All of James Cameron’s films, ranked

In what would almost certainly make the bottom of any list I’d write, Piranha II: The Spawning is Cameron’s first and worst film made. The sequel that nobody needed to the 1978 cult classic Piranha, this movie just doesn’t work. When a mutant species of piranha is discovered by some local watergoers, the feast begins, and the hilarity ensues. Unlike the previous film, these over-hyped predators are big, smart, and yes, they can fly. Unfortunately, the superpowers attributed to the feisty fish are the only thing that differentiates this film from the first. Chock full of bad lighting, cinematography, writing, acting, editing, and even sound design, this film should only be on your list if you like bad movies. Even still, you might find it hard to enjoy this film or watch it all the way through. Cameron was actually fired from the production and later tried to get his name removed from the credits, reportedly having broken into the studio to edit the movie himself. Unfortunately for him, his name is still plastered all over the credits and it will always be known as his debut.

A long-delayed sequel that many were convinced no one wanted, James Cameron once again proved his haters wrong when Avatar: The Way of Water hit theaters. This movie, which picks up the story of Jake Sully more than a decade after the first Avatar, features the same spectacle that made that first film such a massive hit. The world of Pandora is beautiful, and the underwater sequences in this movie are likely the most stunning thing Cameron has ever put to film. On a technical level, The Way of Water is a masterpiece, and that technical wizardry is accompanied by a moving story about the way parents have to let their children go and live in the world, whether they’re ready for it or not. 

Following Ridley Scott’s profoundly chilling sci-fi horror movie Alien comes Aliens, the much more in-your-face action-packed sequel that fully capitalized on the concepts in the original film. When Officer Ripley (Sigourney Weaver) wakes up from hypersleep more than 50 years after her traumatizing survival in the first movie, she finds that humans have discovered their existence and wants to research them with her help. Ripley, having seen the horrible things just one of those creatures can do, suggests bombing the hell out of the species to be rid of them. If you’ve seen the first movie, you know just how right she is. Back again to deliver some awesome performances are some James Cameron familiars: Michael Biehn and Bill Paxton. They play two soldiers tasked with eliminating any threat posed by the xenomorphs. Biehn is awesome as ever, reviving his Galahad-like glory from The Terminator, and even bringing his trusty shotgun along for the ride. Though this is a fairly scary sci-fi action thriller, Paxton is still hilarious in his performance as the gung-ho and extra-vocal private who quickly turns tail after facing the terrifying aliens. “Game over, man. Game over!”