Listen. James Cameron is an amazing director.
You really can’t bet against him. He has come out with some of the most iconic movies of all time. From the sci-fi horror Aliens to the classic The Terminator, all the way up to 2009’s Avatar, he’s just a success no matter what he does. Even Avatar: The Way of Water was huge and made a ton of money in its first weekend, spawning several great reviews from critics and fans loving the movie on Rotten Tomatoes.
But the one movie he’s made that I just can’t get behind is Titanic.
It has been twenty-five years since the movie originally came out, and while I wasn’t around when it first released, I'm aware that it was huge. I have seen it multiple times in my quest to find some of the best movies out there and, I have to say it – it’s overrated.
There are so many things in this movie I could talk about that are great, but the bigger issues overshadow it to the point where I don’t believe it should have been as successful as it was. Here are five reasons why.
The Love Story Is So Unbelievable
This love story takes place over four days. Four. Freaking. Days.
Look, I know that there is this thing called ‘love at first sight.’ I’ve experienced it. Many people have. And sure, maybe Jack and Rose had that going on, but throughout these four days, I just can’t get over how unrealistic this love story is. It feels like a lesser version of Romeo and Juliet but with social classes instead of family rivalries.
I know that people can have flings, which is very normal. But Rose was literally ready to give up her life to go off and be with Jack after the ship’s voyage came to an end. I know that she wasn’t the biggest fan of the life she had, but wow, just to leave everything behind? Even your mother? I understand they had an estranged relationship but c’mon – for someone who just met?
I sound like Elsa from Frozen, but I’ll say it here for the people who need to hear it louder in the back – you can’t marry someone you just met. You just can’t. And the fact that these two were ready to leave it all behind is just nonsensical to me, having only known each other for a few days at most. Problems are bound to arise.
Then I know you’ll say “oh wait, what about the Disney romances where everyone finds love at first sight and they live happily ever after?” and to that I’d say yes, I love those Disney movies too but even I know those happily ever afters don't last. The only ones that were truly realistic in the way they portrayed marriage were Frozen and Tangled. Jack and Rose would have run into issues the moment they stepped off that boat.
Which Means The Ending Makes No Sense
Dude, this isn’t even about the wooden door in the ocean debate. This is about Rose seeing Jack in the afterlife.
While no version of the afterlife is wrong, her seeing Jack when she died just didn’t make sense to me. You’re telling me that Rose married someone else, had children with someone else, and didn’t see that man when she died? Instead she saw her boat fling from more than eighty years ago?
I guess some people care about certain people in their life more but this just doesn't seem right to me. The whole entire thing felt forced just so they could somehow be reunited again and everything was hunky dory, but it doesn’t feel earned when they only knew each other for four days.
And if you're curious, yes, I also believe they both could have been on that door. And I’ll stand by that.
Some Of The Acting Performances Are Overhyped
Don’t get me wrong, Titanic very much has some great acting performances. Kate Winslet is a star in every way, and I absolutely adored watching Kathy Bates in her role, but as I’ve watched many other movies featuring the other actors, their performances in this movie feel just sort of meh. Just your average performance.
Like for example – Leonardo DiCaprio has done so much in the industry the last two decades. I’ve seen him deliver amazing performances, but so many people always told me he was amazing in Titanic and I just… don’t… see it. Sure, he was handsome – as much anyone is in their twenties and working in Hollywood – but his acting felt very stale in comparison to some of his other hits.
Same with Billy Zane. Another amazing actor, but I didn’t like him as Hockley. I felt like he was almost too rageful and played the role of “asshole aristocratic guy” to the max. I would have preferred a more silent, threatening rage over his explosive episodes and sneaky ways in the movie. It just didn’t sit right with me.
And The Dialogue Feels So Cheesy
I know that at this point, “Paint me like one of your French girls” has been memed to death, but there are so many moments in this movie that just make me cringe now when I watch it. I’m sure back then, it was, like, peak cinema, but for someone now, who has watched so many other amazing romance movies – this just wasn’t hitting.
“A woman’s heart is a deep ocean of secrets.” – really, Rose? It’s not that deep. You were with the guy for four days. Or “Poor little rich girl, what does she know about misery?” Girl, no one was asking for you to lay out your life story. Some people don’t like the pressure society puts on them when they’re higher up in the world – it doesn't mean you should just leave it all behind and run away with someone you just met.
Granted, there are some great line deliveries in this movie too, hence why I do think some of the acting performances are great, but some lines are just so cheesy it makes me want to roll my eyes.
It’s Also Just Way Too Long
I’m going to give you a great comparison right now. Avatar: The Way of Water is three hours and ten minutes long. Titanic is three hours and fifteen minutes long. Yes, both of these have credit sequences included in the end. Both of these films are completely different in content.
But you want to know what Avatar: The Way of Water did better over Titanic? It didn’t feel like a three-hour movie. That film went by so quickly, I was surprised it was done. I was enamored with the world of Pandora, the slow-building moments, and the wars to come.
Titanic was the complete opposite. For more than an hour and a half, I was practically asleep waiting for the real action to come while I watched some half-baked love story on the screen. When the disaster of the Titanic hit, that’s when the movie really began for me – but we could have cut this love story in half, man. It didn’t need to be so long.
This movie is the equivalent of that meme that says “this meeting could have been an email.” And truly, half of Titanic could have been cut down so much. Sorry not sorry.
Even so, Titanic is still a momentous movie and one of the highest-grossing movies out there, so I’m not that upset by it. However, it’s really not as amazing as we all make it out to be – and I’ll stand by that no matter what anyone says.
