I continue to be a big fan of these movies. James Cameron is so frigging good at this; other directors should be embarrassed. But more than that, this sentimental adventure story is just plain old fun. The world building remains fantastic. The action is top notch. Every frame is gorgeously lit, and I can’t say that about most films these days.
Cameron has a unique worldview, and it’s refreshing. He’s optimistic. He’s sentimental. He’s an environmentalist (obviously). And he’s really got a thing for the military. That combination all makes these movies work perfectly. I wasn’t into the first film when it came out, but I have come around to all three in a big way. I want more big, ambitious action/adventure movies like this.
Though it’s three hours and twenty minutes long, it moves at a breakneck pace that feels about an hour shorter than its runtime. (That pace creates some tension; the world needs a bit more time to breathe and the film suffers occasionally from “how did we get here?”)