I’ve just got back from watching Avatar in 3D at the Imax. It was an incredibly immersive experience and the effects were brilliant. Having said that, as a story it’s really no better than any other well made blockbuster. So why has it taken so much money at the box office and why are audiences all over the world so excited about it?
It’s already the second highest grossing film of all time and will soon topple Cameron’s last outing, Titanic, from the top spot after its 12 year stint at number 1.
Avatar has done so well because James Cameron is a master at disrupting the market in which he operates and always improves his product in a way that the audience do not expect, but which is of benefit to the experience of it. This excites the audience and gets bums on sets in the cinema.
Cameron has raised the bar yet again for special effects blockbusters to meet. His competitors, while being impressed with the splendour of his work, must be wondering how they can compete. That’s simple, make a better film, and they will, but they’ll need to use the technology he has invented and use the studios he has built to do it. That is until they come up with their own disruptive innovation.
