Before you make a snide remark, I don’t want to hear it. At all. This has gotten so toxic that it’s not fun having a conversation about the films. And before you chalk that up to online, it’s bad offline too. I have a life outside my computer.
I know I came off strong, but I’m not sorry. Because it’s genuinely how I feel. After 16 years of people calling the first movie overhyped, then acting like no one cared, then claiming it was overrated once nostalgia kicked in, I’m sick of listening to the same, hackneyed complaints dressed up to look new. It’s exhausting. But it doesn’t seem to be going away, with people making it everyone else’s problem with each new entry.
I can’t tell you how many arguments I’ve had. I’ve been timed out of internet servers because I wouldn’t sit back and tolerate it. I’ve also yelled at people offline, though that’s something I don’t need to get into here. The bile and energy over an environmentalist theme park ride, albeit an interesting and fun one, outpaces that of The MCU. And The MCU debate was already tedious. I don’t see why fans can’t be left alone.
I know I came off strong, but I’m not sorry. Because it’s genuinely how I feel. After 16 years of people calling the first movie overhyped, then acting like no one cared, then claiming it was overrated once nostalgia kicked in, I’m sick of listening to the same, hackneyed complaints dressed up to look new. It’s exhausting. But it doesn’t seem to be going away, with people making it everyone else’s problem with each new entry.
I can’t tell you how many arguments I’ve had. I’ve been timed out of internet servers because I wouldn’t sit back and tolerate it. I’ve also yelled at people offline, though that’s something I don’t need to get into here. The bile and energy over an environmentalist theme park ride, albeit an interesting and fun one, outpaces that of The MCU. And The MCU debate was already tedious. I don’t see why fans can’t be left alone.
There’ve been claims thrown out at these movies that “validate” how “forgettable” they are. Ignoring how the box-office speaks for itself, that argument doesn’t hold up. Because it’s not true. Most of this franchise’s fans are casual moviegoers who don’t care to be sucked into the discourse. Like casual gamers and the Wii, they have too much going on to waste time arguing. I have to give them credit, as the film world regularly gives me migraines.
Perhaps the most-egregious claim involves the movies being “forgettable”. That’s not true. If your recurring argument is that something’s forgettable, then you remember it. You might not remember it in detail, but you remember it. And if you even remember one detail, then it’s not truly forgettable. Aspects might blur together, and you might not recall plot beats, but saying something’s forgettable constantly has the ironic effect of being memorable unintentionally.
Another claim involves the movies being “too long”. I can sympathize here, but recall that the final entry in The Lord of the Rings Trilogy was longer than any of these movies. And that’s only the theatrical release! If you go by the extended Director’s Cuts, the Avatar films pale in runtime. Even with pacing, the Avatar movies move quicker, thanks to the special effects budget matching dialogue with action.
Perhaps the most-egregious claim involves the movies being “forgettable”. That’s not true. If your recurring argument is that something’s forgettable, then you remember it. You might not remember it in detail, but you remember it. And if you even remember one detail, then it’s not truly forgettable. Aspects might blur together, and you might not recall plot beats, but saying something’s forgettable constantly has the ironic effect of being memorable unintentionally.
Another claim involves the movies being “too long”. I can sympathize here, but recall that the final entry in The Lord of the Rings Trilogy was longer than any of these movies. And that’s only the theatrical release! If you go by the extended Director’s Cuts, the Avatar films pale in runtime. Even with pacing, the Avatar movies move quicker, thanks to the special effects budget matching dialogue with action.
I’d go into comparisons to other movies, but the usual suspects, save Princess Mononoke, aren’t even good. Besides, the Avatar franchise does something unique with its premise. Visuals aside, it not only builds an entire world, with civilizations and languages, it subverts expectations with its protagonist becoming a N’avi. If anything, the most unrealistic aspect here is N’avi winning against the invaders! Considering the parallels to European colonialism, that’s sketchy.
I haven’t talked about the movie itself. While I enjoyed Avatar: Fire and Ash, even with its length, it’s definitely the weakest entry. It lacks the intrigue of the first movie, and it taking place right after the second one means there’s little new ground to cover. The new villains are also underbaked, relying on questionable stereotypes of Native Americans. The movie also meanders in the middle, and several plot beats feel recycled.
That said, it’s not a terrible movie. The visuals and action set-pieces are top-notch, highlighting that James Cameron knows how to engage the eyes. It also pays off several unresolved plot threads from the previous entry, including one that was deliberately unanswered. And the emotional moments are raw, even if the new narrator’s a little flat. Also, if this movie was going to use stereotypes for its villains, then isolating them to one tribe, as opposed to all the N’avi, was the right call.
I haven’t talked about the movie itself. While I enjoyed Avatar: Fire and Ash, even with its length, it’s definitely the weakest entry. It lacks the intrigue of the first movie, and it taking place right after the second one means there’s little new ground to cover. The new villains are also underbaked, relying on questionable stereotypes of Native Americans. The movie also meanders in the middle, and several plot beats feel recycled.
That said, it’s not a terrible movie. The visuals and action set-pieces are top-notch, highlighting that James Cameron knows how to engage the eyes. It also pays off several unresolved plot threads from the previous entry, including one that was deliberately unanswered. And the emotional moments are raw, even if the new narrator’s a little flat. Also, if this movie was going to use stereotypes for its villains, then isolating them to one tribe, as opposed to all the N’avi, was the right call.
People act like James Cameron went off the deep end with Titanic, and that he never recovered. I disagree. Cameron was never high-class, and I think the only difference between his old and new work is his budget. Seriously, rewatch his old movies. They might be fun, but they’re really silly. I should know, I’ve seen most of them!
To those who’d get defensive over my critiques, saying “it’s not a crime to express displeasure”, I’m not only aware, but I think that’s a cop-out. I don’t even love these movies! But I should be allowed to express what I did and didn’t like without the conversation devolving into the usual nonsense, which happens often. It happens offline too, the internet’s not special.
I’m tired. I’m tired of defending what are essentially B-tier movies. You don’t have to like James Cameron. You don’t even have to like his work post-True Lies! But the lack of civility surrounding his newer work is, frankly, disheartening. And I say that knowing he’s a prick to the utmost degree. That’s not news.
To those who’d get defensive over my critiques, saying “it’s not a crime to express displeasure”, I’m not only aware, but I think that’s a cop-out. I don’t even love these movies! But I should be allowed to express what I did and didn’t like without the conversation devolving into the usual nonsense, which happens often. It happens offline too, the internet’s not special.
I’m tired. I’m tired of defending what are essentially B-tier movies. You don’t have to like James Cameron. You don’t even have to like his work post-True Lies! But the lack of civility surrounding his newer work is, frankly, disheartening. And I say that knowing he’s a prick to the utmost degree. That’s not news.
So yeah, I’m tired, and I don’t want to hear your takes. Can we please move on? I’d appreciate that.
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