The films Avatar and Inception can both be analyzed through their unique artistic styles in addition to the astounding technology they used to enhance the plots. Globalization played a large role in the production of each film, as the film industry expected large audiences composed of people from around the globe, and financed the movies accordingly. Furthermore, Avatar and Inception are both blockbusters, as by the 1970s, “…the typical blockbuster became a wide-screen, color, stereophonic ride, full of action and special effects…” as is defined in “A Short History of Movies” by Gerald Mast along with Bruce Kawin (Mast, 346). These characteristics of blockbuster films clearly depict both Avatar and Inception, as they each are internationally known for their flawless special effects along with the amazing action-packed scene sequences.

James Cameron and Christopher Nolan, the respective directors of these two films, created movies that vary so widely in their subject matter, that among the genres listed in their classification are action alongside adventure, in addition to a third label that is distinctive for each film. Aside from the genres assigned by critics, these movies include elements of romance, comedy, and drama that become evident when watching them. The directors for these films were extremely involved in every aspect of the filming process, from spending time talking over the plots to the painstakingly thought-out incorporation of the new technology of CGI. Although Avatar and Inception have wildly different plots, they are similar in the stunning technology that is used to create the awe-inspiring and incredibly creative artistic scenes.

Avatar and Inception each embody strong elements of mainstream cinema. In a New York Times review in 2009 entitled, “A New Eden, Both Cosmic and Cinematic,” Manohla Dargis stated that Avatar’s “…production budget [is] estimated to top $230 million.” Moreover, the cast of Avatar includes previously famous actors such as Sigourney Weaver and Sam Worthington, as the IMDB page for the film explains. Aside from these clearly mainstream traits, this story of the film is easy to understand, and as is seen from the end scene, the conclusion is very decisive.

Inception is also a mainstream film, from its extensive budget, reaching $160 million according to IMDB, and its cast of famous actors including Leonardo DiCaprio, Joseph Gordon-Levitt along with Ellen Page, as is mentioned in the 2010 Hollywood Reporter review by Kirk Honeycutt of the film. Additionally, Inception is a socially as well as politically conservative film, lacking any qualities that would offend general audiences. Although Inception does have an exceptionally vague ending, as is shown in the following scene, this can be attributed to Christopher Nolan’s artistic vision of the film, rather than an attempt to fit into the category of unconventional movies.

As the critics for Inception suggest, this film represents a remarkably changing time in cinematic history, wherein films transport audiences to new frames of mind through innovative technology and the unique artistic styles used to portray the events of the storyline. Unlike the 2010 Telegraph review entitled, “Inception, review,” wherein Tim Robey asserted that Inception is a beautiful piece of cinematic art but neglects to inspire in audiences an emotional response, the viewing of Inception compelled a strong reaction that responded to the expressive visual scenery as well as the emotional undercurrents visible in the film. The following image portrays one such scene, in which the supporting characters share a kiss that fuels the audience’s hope in a favorable ending.

In a quote from Leonardo DiCaprio during a 2010 NPR interview by Michele Norris entitled, “A Visit to the Imaginarium of Leonardo DiCaprio,” the veteran actor said, “…‘every great director’ with whom [I’ve] worked has invited actors into the creative process very early on.” As the interview goes on to say, Nolan largely incorporated DiCaprio in the filming process, far beyond his actual role of playing the character of Dom Cobb. Inception is a stunning piece of work, for both the complexity of the plot, and the artistry that is apparent in the scenes, which can be awarded to the skilled director in addition to the enthusiastic cast. In the ninth volume and second issue of the Stanford University Journal “Intersect” in 2016 entitled, “Making Inception a Reality: Lucid Dreaming in Science Fiction and Technology,” Cindy Zang Liu attributes the spread of the concept of lucid dreaming in society to Inception, and goes on to say that, “…Inception… features the idea of constructing, entering, and hijacking dreams [and] saw great success upon its release.” As is seen from the below image wherein Cobb enters a deep level of the subconscious, the artistic creativity involved in Inception corresponding to the new field of lucid dreaming, is perfectly captivated by the creative sets that Nolan constructed as he “…didn’t want to rely on special effects to tell the story….”

This film review of Inception by Seth D. Baum and James E. Thatcher in the twenty-first volume and first issue of the Journal of Evolution and Technology in 2010, states that, “Inception’s plot revolves around a technology that permits groups of people to undergo shared dreaming experiences.” Thus, not only did the filmmakers use extensive technology so as to film the scenes, but a groundbreaking technology was a major part of the plot of the movie. The trailer for Inception illustrates the amazing depth of technology used to film the scenes, as well as the emotional aspect of the movie.

Avatar also employed a remarkable scope of technology while portraying a glimpse into an artistically delivered view of the fictional planet Pandora. The preview trailer of Avatar illustrates the breadth of imaging that was used in order to depict the beautiful landscape of Cameron’s imaginary world. In a 2009 Hollywood Reporter review of Avatar entitled, “‘Avatar’: Film Review,” Kirk Honeycutt maintained that “[i]n years of development and four years of production no detail in the pic is unimportant.” The level of intricacy that is evident in the lush landscape of Pandora, as is visible to appealing affect during the scene when Jake flies with Neytiri, aids in the overall impression of an extraordinarily delivered love story.

In a quote from the New York Times article, “[Cameron] hasn’t changed cinema, but with blue people and pink blooms, he has confirmed its wonder” (Dargis). This viewpoint aptly describes the feeling that resonates with audiences upon watching Avatar, as Cameron astoundingly creates an impression of unique wonder surrounding the world of Pandora. Even though the blunt storyline might be devoid of total originality, as the history of every nation can boast of taking the land and resources away from natives, the exceptional plot of Avatar negates any associations with other movies that critics may connect this film with. The poignancy of the CGI technology that is employed in the scenes is accentuated by the romance that plays out between the characters of Neytiri and Jake.

Both Avatar and Inception have added depth to the cinematic field, and will continue to influence the movies that are made in future. The fresh technology used in both films display the incredible potential that movies have of displaying a realistic storyline even in a world so different from Earth as Pandora.