I think so, and that’s fair, but something about how Cameron prioritizes and chooses to apply his considerable skill doesn’t work for me. Even Marvel slop, which I’m admittedly fond of, still feels like the tech is there to tell the story, trite as it may be, rather than the story being there just because someone said you’re supposed to have one. Hell, Avatar isn’t even worse than those movies, but it feels like more of a missed opportunity.

Meh. I’m willing to admit this is mostly a “me and my expectations” thing, but if I don’t care at least a little, I can’t fully give in to the experience and let the technical spectacle wash over me.