Next To Last Blockbuster At Theatre Box Office

Rating: 9/10 (5 December 2006)

In 1997, this film became a must see for a lot of people. There were several factors that caused this. The film featured some of the first shots of the actual Titanic on the ocean floor after it sank. It featured early glimpses of the technology that had been developed by Robert Ballard to get those pictures. It offered one of the first true tellings of how the ship really sank as finding it in the ocean had finally revealed more details about what really happened to it.
This movie has the trade mark James Carmeron hokey love story. He just re-did it in the Sci-Fi movie Avatar. This is becoming the trademark of all his films as Avatar is his first movie since this one. Will Cameron ever do a movie without one?
Titanic's story is better than Avatar simply because the story here is framed better. There is true History here to base the film on & this is much better than the story for Avatar which is negative without merit.
We have the ship of dreams, the star of the ocean diamond, the provocative drawing. We have the ultimate ship which has become legend for yet another generation thanks to this epic remake. The love story is Camerons jewel & the necklace the ultimate symbol.
Leonardo DiCaprio has the highlight role of his career here. So far, no role he has done since matches it. This film was the right time & right place for him. Right place because he got to play after the luscious Kate Winslet. She was another unknown to most audiences, but so far this is her best film too. The rest of the cast is OK, but other than the actress who plays Kate as an old lady, they don't stand out much.
Special effects appealed to sell tickets too. The ship sets were so expensive, so well done & so detailed, that they actually became tourist attractions after the movie was made there. Add all these factors plus no real other film in theaters when this was released, & you understand why it sold so many tickets.
It might be the last movie to sell so many tickets. Well made hit films now do well for a few weeks, but then a lot of folks wait for the DVD before they watch it. This & the new television technology which has made home theater type television possible, has changed the public theater into a less appealing venue.
Do I like this film? Yes, it is a good film, but 1 viewing is all I needed to take it all in. I still dream about Kate Winslet & wish Leonardo would try & match his acting in a newer effort.