OVER time, slowly but surely the internet turned on Avatar. What was once a fun observation about how many stories share the same structure became a roaring indictment on the creative worth of the highest (as of 7/2/19) grossing movie of all time. Please someone bring up Dances with Wolves or The Last Samurai one more time. Please continue ignoring that these were already common story archetypes that humans have told each other for thousands of years. And please, do not forget to somehow mention Avengers: Endgame creeping closer to number one (as if Endgame has an original story structure?).
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Let me start off by saying I do not consider Avatar one of my favorite movies. If I was all powerful, Avatar would have made a tidy sum, but it would not have dominated the box office so handily. However, no one should understate what a technological achievement and global event it was. I never see movies more than once in theaters and only go through my favorites at home on occasion. I saw Avatar four times and never grew bored with the spectacle. James Cameron managed to accomplish absurdity on a technical level. The CGI, language, crowd models, and real depth producing 3D effects blew entire theaters away. No, the story was nothing revolutionary, but not every story needs to be. At the time, Avatar was king.
Saying all of this, not everyone has to appreciate the movie; just don’t play dumb. Stop refusing to understand the success Avatar experienced. And for the love of god, stop parroting it had no “cultural impact.”
Asking people to name a character from Avatar does not prove its lack of cinematic worth. Name a character from Inception. Name a character from Full Metal Jacket. What do you specifically remember from The Usual Suspects other than the twist? All great films. People love these movies and yet fail this arbitrary film purity test. They convey larger stories, ideas, and messages than what a pop quiz’s single question can encapsulate. Even so, you do remember the Na’vi (blue people), environmental themes, and set pieces. Do not try and convince everyone you have no memory of the film when in actuality you just don’t recall plot specifics from a 10 year old story.
Cultural impact is not limited to how often you and your friends quote the movie. After the Avatar expansion to Disney’s Animal Kingdom, attendance rose 25%. Just like the movie, the park opened as one of the most technologically advanced in its class and people responded. It also ushered in (an admittedly botched) wave of 3D into theaters. Avatar almost single-handedly forced every action movie for the foreseeable future to include a 3D showing. It may not have resulted in a welcome addition, but it had an undeniably tremendous impact on the industry.
Just like I have to do every time Disney decides to make a live action version of a beloved animated feature, you have to realize a market exists outside of you. If a movie makes $2.7B at the box office, four sequels doesn’t come as that big of a surprise. Get out of the echo chamber and realize that you might just not like it.
So much “discussion” on the internet has turned into competing with one another to scream the popular opinion the loudest. Of course Avatar did not perfect film making or seep into every nook and cranny of our lives, I don’t claim it did. However, my head feels like it’s going to explode every time I have to read another article wondering why “Dances with Wolves but worse” made so much money. Avatar is not a 10/10 film. Yes, it probably made more than its “true” worth. No, it didn’t have zero cultural impact. Yes, it’s okay if you don’t like it. Yes, plenty of people will watch the onslaught of sequels. And no, you don’t have to. Please, just relax.
