paul-d9 t1_j4sypq9 wrote on January 18, 2023 at 1:11 AM

Reply to comment by Sigaromanzia in TIL the 1979 cult classic The Warriors was based on the ancient story of the Anabasis, wherein Xenophon and his group of Greek mercenaries attempt to escape from Persia after the death of Cyrus. by kevlarbuns

There have been plenty of mediocre big budget movies that rely solely on special effects since then. Otherwise Michael Bay wouldn't have a career.

Using James Cameron as an example, let's look at his movies in the 80s and 90s. You had spectacular films like Aliens and Terminator 1/2. Yes they were heavy in special effects but it never felt like a crutch. You had memorable characters and they were exciting. I don't remember a single character name from Avatar and I think I've seen it twice.

Sigaromanzia t1_j4t9h8y wrote on January 18, 2023 at 2:27 AM

I'm not saying there aren't cgi fests that only exist as screen candy. I'm saying Avatar is just a couple of movies over a decade apart, whereas movies like Fast and Furious are popped out every 5 seconds along with the spin-offs.

Your point is totally fine, just saying Avatar isn't really the best example.

And more into Avatar, it's really just a James Cameron passion project. He's trying to push the medium, while also having an affinity for open water based projects like The Abyss and Titanic; two other sfx spectacles that pushed envelopes.