Nothing is original, ever

[rena-librarian.livejournal.com]

So I was reading this article on how movies rip off other stuff (beware, the link goes to Cracked.com and it's one of those websites where you'll lose a few hours easily), and they linked to an article on how Avatar might've easily been based on this one short story (I've also heard it's basically Disney's Pocahontas, but that's beside the point).

But go look at the cover for that short story and then try to tell me that you see anything other than an Andalite. =)

(Granted, I see the differences--that creature is built, and has clawed feet instead of hooves, and no tail blade, but...still. Lol.)

Comments

[natural-blue-26.livejournal.com]

Weren't the Andalites ancestors a lot scarier or something? That is now my head cannon for how hardcore one of them MIGHT have looked. ^_^

[rena-librarian.livejournal.com]

All I really remember from Ellimist Chronicles was that they hadn't developed any kind of speech yet, but I could definitely see that.

[natural-blue-26.livejournal.com]

Wasn't Ax vaguely ashamed of them culturally or something?

[rena-librarian.livejournal.com]

Possibly. I would have to reread and I'm too lazy to even go after my Kindle at the moment. =)

[natural-blue-26.livejournal.com]

I'm perfectly confident someone here knows and will jump in at some point ^_^

[rena-librarian.livejournal.com]

Knowledgable interruption in 3...2...

[eien-herrison.livejournal.com]

Well, early Andalites were herd animals and had no tail-blades (The Hork-Bajir Chronicles), and their only real defense from enemies was numbers + their running speed. We also know that, by the time they did gain tail blades, they still had huge losses from disease and predators/monsters (The Ellimist Chronicles) and communicated via sign language -- the Ellimist seems to have changed a lot of that, though.

[caitieness.livejournal.com]

wow that's pretty weird. though it looks kind of like a centaur with a lion body, right?

[rena-librarian.livejournal.com]

It was the particular shade of blue and the overall shape that reminded me more than anything, but now that you point it out, yes.

[caitieness.livejournal.com]

no i agree. i thought andalite immediately - and probably would have without the prompting.

[mattiris.livejournal.com]

Actually isn't that pretty much exactly how Garatrons (from #37) are described? Andalites minus the stalk-eyes and bladed tail?

[rivulet027.livejournal.com]

Wow, that is really easy to see...

I see why everyone compares Avatar to Pocahontas, but *shrug* I always liken it to Dances with Wolves.

[rena-librarian.livejournal.com]

I haven't seen any of the above, lol. Saw most of Dances With Wolves but I was really young and ended up falling asleep, lol.

[jaemani.livejournal.com]

Oh man it seems like suddenly everyone is talking about Avatar and ripoffs lately XD The story Avatar follows is really old and a well established cliche. I mean, there are hundreds of stories that revolve around the concept of 'siding with nature' and all that. Dances with Wolves and Pocahontas are just others that follow the same concept, and it's unavoidable that there will be similarities between them. It's the individual twists and thought and extra touches the author/director puts into the story that make it something of note, you know? *Ramble*

... Back on topic, well, it's blue with six limbs and a tail. I could see it as a influence, lol XD Hey, maybe it was the inspiration for Gafinilian, the ridiculously buff Andalite

[rena-librarian.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I kind of chalked it up to that, not having seen Avatar myself. The original article was for startlingly eerie ripoffs in general, not just Avatar, lol.