I see you, number two.

2. Avatar (2009)

Coming in at number two on my list is, surprise surprise, the biggest grossing film of all time! Unlike some movies on this list if you haven’t seen Avatar by now you are part of a very small minority, and you’re also missing out. Like, you actually haven’t lived yet. Avatar is obviously the newest film on this list, having been released just before the turn of the decade. For a movie so recent to poll so high was a tough decision to make, as I often think things take a while to settle in, but there was no denying that this rates right up there.

Okay so what makes this film so good, really? Why has it become the highest grossing film of all time? While there are many many things that make this great it ultimately comes down to the visuals. This film is visually appealing in an unprecedented way. It’s amazing that technology has gotten to the point where CGI images actually look like they could be real. Every image is incredible, from the giant bulldozers to the giant tree that the Na’vi call their home. My favourites though would have to be the both the ‘floating mountains’ that they climb up vines to get to, and the subtle touches, like the way the flora lights up under their feet while they walk. It’s gorgeous, every single bit of it, and an absolute treat to watch.

The plot has been compared to Pocahontas and Fern Gully, you know, the whole battle between man and nature, but I don’t think this should be compared. This story is a battle between the two on such an epic scale that neither of the aforementioned reaches. Environmental issues are so prominent at the moment, the idea that we would not just destroy our own planet but go on to wreak havoc on another is quite disturbing, and this battle is just as relevant to today’s issues as those in one hundred years time.

The film could be divided into two, the first half which focuses on Jake’s integration with the Na’vi and the second half focuses on the battle that ensues between the humans and the Na’vi. I love that they take about two seconds of black screen between the halves just to let the audience catch its breath. In the first half you really see how well thought out this film is, as it’s almost a documentary on the Na’vi culture. The way they live was so well thought out and so well ‘documented’ here that it sucks you in completely. In fact, I would go so far as to say that I’ve never been pulled into a movie this much. The second half is the most epic battle sequence in the history of films, it’s long but not for one second does it get boring, you’ll be on the edge of your seat the whole time.

And that is the other strong point of this film. Both halves were so well thought out, with every detail meticulously planned, and it is for this reason that every scene shines so bright. How often do you find a battle scene drags on too long, or a fictional race is left undeveloped and unbelievable. It says a lot that when you watch this film the first time you see the bulldozers you think ‘wow they’re massive’ and the next time you see them, after you’ve been pulled into the Na’vi world, they’re a terrifying image of destruction.

Some of my other concerns coming in, apart from the movie dragging or seeming farfetched, were that the characters wouldn’t be properly developed and the dialogue clumsy, similar to what you see in a Star Wars film. But none of these concerns were necessary, every single detail of this film is properly developed. They took a long time to make this film but it was worth it because there is not a dull moment.

Avatar was the first film in a long time, possibly ever that I’ve walked out of completely speechless. It was the most breathtakingly beautiful piece I’ve seen, from start to finish. I fell head over heels in love with Avatar, and there is only one movie that I could say tops it for the decade…