James Cameron Director Showcase

After 12 years, James Cameron finally released a new movie. James Cameron is one of my favorite directors of all time. He does a great job of balancing tones in his movie, can create expansive lived-in worlds, and can come up with some great action sequences. Aside from making very good movies, he also has made some of the biggest movies of all time. Before Avatar: The Way of Water, James Cameron's most recent movies were Avatar and Titanic both of which were the highest-grossing movies of all time when they came out, and both made over 2 billion dollars. Making this ranking was extremely hard to as I don't think he has made a bad film and all of his films are at least a B+ and 8/10. With that being said, here are my thoughts and ranking of the 8 James Cameron movies.

8. Avatar

Avatar is the weakest of James Cameron's films which is really saying a lot considering Avatar is the highest-grossing film of all time and is still a very good film. The visuals in this film are absolutely stunning. James Cameron was able to deliver groundbreaking visual effects that are still better than any of the CGI effects seen today. James Cameron also does an excellent job with the world-building in this film. Everything feels so fleshed out and lived in and the Navi culture seems so well thought out in terms of character and setting development. The explanation of rules of this world are explained clearly and at no point does the movie feel like it is just making up rules as it goes. The action in this movie is also very well done. James Cameron knows how to deliver a blockbuster that appeals to all audiences and is never dull. The reason this film is at the bottom is that the plot is a bit derivative. We've seen this exact same story in films such as Pocahontas, Fern Gully, and Dances with Wolves. I also hold a bit of a grudge against Avatar as it stole James Cameron from making other movies. In the first 3o years of his career, he has made 6 really good movies, in the 30 years since then, he will have only made Avatar films. It is still a good film, I would just have rather he made other things.

Score: 8.4/10 Grade: B+

7. The Abyss

The Abyss is James Cameron's underwater Sci-Fi thriller. As is the case with most of his films, the visuals are very well done. It was really cool to see all of these sweeping underwater shots and see some of the action take place underwater. The film is also very exciting. It establishes a sense of tension early on in the film that keeps the audience engaged throughout the film. James Cameron also employs the art of excellence through simplicity in the plot of this film. This is a very simple film to see about a group of underwater drillers trying to discover the mysteries of an abyss. The characters in this film are also very fun, with each having their own unique trait that makes them memorable. I also really enjoyed the whole underwater creature aspect and how they were handled. The only thing that keeps this film lower, is that I would say some of the effects are a little cheesy and that movie itself was just a tad too long. Aside from those nitpick, this is a great film.

Score: 8.5/10 Grade: A-

6. Avatar: The Way of Water

Much like the last Avatar film. Avatar: The Way of Water is a visual masterpiece with groundbreaking visual effects. This film also does a great job of continuing the world-building established in the previous. This movie takes what we know about Pandora and expands it and gives us new areas and cultures to explore. I also really enjoyed how the movie shifted the focus from the Forrest world to this new water world. The water world gave us a glimpse of how huge the world of Pandora really is. The water world also allowed Cameron to do a lot of the underwater shots that he enjoys so much. The scenes underwater are also very well done and fun to look at. The movie also utilizes its longer run time very well by giving the characters time to develop and make the world feel lived in. Finally, the action in the film is really well done specifically the big showdown in the 3rd act. The only nitpick I have is that I wasn't a fan of the direction they went with the villain. Overall, this is a very good exciting film that takes what worked about the first Avatar film and builds on it.

Score:8.5/10 Grade: A-

5. True Lies

True Lies is James Cameron's take on the action spy genre. Arnold Schwarzenegger and Jamie Lee Curtis are a lot of fun in this film and have such great chemistry together. While Arnold is not an amazing actor, he can fit into this role very well. This movie is also really funny, with the basic premise being a husband using his CIA equipment to spy on his wife. It is absolutely ridiculous, but the movie just runs with it and goes all in. The action in this film is also really good. Again, the movie goes way over the top with all of its action sequences but that is what makes the film great. The only thing that keeps this lower is that sometimes the movie goes a bit too hard and verges on being cheesy. While sometimes the cheesiness works, other times it is more cringy than funny. Overall, this is just a really entertaining movie, that goes all in with all of its ridiculousness.

Score: 8.7/10 Grade: A-

4. The Terminator

The Terminator is James Cameron's first film. This film is one of the great Sci-Fi horror/thriller films. It is one of the few films to have a 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. (With that being the case, and this movie at number 4, you can imagine how good the rest of these films are). James Cameron creates a very straightforward thriller chase film. It doesn't try to accomplish too much or cram too many characters or plot lines. It is very fast-moving and easy to follow. The premise itself is very interesting with the idea of a killer robot from the future being sent back in time to kill the mother of the resistance leader. It takes a somewhat ridiculous idea and makes it exciting and realistic. The action in this film is also very well done with the semi-truck chase and the police sequence being standouts. Finally, the characters in this film are very strong. Kyle Reese and Sarah Connor have great chemistry together and Sarah has a lot of character growth throughout the film. Arnold Schwarzenegger is iconic as The Terminator as this was the role he was born to play and he delivers a great performance that is simple but intimidating at the same time. My only issue is that sometimes the special effects in this film can be a little bit dated, but other than that this is a fantastic near-perfect movie.

Score: 9.2/10 Grade: A

3. Titanic

Titanic, I feel, is James Cameron's magnum opus. It was the highest-grossing movie of all time until James Cameron's next film, Avatar, took its place. It has such a large sweeping scale with many great shots and visuals. the best word to describe this movie is grand. The scale that the sets were built on is just amazing with the scope of so many of the visuals being so amazing. The storytelling in this film is also very well done. With a run time of over 3 hours, James Cameron allows the audience to enjoy the world being built on the Titanic before the inevitable tragedy. He also really gives time for characters to be established and for relationships to be built. When the Titanic does begin to sink, it happens almost 2 hours into the film after the audience has really been given time to get to know the characters which is a great example of good storytelling. Aside from the storytelling, the characters themselves are very well done. Jack and Rose are both so likable and have great chemistry together. You really want them to be able to escape and live their lives. Cal is also a really well-done character as he is designed to be so despicable and truly pulls it off. At this point, there really isn't anything wrong with these movies. The only thing keeping this film from being higher is that I like the other ones more.

Score: 9.5/10 Grade: A

2. Aliens

Aliens is James Cameron's take on Alien by making it bigger, more exciting, and with more explosions. In my opinion, Aliens is the greatest of the Alien franchise. The action in this film is so well done. It has a lot of exciting moments and a whole lot of marine vs alien action. The pacing in this movie is good too. The movie is basically non-stop action from beginning to end and really keeps you entertained the entire film. The effects in this film are also really well done. Even though this film was made in the 80s, it still holds up for the most part. James Cameron doesn't overuse the Aliens to the point that they look cheesy, but just enough that they still come across as scary and have a presence in the film. Aside from the action and effect, the characters are also super memorable in this film. They have unique traits that make them stand out in the film and are all fun to watch. Ripley, Hicks, and Newt really create a sort of family bond towards the end of the film that gives hope for the characters when everyone else is getting killed. The dynamic between Newt and Ripely is also very well done. Ripley comes across as motherly to Newt while still able to be a strong female figure in the film. Overall, this is not just a great James Cameron movie but also just a great movie in general.

Score: 9.7/10 Grade: A

I. Terminator 2: Judgement Day

Terminator 2: Judgement Day is the greatest of James Cameron's films and is arguably one of the greatest sequels of all time. As was with Aliens, the action in this film is so great. It is basically non-stop excitement as the story movies from place to place. The action is also really well done as it entails a lot of gun fights and car/bike chases. As with the original Terminator film, Arnold Schwarzenegger was made to play the role of the Terminator. However, there is the added dynamic of him being a bit of a father figure/ older brother to John Conner which makes this movie special. The interaction between the two characters is a lot of fun to watch and really adds a different perspective to the Terminator character as it shows him slowly learning what it is to be human. The character of Sarah is also very well done. She has quite a strong arc throughout the film as she is learning how to recover from the events of the previous film while also trying to be a mother. Throughout this film, Sarah has to learn how to regain her humanity and not turn into a mindless assassin as she fought so hard to destroy in the last film. Overall, this is a fantastic movie that is not just the best James Cameron film but also one of my favorite movies of all time.

Score: 9.8/10 Grade: A