Resolving The 'Avatar' Contradiction

Remember when going to a movie was an opportunity to spend a couple three hours being entertained? After reading reams of brain-numbing commentary on James Cameron's Avatar, notably all the nattering about the contradiction between its pantheistic story line and computer-generated images that have spun turnstiles worldwide to the tune of one billion large, I wasn't sure what to expect.

But guess what? The DF&C and I loved Avatar precisely because it was a couple three hours of entertainment. Everything else, including that big fat contradiction and whining about its librul message, took a back seat. We plan to see it again, this time in 3-D.

Ross Douthat, channeling Caleb Crain, breaks it down.