What does it mean to be a “blockbuster?” What makes a blockbuster movie seems to be up for debate in recent years. Does it just mean how much money is put into a movie? How much it makes? To me, it’s not a particular tangible effect, but rather how many of them come together. Blockbusters, with all of the emotions and beautiful stories they create, are meant to be more than a movie. They are meant to be an experience. So when I walked into the movie theater to watch a 3D showing of Avatar: The Way of Water, I was immensely excited. The first movie was something I wish I could’ve seen as a child in theaters. I was seven when the first movie came out, and twenty when the second came out. I never kept up with the rereleases, so when I sat through this movie, I finally understood. I understood why Avatar is the highest grossing movie ever. It’s an experience. It’s a true blockbuster. The movie naturally has a mystical aspect, taking us into a different world (literally), with aspects we don’t understand. However, even in the crazy scenes with whales who can talk, it feels human. When you sit in the theater, you are witnessing almost no shots that were included without CGI. You can sense the countless hours that it took for each frame to be rendered into the most realistic CGI blue people I will ever see (until the next Avatar sequel). There is never a moment spent where you don’t feel like you are a part of another planet. What ultimately makes this movie a “true” blockbuster to me is the idea that it spends its actual time with the planet. We get to admire its beauty before the action starts. Why would I care about a whale getting hurt, or a world getting plundered for resources, if I have not spent hours with the people and creatures of that world. In a current movie landscape where many larger movies would have us with the limited perspectives of the humans, Avatar: The Way of Water understands that it’s important to be one with the world. It’s important to show what a real movie experience can be. And more than anything, it’s important that other large-budget movies follow suit. There’s a reason the highest grossing movies of all time are essentially all two hours at minimum. To be a great blockbuster, it has to take it’s time; and this movie understands that. James Cameron, as a director who has made movies that have earned an unimaginable amount of money, understands that.
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