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'Avatar' rerelease success reignites debate: Was it really any good?

New DelhiWritten By: Kshitij Mohan RawatUpdated: Sep 27, 2022, 12:58 PM IST
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A debate has ensued on Twitter. Or an old debate has reignited: was 'Avatar' good or dumpster fire? Some on the 'Avatar' sucks! side of the debate argued that the film does not have any cultural footprint as compared to, say, Marvel movies. Those on the 'Avatar' rules! side of the debate responded by saying if the movie, as you say, really does not have any cultural footprint, how come haters like you chime up every week or so to say this very thing? If it were so forgettable, nobody would bring up the subject at all. Somebody simply taking the trouble to say the movie does not matter is the very proof that it, indeed, does. 

'Avatar' was recently re-released in theatres worldwide, and has bagged $30 million as per reports. The success has once again reignited an old debate that rears its ugly head every now and then: Is James Cameron magnum opus really a good movie? Or simply a well-marketed, average film with astounding visuals? Film critic Bilge Ebiri shared his Vulture article, titled 'Sorry, But Avatar Still Rules', on Twitter and there was utter pandemonium (well, even more unrestrained pandemonium than usual). There were, as one can expect, a wide variety of reactions, and a lot of heated arguments. There was no consensus, but then the words 'consensus' and 'Twitter' do not belong together anyway. If one were to say 'You know, I think water is wet', there will almost certainly be reactions along the lines of 'not everywhere!' Unless you have been everywhere? No? Didn't think so!'

When Twitter fought over whether 'Avatar' is just crap or a nugget of gold

Anyhoo, after Ebiri's tweet went viral, some on the 'Avatar' sucks! side of the debate argued that the film does not have any cultural footprint as compared to, say, Marvel movies. Those on the 'Avatar' rules! side of the debate responded by saying if the movie, as you say, really does not have any cultural footprint, how come haters like you chime up every week or so to say this very thing? If it were so forgettable, nobody would bring up the subject at all. Somebody simply taking the trouble to say the movie does not matter is the very proof that it, indeed, does. 

What was 'Avatar' really about?

The movie reversed the alien-invasion genre. Instead of the aliens, it was us humans invading another planet (more accurately a moon) for material gain. On Pandora were reserves of Unobtanium and in the way stood the Na'vi, a tall, blue-hued, and lithe people with feline features who were connected to nature in a way humans had been once upon a time. But the US government, backed by its military with its war planes and its artillery, attacked the Na'vi after trying to infiltrate them by using hybrids called avatars.

The story explored themes of racism, imperialism, colonialism, and exploitation. 

What really is the truth?

As always happens with online discussions, there was no middle-ground. 'Avatar' was either the worst movie ever, or the best. Opinions are subjective, of course, particularly when it comes to popular movies (deny it as much as you want, 'Avatar' is popular). But 'Avatar' was a good movie, and remains one. In theatres, with the 3D glasses, it became something transportive and transcendental. A never-before-seen experience that, for this scribe at least, dwarfs anything else. When one was in a cinema hall, glued to the screen, things like script and plot ceased to matter. What mattered was the experience, and that felt like one was actually rubbing shoulders with the Na'vi in their beautifully verdant world.

When does the sequel come out?

The second movie in the franchise is titled 'Avatar: The Way of Water' and continues the story of the mythical alien race called the Na'Vi. While Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldaña, Stephen Lang, and Giovanni Ribisi return from the first film, Kate Winslet, Cliff Curtis, Edie Falco, Michelle Yeoh, Jemaine Clement, and Vin Diesel are the new joiners.

'Avatar: The Way of Water' releases on December 16, 2022.