogaert

Comments

Trevor

The Avatar one is spot on. The Harry Potter one is a creative comparison that's still funny. Thanks for the laughs, the John Williams comment at the end made me burst into laughter for a while.

la di da

Did you know that Pocahontas was actually a real person who based her entire life upon the movie Avatar?
How could she rip off poor James Cameron like that?

lolbay

hilarious

GK 12

---Ah! -the ever-corrupt, ever self-serving Boomer generation,

As Cameron is NOT looking any younger -he'd beter start giving
some serious thought to breaking ranks and 'outting' himself and
the rest of Boomer etc. Hollywood for their decades of financial
etc. 'enmeshment' with the most awesomly genocidal regime
history has EVER seen ---across the Pacific. STONE COLD FACT

-Eternity is a looong time to be on the wrong side of things Jimbo.

---A VERY LONG TIME

456896

I did not dispute the fact that the movie could have been based off Dances with Wolves, just simply that this particular comparison is inaccurate. As far as I know, (and I do know quite a bit about this subject), James Cameron had nothing to do with the filming or production of Pocahontas so he couldn't have copied his script from that movie. If he did finish the script a year before Pocahontas was released, than it means quite a lot. I do not mean to be confrontational, but did you actually go see the movie? You are entitled to your opinion if you did.

andrew

I am just kidding - I don't think he actually ripped off any of those movies. I just thought the movie was bad, and extremely hyped. I am deeply suspicious of consenting opinion, as are most thinking men.

andrew

I have to say something I am amazed no one else did: the 3D was bad. It seemed like trading definition for some poorly-done 3D. I hated those glasses, I really wanted to take them off. Combine that with the boring, rehashed story, and you have a movie worse than "Freddy got fingered."

andrew

That means nothing at all - you don't know at what state the script was. And even if that was the case, they could have copied it from DANCES WITH WOLVES.

456896

Interesting Fact: Avatar was in fact written more than a year before the Disney's Pocahontas actually came out. This proves that James Cameron's idea when it comes to Avatar was in fact more original than the very movie that you said it copied. It may have been based upon the actual story, but certainly not the movie

Mycall

He may have written his script a year before Pocahontas came out at the cinema, but seeing as Pocahontas is an animated film, you must consider that they started work on it long before that year. You know it takes a long time to make an animated feature, research, write, re write, score and animate it... your argument doesn't really hold

andrew

My take on Avatar

gill 12

If you're over 21 ---and you think
'Avatar' is anything ---ANYTHING
at all ---you're probably suffering from
acute circle-jerk's 'I've been worshipping
my screensaver while living at mom's'
syndrome. See your doctor ---and try to
get outside more often ---and read real
literature and history.

Amen

Kevin

Well Khloe has clearly ended the debate. No on rational could POSSIBLY argue with her EXTREMELY well-reasoned argument.

Klhoe

I think anyone who is so focused on the similar plot lines of Avatar and Pocahontas CLEARLY have not seen Avatar, and have not seen how much more different and more detailed it is. If you people really have no life that you have find something wrong with an AMAZING movie than i need to tell you how pathetic you all are. Also it was not predictable because anyone who read this comparison before going to see the movie was a complete IDIOT!

nerrojj

Not to plug my blogsite but I did just write a post on plot. It shows that every plot ever created can be boiled down to X number plots depend on the scholar either (1, 3, 7, 20, 36)...With that being said Avatar wasn't the first of it's kind to use the "Pocahontas" "Dances with Wolves" "man vs. the environment" archetype, and it won't be the last...In my opinion if the only good criticism you can give a film is it follows to closely to another film, because of archetypes, then you have a pretty good film.

LCC

Avatar = Dances with Wolves.

spoiler for avatar - at least in that movie they kick out the "settlers" and regain control over their land... same can't be said for either Dances with Wolves or Pocahontas

Togo

Using an archetype doesn't mean you have to make it a by the numbers exercise. Avatar was great, but the story rehashing made it sadly predictable.

However, I've watched it several times because I'm happy that someone made a pro-environment movie that kicked ass.

godmode

Although I agree with this, that essay looks like it was written by a third grader.

JBuell

OK, I'm not even a Harry Potter fan, but enough is enough with calling the first book/film "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone". It's THE SORCERERS STONE!

I know this, and I've only seen ONE film and read ONE book!

Jake

No... in the US it is called The Sorcerers Stone. In the UK, you know... where the book originally came from its called The Philosopher's Stone.

Matthew

You mean Philosopher's. You're welcome :D

Jake

Shh I don't think he noticed

waqman

I'm actually more amazed that people actually watched Ferngully. I never heard of that crap until the trolls started mouthing off.

Macky Sasser

Pocahontas is spelled wrong in the headline. Also spelled incorrectly in the lead paragraph.

BWanta

Personally I think it was more like Ferngully except for the ending.

Sarah Banana

Pocahontas is also completely fabricated...she was one horrifyingly ugly human being.

That synopsis thing is pretty silly.

Jwadd

Avatar kind of has a last samurai vibe too.

Gabriela

I saw Avatar last night (yes i know late to the party) and about 30 mins into the movie I was asking where Grandmother Willow was and when were they going to start singing. Updated my facebook with the same question.

In the end I would rather watch Poca, plus the music was 100% better.
But Avatar is a much pretty movie. Despite the story line I did very much enjoy the CGI and the 3D

pfloyd

Jesus, will someone please sue this guy already!

mbellerbrock

For what, using a commonly themed story arc? Please...

DoctorControversy

Funny you should mention the Harry Potter/Star Wars comparison, because a couple years back G4's show X-Play did a comparison of Eragon and SW, proving once and for all that it was nothing more than a home schooled kid's ripoff of the Lucas scripted ripoff of the Hero's Journey.

Tetsuo_Man

Lol, it really is just the typical story set in a fantastical magic world. I still haven't read the sequels since the first book was so uninspiring.

Jal

They are comparing the first HP to the first (or fourth?) SW, not exactly the entire saga. And it fits.

The Star Trek '09/Star Wars ('77/Ep. IV) comparison should also be included

Michael_W

I could do these all day long. Anyone may challenge me. These are the ground rules.

1. Film must have done over 20 million domestic at the box office
2. Film must not be directed by David Fincher
3. Film must not rhyme with the word "Pimento"

Federico Iglesias

Funny. Saw the Avatar/Pocahontas one this morning.

cs

I think Eragon to Star Wars is more spot on than Harry Potter to Star Wars.

Captain_Howdy

This was a good chuckle. I didn't enjoy Avatar like I'd hoped I would but there is no denying it delivers this hero structure in a perfectly engaging and entertaining way. The numbers speak for themselves.

starscream9289

I've seen the Pocahontas/Avatar one before and it wasn't surprising.

But a Star Wars/Harry Potter comparison never even crossed my mind.

And besides, Voldermort isn't Harry's father......right?

lyra

And Harry's aunt and uncle hated him, unlike Luke's aunt Beru and Uncle Owen...personally I actually compared Voldemort more to Emperor Palpatine than Darth Vader, interesting...

Kensei

No but there is similarities between them considering that part of Voldemort is inside Harry. The whole splicing and Horrcrux stuff has things to do with it. The comparison between HP and Star Wars is far fetched though I cannot deny that.

Black_x_Star

The whole point of movies is to entertain. Avatar does that. Nothing says it has to be original or Shakespeare script and what not. Just has to entertain the largest amount of people possible. And obviously Avatar does that.

Kashif Pasta

I think many would disagree that the purpose of movies is to entertain, but I certainly wouldn't deny that Avatar aimed to.

DrLickies

A purpose of movies is to entertain. I don't know too many people who would argue with that.

diablito

That's like saying the purpose of painting is to decorate. Some is art, some is motel wallcovering.

ixat

"A purpose of movies is to entertain."

But not all entertainment comes down to pretty visuals and explosions. I find a well-written and well-acted conversation on screen pretty entertaining.

Cougher

*cough* Archetypes *cough*

The Great Cambino

And yet, despite my reservations, I really liked Avatar. Not quite a top 10er, but still damn good. Execution counts for a lot!

mudywaters

I have to agree. Yes the story is basically the heroes journey but the execution was just great, not mention the 3D was amazing. Usually I would really criticize the dialogue and the one-note characters, but I was just engulfed in the world.

Konrad

The harry potter/star wars one is a bit more contrived in my eyes, but I think the Avatar one is spot on.

Yeah... I really enjoyed the movie, but IMO it's not the epic amazing incredible movie that I keep seeing people say it is.

kingjimbo

I actually heard this mentioned right before I saw Avatar. Apparently, it ruined the movie for my friend, who had previously described Avatar (going with me was his second viewing) as "the best movie he's ever seen."

I agreed that the Harry Potter one is a bit of a stretch, as major plot points are changed and over-generalized. The Avatar/Pocahontas connection is uncanny.

Ooh. Another good one? FernGully. Avatar is basically a remake of that.

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