How Does Avatar Stack Up?

James Cameron was able to make Arnold Schwarzenegger into a star, Leonardo DiCaprio into a leading man, and Jamie Lee Curtis into a sex symbol. He has the ability make the audience believe anything on screen. With his new film, Avatar, James Cameron introduces us to his most wild creation yet. The film centers on an alien race called the Na’vi and their battle with the invading humans. Avatar was released last week and comparisons to Cameron’s other films are already being drawn. In my opinion, here is how Avatar will stack up:
6. The Terminator (1984): This was Cameron’s first big-budget film. With an Austrian bodybuilder and the first of many kick-ass female heroines, Cameron established himself as a big-time director. He also wowed audiences with special effects, which were considered revolutionary at the time.
5. True Lies (1994): Here was Cameron’s venture into the action comedy. He once again teamed up with Schwarznegger for this over the top blockbuster about a secret spy who accidentally brings his wife into one of his missions. This film is most famous for Jamie Lee Curtis’ sexy striptease, which goes to show that if he can make Jamie Lee Curtis sexy, he can do anything. True Lies grossed over $350 million worldwide and set Cameron up for his next feature film.
4. Titanic (1997): The highest-grossing film of all time. This film was bound to fail due to the repeated postponements of its release and a $200 million budget. Yet, the film became the most successful film of all time winning eleven Academy Awards in the process. It gave us “the love story” for our generation. It caused every person who stands on a tall ledge to shout that he is the “king of the world.” It is without a doubt one of the most influential films of our time, but not Cameron’s best.
3. Aliens (1986): How do you take a movie about an alien on a ship with a woman running around in underwear and make it better? Add more aliens. That is exactly what James Cameron did when he took over the Alien series from Ridley Scott. Aliens is more action packed and filled with scenes of great tension. Although it lost some of the claustrophobic feel of the first film, Aliens is Cameron’s best alien film to date.
2. Avatar (2009): Until now. Avatar has been 12 years in the making. The buzz is similar to the buzz that The Dark Knight generated last year. Fanboys and geeks all over the world are celebrating with the news of the Golden Globe nomination for best picture. With the Oscars expanding to ten nominees this year, Avatar’s chances seem to be good for the best picture nomination. The critics have given it overwhelmingly positive reviews and the fans seem to agree. Add all of that to Cameron’s skill with special effects and big budgets, Avatar is meant for greatness.
1. Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991): Without a doubt, Cameron’s best film. Sequels are notoriously known for being worse than their predecessors, but Terminator 2 not only improved on the first film, but became one of the best action films of all time. It had a gripping story and brought back all the favorite characters. Most importantly, it gave us the T-1000, one of the coolest villains of all time. Terminator 2 went on to gross over $500,000 worlwide and is Cameron’s most complete film to date.