Is 'Avatar' a Lefty Screed?

Audiences apparently love the new 3-D blockbuster "Avatar," but conservative commentators see it as the latest in a long line of left-leaning Hollywood movies that bash the military, glorify environmentalism and ignore religion.

Have they got a point? And what impact do movies have on politics and society?

This Medianote is based on Patrick Goldstein's recent commentary in the Los Angeles Times.