My problem with Avatar comes down to Checkhov's Gun.

It was a signal to me that this movie would follow the Hollywood Tent Pole Formula to a tee when I saw the trailer, was able to identify all of Checkhov's guns, and knew with certainty that it would have one of two endings. And I was pretty sure all the principal good guys would live. Going into it, I really wasn't expecting anything, because although the trailer spoiled the story, the story didn't seem that good anyway.

So I saw the movie, and lo and behold, all of the guns went off in order, and my guess as to the more likely ending was absolutely right. Including the orchestration of the theme music. Just like the formula said it should. This is one of the big reasons why I don't go to the movies much anymore -- especially anything DC or Marvel. It's all formulaic. Hollywood doesn't take risks on scripts anymore; it's all mediocrity. (Rogue One is perhaps the hold out, in that all the good guys died.)

If Avatar had quotable lines, it still wouldn't make up for the fact that it shamelessly stuck to the Hollywood formula to the point that all life got sucked out of it. Visually, it's got some technically impressive (albeit overwhelming) CGI. But it's all CGI and no compelling plot. The story is the same shit that Hollywood has been shoveling for the past several years.

And that's why the movie is all but forgotten today.