In an slew of upcoming Hollywood releases, our environment will be playing the roll of unlikely hero (or perhaps…damsel in distress.)

The antagonist?
All of humanity.

From the NYT:

Tired of abuse by mankind, the earth is angry. Worse, the planet is out to even the score.

The Simpson’s Movie, The Happening,”the Transformers, a Creature From the Black Lagoon remake, and Titanic Director James Cameron’s Avatar will all include environmental themes. In these films, and a series of international films the NYT mentions, humanity and the environment are both seeking to strike a balance as we tax the environment with gluttonous unsustainability of irreversible proportions.

Al Gore’s recent Oscar Awarded film An Inconvenient Tuth became an absolute juggernaut among the socially conscious in this country. America seems to have a newfound value in real-world entertainment. Years of low-grade rubbish from Hollywood have increased the demand for more lofty cinematic goals. Thus, attempts to increase awareness of global problems and cinematic calls-to-action may well be the main Hollywood export in the upcoming years.

Last years’ Happy Feet is a good example of trying to use this educational phenomenon in a kids movie. The movie was about an outcast penguin who fit outside the norm, questioned authority, and learned from friends outside his home. The movie addresses the problems of over fishing, environmental fragility, and global warming.

The day our main recruiter becomes Optimus Prime or Bart Simpson will be a strange one indeed, but whether we like it or not, young’ns (and old’ns for that matter) are increasingly confined to cities and suburbia. In an increasingly bizzare world, Hollywood and television may be doing some of the heavy hitting in convincing people that the outdoors are worth taking care of.