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The craziest part of Avatar 3 isn't the movie; it's the fact that it just passed $2 Billion in 3 weeks and nobody on my timeline is quoting it. It is the 'Phantom Franchise.' Everyone sees it, everyone likes it, but it leaves zero cultural footprint. There are no memes, no fan theories, no cosplay. It’s just a global ritual we all do every few years. It proves that Twitter/X is not real life. The internet hates it, but the general public clearly loves escaping to Pandora.

I feel like I'm taking crazy pills. Everyone is screaming 'Masterpiece!' because the water and fire effects look realistic. Yes, it looks pretty. But can we talk about how the script is basically the same as the last two? Jake Sully worries about his kids, someone gets captured, they do a big rescue mission, and things explode. It is a 3-hour tech demo with a C-tier script. If you stripped away the CGI, this would be a direct-to-DVD sci-fi movie. We need to stop rewarding Cameron for pretty colors.

Finally, James Cameron fixed the biggest problem with this franchise. The 'Ash People' are exactly what we needed. For two movies, the Na'vi were these perfect, peaceful eco-warriors, and it was getting boring. Seeing Na'vi that are cruel, industrial, and power-hungry makes the world feel real. Varang (the leader) is a way better villain than Quaritch because she isn't a cartoonish military guy; she actually believes she is protecting her people. This is the first time I've actually cared about the politics of Pandora.