James Cameron and his classic blockbuster Titanic are never far from the news. Whether it’s through updates on Cameron’s massive sequel series, or tragic attempts to visit the original shipwreck, Cameron and his film have been a staple of pop culture since 1997. Titanic is back on Netflix, the perfect time to re-watch one of the greatest and greatest movies ever made.
The opportunities you’ve seen Titanic are already very good. The film is still the fourth-highest grosser in box office history, surpassed only by Cameron’s own two Avatar films and the culmination of more than 20 Marvel films. Avengers: endgame. But just because you saw it Titanic doesn’t mean you shouldn’t watch it again. For all the memes about the ending, it’s easy to forget how entertaining all three hours and 14 minutes of the epic can be.
Amid Titanic‘s most impressive achievement is how effortlessly it can be everything for all people. You probably remember it as a cute and endearingly melodramatic love story steeped in tragedy, but what you may not remember is that the back half is as gripping action-survival film as you’re likely to find anywhere. Inspired by the era of classic disaster movies, Cameron managed movies like The towering inferno, the Poseidon adventureand even the earlier Titanic movie A memorable night in excitement as they far surpass them in effects and scale. It’s a perfect combination of genres that we don’t often see in the same movie.
As much as has been made about the ridiculous – but effective – effort Cameron put into filming Avatar: the way of the water, Titanic is barely surpassed by the director’s more recent underwater epic. The huge tank that Titanic was filmed, complete with a smaller replica of the boat itself, has become a legendary part of movie history. The effect it creates in the film remains a stunning spectacle that few films have achieved since then.
Speaking of Avatar: the way of the waterthat movie and Titanic actually make for a wonderful set-piece dual function. You can start with Cameron’s first giant boat-sinking finale and move to his more recent ones to see the ways the director has changed and how much bigger (and bluer) his subjects are now.
Whatever the reasons you have, look again Titanic is always a good idea, and now that it’s back on Netflix, this is easier than ever.