James Cameron Needs To Shut The Fuck Up Already
Would James Cameron just shut the fuck up already? Seriously - what's wrong with this guy?
I get it - he's made some of the greatest movies of all time - no doubt about it; but he's managing to become more and more unlikable on every day of the 'AVATAR 2' press tour (which has lasted for what feels like ten years)!
Whether it's his recent asinine takedowns of Marvel movies, telling us that his imagination is "better than any of the streaming services out there", or joyously revealing that he makes the film crew play an "AWOOGAH" submarine sound effect to get a response from him while on set, I'm just constantly given douche chills with each and every headline that passes my desk involving Cameron's name.
I mean - he still acts like 'AVATAR' is God's gift to humanity (and lets you know that he is, in fact, God) at every turn. He acts like it cured cancer and ended racism and world hunger in one fell swoop!
I don't even dislike 'AVATAR' (I thought it was great back when it came out, and I haven't rewatched it in at least a decade - I assume I'd enjoy it again) but what in the Na'vi are we talking about there?!
It's a fun, visually-stunning retelling of 'Pocohontas' that was a true WORLDWIDE PHENOMENON when it came out (aided by the launch of RealD 3D) but honestly - it went in one ear and out the other for 90% of people I know.
Someone actually felt that same way, and brought that up to Cameron this week, and he said "If people are less likely to remember Jake Sully [than] Luke Skywalker, that’s partly because Avatar [has] only one movie out ... Marvel had maybe 26 movies to build out a universe." in response, which has gotta be one of the dumbest things I've ever heard.
First of all, the Luke Skywalker thing disproves his point immediately - Luke Skywalker was instantly iconic and memorable after the first 'Star Wars', and it didn't even take 'Empire Strikes Back' to get there - but then he grasps at straws and pulls Marvel in there. Again. As if there were zero memorable characters in film before big bad Marvel came around.
News flash! 'AVATAR' didn't leave a big cultural footprint NOT because it was only the first movie in a series, as Cameron suggests, but because it was bloated script full of forgettable characters in a movie that was overall? You guessed it! Forgettable.
To try to spin that on the Marvel Cinematic Universe, AGAIN, is just such laughable bullshit from this guy at this point; especially when the star of your 'AVATAR' movies, Zoe Saldana, is a major player in the Marvel Cinematic Universe! She's a god damn Guardian of the Galaxy! You're directly insulting HER when you take aim at this franchise!
Speaking of: let's talk about the fact that the first 'Guardians of the Galaxy' movie, for example, not only left a bigger cultural impact on the world than 'AVATAR' with just one outing (of almost completely unknown characters) - it's also a better movie on every level!
'Guardians' is funnier, it's got more heart and soul, a better soundtrack, better characters, better acting, better writing, it's more likely to be enjoyed by the whole family, and it's been quoted and memed constantly online for the past decade! It's not the only Marvel movie that has those qualities over 'AVATAR', either!
That's a big part of the reason why it bugs me so much when Cameron talks like 'AVATAR' is some masterpiece of cinema up there with 'The Godfather' and 'Citizen Kane' - SOOOOO many levels above these MCU piece of trash cookie cutter superhero movies with no emotion whatsoever. He acts like he's the only human being alive capable of directing such a thing.
Let's all be honest with ourselves here: 'AVATAR' is a total Hollywood cheese CGIfest that could easily slot into Phase 2 or 3 of the MCU! You could easily retcon them into the same universe with ten seconds of exposition! They ain't that fucking different!
At least when Scorsese or Tarantino chirp Marvel movies, you can look at their work and see where they're coming from, you know? The guys who made 'Goodfellas' and 'Pulp Fiction' don't love 'Captain Marvel' and 'Thor: Love and Thunder'? Color me shocked.
They make some good points from time to time, too! Tarantino's theory on '2 Bears 1 Cave' about Marvel replacing the "movie star" with their characters was super interesting and I've been contemplating that thought all week. I think there's something to that - but I digress.
When it comes to James Cameron, I'm not saying he has to like these movies, but it's certainly frustrating to hear him speak on them like they're a cancer on the movie business, sucking all of the hope out of Hollywood with their countless sequels....while publicly planning and promoting 'AVATAR 6' and 'AVATAR 7' in the same breath.
I think he's just upset that Endgame dethroned 'AVATAR' as the Box Office #1 a few years ago (leading him to re-release 'AVATAR' to get his slot back recently) and he's taking it out on the franchise, in reality. I really do think that pissed him off.
He's an egomaniac who knows no bounds and his yes men/women have allowed him to dump so much money into this ten-years-too-late sequel that it has to be the fourth highest grossing movie of all time just to break even! That's just insane to me and something a movie villain would do.
I'll probably still go see 'AVATAR 2' when it comes out, despite all of this, hoping to see hints of the filmmaker who gave us 'T2' and 'Aliens' on screen - but I wish James Cameron would just shut the fuck up and let the movie speak for itself until then. Let people enjoy what they enjoy.
We discuss these idiotic comments and more on the 'Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special' edition of My Mom's Basement this week, so check it out if you're interested....