1. Avatar
Back in 2009, everybody said they adored James Cameron's Avatar. The critics were overwhelmed by the scale and ambition of the piece and the public went to see the movie in their armies, enamoured by the 3D and massive marketing campaign. Three and a bit years later and opinions on the film are fiercely divided. Many still stand by the film and Michael Mann even named it one of the 10 greatest movies of all time in last year's Sight and Sound poll, but the detractors of the film talk about it with fierce and explicit rhetoric, unbridled in their hatred of the highest grossing movie of all time. Avatar is undoubtedly a very flawed movie, it's very poorly written and more interested in its visuals than character and the end result is an empty vacuum occupied by some giant Smurfs. That's not to say it has no merit, it has grand ambition and technically marvellous, there's just no soul there. It's not as bad as Cameron's repugnant Titanic, but it's hardly the visceral masterpiece that is The Terminator. People well endlessly argue about the merits of the sci-fi blockbuster and cinema landmark and James Cameron's later work in general, but it has become one of the biggest movies of all time and nothing becomes that big without creating some sort of connection with the audience. I doubt it will stand the test of time and be as loved as Star Wars, but it's impossible to deny a lot of people cherish this movie.