4. Avatar (2009)
The on-again-off-again highest grossing film of all time may have broken numerous records upon its 2009 release, but it being mentioned alongside the greatest films ever made simply isn’t something Avatar deserves.
James Cameron’s sci-fi epic is undoubtedly a spectacle, and its use of then-groundbreaking 3D effects was something that actually caused some movie-goers to become depressed at the prospect of never being able to visit Pandora.
However, Avatar simply isn’t that good a movie. Its plot is lifted straight from several already problematic re-imaginings of human history, and while its effects are excellent, some of its acting is not.
Avatar isn’t without a certain appeal – it scratched audience’s sci-fi itch in a time when the genre had seemingly hit a slump – but ultimately, its lasting popularity comes by merit of its impressive special effects. While the use of CGI and 3D technology remains genuinely impressive over a decade later, Avatar itself hasn’t become any less unoriginal or generally derivative.