Though I can’t now remember where I read it, I read somewhere that the 2009 film Avatar, despite it’s immense financial success has not left any sort of cultural legacy. When thinking about it, it is hard not to agree. It is not commonly spoken about and I have never met anyone who considers it one of their favourite films. If I do hear about it, it is either calling it overrated or mockingly comparing it to Disney’s Pocahontas, Fern Gully or Dances with Wolves — all films which have essentially the same plot and all pre-dating Avatar by well over a decade. I found Avatar to be a boring, unoriginal film despite the visual spectacle it was sold on. I suspect many went to see it based on hype and quickly forgot it, so it is quite possible the sequels won’t do nearly as well unless they offer a lot more than impressive visual effects.
It occurred to me that the Star Wars prequel trilogy, despite being rather poor films, have had a significant cultural impact. They were critically panned and many Star Wars fans dislike them but the characters, worlds and sub-stories still spawned a significant legacy across multiple mediums. They even have hilarious memes; something that just doesn’t happen without a genuinely affectionate fanbase.
This post won’t be me trying to defend the films themselves — which I do think are bad. I am in agreement with the sometimes disturbing, frequently crude but thoughtful Plinkett reviews from RedLetterMedia. All the elements were there to make great films with some better writing and direction but this was not to be. What I will do is consider what might have helped these films have developed a strong legacy despite the negative critical reaction at the time and even still today.
