The science fiction genre is defined by unrealistic settings and advanced futuristic technology. Therefore, ‘Avatar’ could be considered as a more evolved science fiction film than ‘District 9’ as ‘Avatar’ uses more advanced film techniques and technology, is set in a futuristic environment, although they share a similar theme.
In ‘Avatar’, advanced technology like the Avatar program, where one is able to control the body of an Avatar with their mind while sleeping inside a machine, is used. An extreme close-up of closed eyes, followed by zooming into a map of intricate web representing the brain is used to show Jake, the main protagonist, going into his avatar body. Computer graphics effects and holographic images are used to show the futuristic atmosphere of the film.…show more content… The danger of these weapons is foreshadowed by a dialogue that mentions that “the weapons make a big mess”. The scene that follows shows an alien shooting the weapon and causing a huge explosion. The strength of the weapon is also shown when Wikus gets taken by the MNU for weapons testing after his mutation. This shows how advanced the weapon is and shows that it has superior performance to human weapons. However, the technology used in this film is still less advanced than that used in ‘Avatar’.
The two films also differ in that ‘Avatar’ can be considered a science fiction verging on fantasy, but ‘District 9’ is set in a more realistic environment. There are many unrealistic and futuristic elements in the film ‘Avatar’. There are strange-looking plants that glow in the night in the jungle, and mythical-looking animals. The Sacred tree is filmed at a low angle to show that the tree is extremely tall, which is unrealistic and