7. James Cameron Isn't About Action Directing Any More
As Titanic expectedly swept the board at the 70th Academy Awards James Cameron could easily have been undone by one deserved act of hubris. His historical drama had become the highest grossing film of all time and just swept the board as the Oscars, but the exclamation Im king of the world may have been been a tad too far for some. However thats not why hes on this list. Cameron is a brilliant blockbuster director who relentlessly squeezes all the potential from his gloriously high concepts, making some of the most defining action sci-fi of all time. That Titanic was as accomplished as it was says two things; hes good at turning anything into spectacle and is clearly capable of serious projects. If Avatar felt like a bit less daring from a directorial standpoint its because it was. Its not a bad film at all and shows an ability to connect with filmgoers en masse, yet there wasn't the same sense of endurability that has use still watching T2 wided eyed to this day. But that wasn't because Cameron was slacking or not being challenged in his direction by his crew; this time it was just about the money and the agenda. Once one was made, he could move onto the other.
At this point I'm less interested in making money for the movie and more interested in saving the world that my children are going to inhabit.
Thats a quote from a news conference at the time of Avatars DVD release, when the two and a half billion dollars were safe in the bank, but it's still not OK. Claiming your above caring about action directing now Jim? Doesn't bode well for Avatar 2.