Sci-Fi Avatar: The Way Of Water

[Iceman]

Avatar: The Way Of Water Crosses $600M Global Box Office – Deadline

($183M domestic + $427 international)

Will be interesting to see what the hold is like this weekend. Is it going to be something very unusual again (even to a much lesser extent) or more like a standard leggy blockbuster.

 

[Iceman]

I watched this. It felt almost like an obligation, can't say I was excited to do so but I wanted to see the visuals on the big screen. The effects work is undeniably impressive. Very nice water, heh. Think it was a smidge better than the first overall. Doubt I'll ever watch it again.

I miss younger Cameron and his more interesting films, but I can't really be mad at it when his previous two films were two of the biggest ever made. He seems to have nailed the broad audience appeal equation. The stories can be a bit cliche, a bit basic, but he knows how to make a story and set-piece function, and diverts the ambition into the technology to create a little wonder, something that has become very hard to do since CGI became common.

I think you can maintain broad audience appeal while putting out a much better story. Funny as I was just saying something similar in the Horizon game thread but when other elements of the film are so far out in front of everything else it seems a shame that the story would be so average both times to not fully take advantage. Like having a perfect recipe for a meal let down by one dodgy ingredient.

I can personally enjoy this as a cutting edge tech showcase and a crazy nature documentary but if you’re going to go to all this effort and are a master of many areas of the project and not so good anymore at others, let someone else work on that part so that the full potential of what you have here can be unleashed. For a series that can make multiple billions at a time rather than shooting for just the 1, you can afford the very best writers in the world.

 

[samsnee]

I watched this. It felt almost like an obligation, can't say I was excited to do so but I wanted to see the visuals on the big screen. The effects work is undeniably impressive. Very nice water, heh. Think it was a smidge better than the first overall. Doubt I'll ever watch it again.

I miss younger Cameron and his more interesting films, but I can't really be mad at it when his previous two films were two of the biggest ever made. He seems to have nailed the broad audience appeal equation. The stories can be a bit cliche, a bit basic, but he knows how to make a story and set-piece function, and diverts the ambition into the technology to create a little wonder, something that has become very hard to do since CGI became common.

Seeing this tomorrow and have a feeling this will be my same reaction.

 

[Nardz937]

Just got back from the theater and I first thing I want to do is grab more friends and go back and see it again.

 

[Brother Jack]

I read Stephen Lang was going to be the villain for next few sequels. Sounds like that might get stale.

What they did with Quaritch is one of those things that on paper seems like it wouldn’t work but in the film itself is great. Lang’s performance was awesome and his arc is honestly one of the best things about the film. He’s a great villain.

 

[Scarlet Spider]

I love this story.

https://youtube.com/shorts/VI9aeMEamsw

 

[TheVileOne]

Spoiler

With dying as mentioned in this movie and humans needing a new planet which looks it's gonna be Pandora, I doubt it. Though there were always be parts of humanity who disagree with the military response.

Spoiler

Just seems like a dire, sad situation that ultimately means the end of humanity unless some sort of peace can be brokered.

 

[TheVileOne]

I love this story.

https://youtube.com/shorts/VI9aeMEamsw

I respect Damon for sticking with Ultimatum since that was the best one in the franchise. Damn, I loved the first three Bourne films. Kind of wish the last two never happened.

But I can see why they probably needed him to do a lost post-work and he wanted to be available for that. And it was the right decision at the time.

But I'm sure a part of him is looking at Avatar and is like "What If."

At the same time, he got to do a really cool sci-fi film later with The Martian, and that was a great film.

 

[DarkKnight88]

Will be interesting to see what the hold is like this weekend. Is it going to be something very unusual again (even to a much lesser extent) or more like a standard leggy blockbuster.

Keep in mind Christmas Eve is Saturday which is usually one of the lowest days of box office.

 

[AVEITWITHJAMON]

Spoiler

Just seems like a dire, sad situation that ultimately means the end of humanity unless some sort of peace can be brokered.

Spoiler

I think there will have to be some sort of peace or humans get their conscious transferred into Avatar bodies and that's the future of humanity

 

[sueb1863]

I've been a fan of Stephen Lang ever since I saw him playing Gen. George Pickett in "Gettysburg". No matter what, he's always great to watch. Even if Quaritch wasn't a well-written character. he'd still make him interesting.

 

[BatLobster]

Got to check this out last night. I'd say I enjoyed it about as much as I did the first one at the time, but objectively I think this story had a bit more depth and meat on the bones even if it was still fairly predictable. I liked it and it's always nice to see a master painting on the largest canvas they can. I think the most striking thing about it for me was the fact that 13 years have passed, I have never fully rewatched the original since seeing it in theaters, but it was so easy to slip back into this world as if no time had passed. That has to say something about how vivid the world Cameron created is. For all the action both films offer I still think the best achievement is just how good closeups on Na'vi faces look. It's unreal.

However, I have one major gripe. I saw this in IMAX 3D...the 48 FPS thing...holy cow I hated that. I never got to see The Hobbit in HFR so this was my first time experiencing it in a movie, and it just looks terrible to me. Its like having someone turning the fluid motion setting on and off between scenes and shots. The constant switching back and forth was super distracting for me and completely pulled me out of it. I'm glad I got to see it on a big screen, and the 3D was 'fine', but there were times the super smoothness of the 48 FPS stuff nearly gave me a headache.

 

[DarkKnight88]

I've been a fan of Stephen Lang ever since I saw him playing Gen. George Pickett in "Gettysburg". No matter what, he's always great to watch. Even if Quaritch wasn't a well-written character. he'd still make him interesting.

Lang kinda owes Avatar for giving him a second career wind. He’s kind of the MVP of both films.

 

[BoredGuy]

Got to check this out last night. I'd say I enjoyed it about as much as I did the first one at the time, but objectively I think this story had a bit more depth and meat on the bones even if it was still fairly predictable. I liked it and it's always nice to see a master painting on the largest canvas they can. I think the most striking thing about it for me was the fact that 13 years have passed, I have never fully rewatched the original since seeing it in theaters, but it was so easy to slip back into this world as if no time had passed. That has to say something about how vivid the world Cameron created is. For all the action both films offer I still think the best achievement is just how good closeups on Na'vi faces look. It's unreal.

However, I have one major gripe. I saw this in IMAX 3D...the 48 FPS thing...holy cow I hated that. I never got to see The Hobbit in HFR so this was my first time experiencing it in a movie, and it just looks terrible to me. Its like having someone turning the fluid motion setting on and off between scenes and shots. The constant switching back and forth was super distracting for me and completely pulled me out of it. I'm glad I got to see it on a big screen, and the 3D was 'fine', but there were times the super smoothness of the 48 FPS stuff nearly gave me a headache.

Yeah 48 frames is rough for movies and tv, it's not the right medium
The only time I need a high frame rate is honestly in first-person shooters, because you are inhabiting a characters body and need the high fidelity of seeing what they are seeing

 

[Batgirl0202]

 

[samsnee]

The effects are really good as expected. But I was bored by this. The middle just dragged. It felt like I was watching an ad for a new water theme park at one point.

Was there supposed to be a resolution to who the father was?

 

[samsnee]

What they did with Quaritch is one of those things that on paper seems like it wouldn’t work but in the film itself is great. Lang’s performance was awesome and his arc is honestly one of the best things about the film. He’s a great villain.

Not really sure what his arc was. I thought they were going to have him slowly bond with the planet and somewhat redeem himself but he was the same mustache twirling villain as before.

 

[BatLobster]

Not really sure what his arc was. I thought they were going to have him slowly bond with the planet and somewhat redeem himself but he was the same mustache twirling villain as before.

I think it humanizes him a bit. It's not a redemption arc, but it shows that he does care for Spider like a son. He's still a monster, but he's a more layered monster than before-- there's some moral consistency there...he respects loyalty, which is what he hates about Jake and appreciates about Spider even when Spider is defying him. In a way he and Jake

Spoiler

both lose a son in this film, albiet one by death and the other by rejection.

I think it just makes him a more well-drawn villain than he was before and adds some parallels between him and Jake even if the mustache twirling is still there. You can see why he'd think of himself as the hero of his own story, and he has an emotional weakness now.

In a way, it kind of reminds me of what they did with Smith in The Matrix Reloaded. Both come back from death altered, more "human", but with even more evil.

 

[TheVileOne]

Got to check this out last night. I'd say I enjoyed it about as much as I did the first one at the time, but objectively I think this story had a bit more depth and meat on the bones even if it was still fairly predictable. I liked it and it's always nice to see a master painting on the largest canvas they can. I think the most striking thing about it for me was the fact that 13 years have passed, I have never fully rewatched the original since seeing it in theaters, but it was so easy to slip back into this world as if no time had passed. That has to say something about how vivid the world Cameron created is. For all the action both films offer I still think the best achievement is just how good closeups on Na'vi faces look. It's unreal.

However, I have one major gripe. I saw this in IMAX 3D...the 48 FPS thing...holy cow I hated that. I never got to see The Hobbit in HFR so this was my first time experiencing it in a movie, and it just looks terrible to me. Its like having someone turning the fluid motion setting on and off between scenes and shots. The constant switching back and forth was super distracting for me and completely pulled me out of it. I'm glad I got to see it on a big screen, and the 3D was 'fine', but there were times the super smoothness of the 48 FPS stuff nearly gave me a headache.

Agreed on 48FPS. IMHO the format still doesn't work.

 

[Drizzle]

Was there supposed to be a resolution to who the father was?

Spoiler

I don't think there is a father, I took it as Kiri being an immaculate conception created by Eywa, especially with the powers that she has. I guess it happened when they tried to transfer Grace's consciousness into her avatar in the first movie.

 

[Brother Jack]

I think it humanizes him a bit. It's not a redemption arc, but it shows that he does care for Spider like a son. He's still a monster, but he's a more layered monster than before-- there's some moral consistency there...he respects loyalty, which is what he hates about Jake and appreciates about Spider even when Spider is defying him. In a way he and Jake

Spoiler

both lose a son in this film, albiet one by death and the other by rejection.

I think it just makes him a more well-drawn villain than he was before and adds some parallels between him and Jake even if the mustache twirling is still there. You can see why he'd think of himself as the hero of his own story, and he has an emotional weakness now.

In a way, it kind of reminds me of what they did with Smith in The Matrix Reloaded. Both come back from death altered, more "human", but with even more evil.

It's also clear they're table setting for Quaritch's character arc to continue through the next films.

 

[flickchick85]

Kiri is totally the same thing as what they did with Darla on Angel imo:

Spoiler

Darla was dying so Angel went to the Powers That Be for a special way to save her. They try to gift her a new life but it fails. Darla then gets turned to a vampire, but soon becomes pregnant, which should be impossible. Turns out the Powers owed her a life, so that baby is the new life the Powers had gifted her. Just replace the Powers with Eywa and you’ve got what happened here imo - Kiri’s the result of Eywa attempting to give Grace a 2nd life in her avatar.

 

[The Shape]

I also saw it in IMAX 3D, and while I am usually not a fan of HFR, it really didn't bother me here -- to the point that I barely noticed the switching back and forth. Wasn't an issue for me. I thought everything looked great.

 

[Iceman]

Quaritch has been good but I'd like to see new villains if there are going to be 5+ films.

 

[TheVileOne]

Spoiler

I almost wonder if they are going to attempt to redeem Quaritch through Spider. Also, now that Quaritch is a Na'vi hybrid, that might bring him closer to Pandora. Dunno, we shall see.

Quaritch does care about Spider at least. And he did care when Neytiri threatened Spider's life.