Yeah but compared to what?
If you look at other Cameron movies they aren't exactly deep movies. Titanic was a great movie but it wasn't "there will be blood".
It is a big budget action action movie. The dialogue is going to be a little cheesy and a little bland. The characters are going to be a little one dimensional and stereotypical etc.
This movie needs to be compared to similar movies. The Dark Knight, Transformers, other Cameron movies.
When we look at it in that context I don't see how this won't look like the greatest movie ever compared to most action movies.
Edit: Lets assume we only compare this movie with its peer group, ie other Cameron movies and other recent action films.
So the top grossing action movies of 2008 were:
1. The Dark Knight
2. Iron Man
3. Indiana Jones
4. Hancock
5. Quantum of Solace
6. The Incredible Hulk
7. Wanted
8. The Mummy
Other than TDK, and as a stretch Iron Man and Hulk, I can officially say unequivocally that Avatar is 100x better than any of the movies on that list. #s 3, 4, 7 and 8 were some of the stupidest movies I've ever seen. Ever.
James Bond was mediocre but I'd say that it still isn't half as good as Avatar is reported to be.
Let's look at the last 10 years.
1. TDK
2. Pirates of the Caribbean 3
3. Spiderman
4. Transformers 2
5. Revenge of the Sith
6. Return of the King
7. Spiderman 2
8. Two Towers
Ok this list is a little bit harder to crack. Here, based solely on current Avatar reviews, the only movies that it is obviously better than are Pirates 3, Transformers 2 and probably Revenge of the Sith.
The other ones are going to be hard to beat but still possible. Well IMO the Two Towers is the best movie on that list and Avatar is going to have to be Best Picture worthy to beat it which is unlikely. Other than that though I don't see how the possibility that Avatar is mediocre compared the rest of those movies.
Furthermore, lets look at the top grossing movies of all time.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of...fore_inflation
I count at least 10 movies on that list that plain sucked. Harry Potter 1 and 2, Star Wars: Episode I, Spiderman 3, Pirates 2 and 3, Transformers, Crystal Skull, Matrix 2 and 3, War of the Worlds, 2012.
I also see a few movies that Avatar could be as mediocre as (talking purely story here, special effects will obviously be killer): Independence Day, Harry Potter 3, 4 and 5, Jurassic Park 2 etc.
Then there are the 10 or so movies that, for their genre, were excellent: Star Wars, Jurassic Park, Pirates 1, Casino Royale, Titanic, TDK, Two Towers, both Spiderman movies etc.
Obviously not everyone will agree with my assessment of the mediocre vs the excellent but I think we can all agree on the terrible ones or at least mostly agree.
Based on the movies I listed, and the reviews that we have so far for Avatar, I don't see how anyone could possibly say the characters or story look less inspired, original or well thought out than most of the excellent movies I listed. Again, there will be a few that stand out, for example IMO Star Wars and the Two Towers are by far the best movies of the ones I mentioned.
Then we look at other Cameron movies.
True Lies - Great action, WAY far fetched, bad acting but overall fun and original
Terminator 2 - Ok flawless, still mediocre acting but IMO the best action movie ever.
Titanic - Some great acting, some mediocre acting, mostly great but some weak and lame dialogue/story. Overall a fantastic movie though
Terminator - I've never thought that it was that great. Pretty meh all around except for being so groundbreaking
Aliens - I loved it but not everyone agrees. again a little weak on the story/dialogue/characters and heavy on the action but I loved it.
Therefore, based on what we are comparing it to I say Avatar looks like a winner. Want to compare it to Best Picture winners and such and of course it looks pretty lame but so does the original Star Wars and other of the all time great action films.
I think you should be a bit more worried about people losing power and the 5 people who died
