The thing that I think a lot of people forget about the first Avatar is that it was pretty much the first big blockbuster to be available with those RealD 3D glasses. I distinctly remember wanting to go see it so I could check out RealD and find out if it lived up to the hype.

Of course, it had the James Cameron name recognition, so it was probably going to be pretty successful regardless, but I don't know if it would have been quite so record-shattering if it weren’t for the novelty of RealD, combined with the higher ticket price of 3D showings.

I was genuinely surprised the second one made money. I thought nobody would still care about the franchise. But alas, sometimes the majority like movies that I don't and vice versa. I'm not going to be an idiot and go on posts about Avatar saying "nobody asked for more Avatar movies". I didn't ask for more. But they're making tons of money so clearly, somebody is asking for more.

If you were late teens / early 20's or older when it first came out, I don't think it that weird.

It was bloody amazing. And then we've just all been waiting for it until the sequels, which are just now starting to roll in. The second one was a bit of a disappointment (bro) in my opinion, but I'm hoping the third one will be a positive surprise.

Basically I went to watch it for nostalgia, as I think a lot did.

AAA-game? Aren't there like lots of Avatar games?

Yeah, 2009 there was one, online shut down for it in 2014.

Guess you're talking about "the frontiers of Pandora" from 2023?

There's also "Pandora rising" from 2020.

The sequels were always in the works. The first movie was an experience and now people are just chasing that high again.

Hell, there's still tons of people waiting on the continuation on what happens to Jon Snow in the books after he's stabbed. That's still in the works with George, hopefully. Since like 2011.

A very overated movie by the ones who are fans. "Great visuals" they say, like if Avatar were the first movie ever using CGI. This movie is, in fact as OP says, a very weird franchise. Has success out of nowhere and no one ever bring this movie when talking about "what's your favorite movie", "what's your favorite movie soundtrack", "what's your favorite story from a movie", "what's your favorite scene in a movie". I dare you to do those questions to people and see by yourselves. A very big money wash if you ask me.

Did you all watch the first one with IMAX 3D (or whatever was called back then)? I might have weird eyes cuz it felt like I'm watching some long-ass blurry cutscene.

Shit movie.