20 Underappreciated Blockbusters That Are Much Better Than You Remember

12. Avatar

Avatar Jake Sulley
20th Century Fox

These days, it is virtually impossible to find someone that will openly admit to being a fan of Avatar. Which seems strange given its status as the highest-grossing movie of all time and the second biggest-selling DVD/Blu-Ray ever in the United States behind Frozen. If nobody seems to like the movie, then how the hell did it manage to make all that money?

Yes, James Cameron's epic is unoriginal and derivative on a narrative level. Yes, the movie's environmental message is very much on the nose, almost cloyingly so. Yes, the visuals lose some of their impact when viewed on a television (although home theater technology has advanced to make that less of an issue than in previous years).

However, Cameron has always been much more comfortable with set-pieces than soliloquies, and it is here where Avatar delivers. In terms of sheer spectacle and exhilarating action, the movie is a remarkable achievement and even a decade of talking down its merits will never change that.

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