chuck.kahn

2.08.2010

Avatar - Dune comparisons

The "Avatar" is "Dances with Wolves" in space meme has been so flogged to death, that I thought I'd make this table outlining the parallels between James Cameron's 2009 space fantasy with Frank Herbert's "Dune" (1965 novel and later 1984 movie and 2000 miniseries).  

Spoiler warning!



AvatarDune
Jake Scully - outworlder
 
Paul Atreides (Muadib) - outworlder
who tames a flying predator,
who tames a giant worm,
"goes native" and leads "goes native" and leads

the blue-skinned Na'vi, natives of

the blue-within-blue eyed Fremen, natives of
the hostile jungle planet Pandora,
 
the hostile desert planet Arrakis
against invading army that wants to exploit the planet of the super-valuable unobtanium against invading army that wants to exploit the planet of the super-valuable spice (Melange)
during which he meets and falls in love with the native Neytiri
 


during which he meets and falls in love with the native Chani
whose father is killed by the invading army

whose father is killed by the invading army

Update: I see there's a January 26th article "The Na’vi and the Fremen: What Science Fiction Teaches Us about Tribalism and the Mystic" which would seem to cover this same territory.



Update 2/26/10: video on YouTube drawing parallels




And a chart comparing Avatar to a bunch of other movies

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