10 Truly Terrible Movies That Fanboys Insist Are Awesome

4. Avatar

There€™s little I have to add to the general consensus about this movie€™s lack of originality €“ yes, it€™s basically Dances With Wolves, Pocahontas, and Ferngully thrown into a blender €“ but I still feel like it gets too much credit. The gorgeous visuals in this film are hard to knock, but think of how great this movie could have been if James Cameron had put some effort into developing the characters as opposed to just the look and feel of Pandora. There€™s no questioning the effectiveness of Cameron€™s vividly drawn Pandora; if you don€™t believe me, remember that Avatar created a specific new form of depression for some of its fans. But that doesn€™t excuse a ham-fisted plot on autopilot, boring characters, atrocious dialogue, forest creatures pilfered from Miyazaki movies, and so on. I€™ll definitely see the upcoming sequels, and I€™m sure they€™ll be similarly immersive visual experiences; I just hope Cameron remembers to tell an interesting story the second and third time around.

Contributor
Contributor

I recently received an MFA in screenwriting from the University of Texas-Austin, and I am a rabid fan of all things cinema. As much as I love movies, I might be starting to love TV even more thanks to shows like Breaking Bad, The Wire, and Game of Thrones. Currently I write and cohost a blog/podcast called Reel Fanatics. I'm from the Midwest, so I'm obligated to be obsessed with the Green Bay Packers. I'm also a direct descendant of the mountain man Jim Bridger. You can also follow me on Twitter - @ballsdontread.