Avatar: The Way of Water

[Neal136]

I saw it last night. It's gorgeous to look at on an IMAX screen, but the story isn't anything groundbreaking. As a father, I appreciated some of the emphasis on family. It's a loooooooooong movie to sit through, but if you have any interest in seeing it at all, you're doing yourself a disservice by not seeing it in a theater.

 

[choombaz]

I’m impressed by the levels of negativity on here. Cameron has been peddling his agendas pretty much since The Abyss, you either come on here and bash him until he’s blue in the face or you just accept it that he’s one of the few filmmakers left you rely on to give you an amazing experience at the cinema. This film is not the greatest thing ever, like someone else said it’s a crazy soup of a bunch of better films (and some worse films). My eight year old got the TPM reference.

But I’m here to defend the film because in every way (except a couple of small ones) it’s a better film than the first. It’s better written and acted, which were my main bug bears of the first film, the hoary dialogue and stilted acting are mostly gone. The story is better, covering family and environment really well, albeit totally heart on the sleeve. It gives time to all of the characters who are all much more compelling this time out. Heck Jermaine Clement is barely in it but gets some fantastic small moments. I was intimidated by the 3 hour run time, I don’t like long movies, I watched T1 the other night and that’s like 107 minutes but the time absolutely flies. My son had to pee in the middle of BP2 (and right at a certain caneo) but none of that here.

Worthington is so much better here than the first film and Saldana while she doesn’t get as much to do (one of my few issues) she was the best thing about the first film and is still one of the best things about this film. The kids are all terrific, they have a great dynamic together but are all unique and interesting individually. Weaver is amazing and really convincing as a child and so much better in this film too. Lang is great again, I was a little annoyed they brought him back but he makes a great bad guy.

The action and visuals are truly dazzling and an improvement on the first film in every way. But I will say the whole fps and motion smoothing thing is something I don’t like. Didn’t like it in the latter LOTR films and don’t like it in these films. And there are some shots, especially at the village, that just didn’t look that great, like they were a rough draft and not completed. But overall, incredible, you just accept these characters and locations. I’m one of the few people who loves the alien design. I didn’t originally in the first film but I warmed to them over time and again, am I the only person who finds Neytiri really hot?? All of the water work is truly truly beautiful. As someone who loves the beach and the ocean and surfing I really really get why Cameron gets so worked up about this.

As much as I like the first film, at the time I thought it was one of Cameron’s worst films because of the truly awful dialogue and acting. I can’t tell you how many times I cringed at that film. Saldana is what got my through that. But there was nothing cringe inducing about this one, quite the opposite. Thank goodness we still have filmmakers like Nolan and Cameron to give us big budget genuine cinematic experiences.

Oh and the Oppenheimer trailer looked really good.

 

[jye4ever]

I’m impressed by the levels of negativity on here. Cameron has been peddling his agendas pretty much since The Abyss, you either come on here and bash him until he’s blue in the face or you just accept it that he’s one of the few filmmakers left you rely on to give you an amazing experience at the cinema. This film is not the greatest thing ever, like someone else said it’s a crazy soup of a bunch of better films (and some worse films). My eight year old got the TPM reference.

But I’m here to defend the film because in every way (except a couple of small ones) it’s a better film than the first. It’s better written and acted, which were my main bug bears of the first film, the hoary dialogue and stilted acting are mostly gone. The story is better, covering family and environment really well, albeit totally heart on the sleeve. It gives time to all of the characters who are all much more compelling this time out. Heck Jermaine Clement is barely in it but gets some fantastic small moments. I was intimidated by the 3 hour run time, I don’t like long movies, I watched T1 the other night and that’s like 107 minutes but the time absolutely flies. My son had to pee in the middle of BP2 (and right at a certain caneo) but none of that here.

Worthington is so much better here than the first film and Saldana while she doesn’t get as much to do (one of my few issues) she was the best thing about the first film and is still one of the best things about this film. The kids are all terrific, they have a great dynamic together but are all unique and interesting individually. Weaver is amazing and really convincing as a child and so much better in this film too. Lang is great again, I was a little annoyed they brought him back but he makes a great bad guy.

The action and visuals are truly dazzling and an improvement on the first film in every way. But I will say the whole fps and motion smoothing thing is something I don’t like. Didn’t like it in the latter LOTR films and don’t like it in these films. And there are some shots, especially at the village, that just didn’t look that great, like they were a rough draft and not completed. But overall, incredible, you just accept these characters and locations. I’m one of the few people who loves the alien design. I didn’t originally in the first film but I warmed to them over time and again, am I the only person who finds Neytiri really hot?? All of the water work is truly truly beautiful. As someone who loves the beach and the ocean and surfing I really really get why Cameron gets so worked up about this.

As much as I like the first film, at the time I thought it was one of Cameron’s worst films because of the truly awful dialogue and acting. I can’t tell you how many times I cringed at that film. Saldana is what got my through that. But there was nothing cringe inducing about this one, quite the opposite. Thank goodness we still have filmmakers like Nolan and Cameron to give us big budget genuine cinematic experiences.

Oh and the Oppenheimer trailer looked really good.

Agree or not great review right here.

 

[Wor-Gar]

Oh and the Oppenheimer trailer looked really good.

Oh, very curious about that.

 

[choombaz]

Agree or not great review right here.

Thanks! You are sounding a bit like Yoda there!

Oh, very curious about that.

My son has become a bit of a Nolan freak. We watched TDK the other week for the first time and he adores Dunkirk, if Imax show that again we are going, he never saw that in the cinema. He has already researched and knows about Fat Man and Little Boy. I know there is a film they did in the eighties so I should try and find it. I know Paul Newman is in it so it must be good.

Imax had technical issues and that was the only trailer we saw. I had heard rumors there were longer previews for that and MI.

 

[Otomofan]

This movie isn't really a movie. It's a cartoon. It's 3 hours of 100% digitally generated images. It's like all the cut-scenes of a video game strung together. I can't believe they spent all that money to animate a bunch of wet sea cat people and at no point when you're watching it do you think it looks "real."


The first reviewer I watched said he thinks it'll be a big hit and that kids are gonna love it.


I don't know. Will kids love this? Will anyone love this? It's just a big dumb video game.


Visuals aside, I think what this movie has going for it is likeable characters. Even though they're weird cat people, you can't help but like Sully's family. Likeable, interesting characters that you can relate to is exactly what's missing in most of the Disney SW and Phase 4 dreck.


It's just OK. It's plot is as paper thin as the first one, and whatever spectacle that movie had is completely diluted at this point. This just feels bloated and overdone, but not nearly as impressive as it should be.


I think people will go see it. It'll probably do all right for a month or two. No way is it gonna make Top Gun money, though.


When they were all splashing around under the sea and frolicking in the clear blue water, I kept laughing to myself cause it just reminds me of Zoolander as the Merman.


Special request for Jye.....can you take this scene

And put Derek Zoolander in it??

 

[BeefEaster]

I might make my first trip to the theater since engame to see this. I really enjoyed the first and from what I'm hearing I'm sure I'll enjoy this one too. For me personally this type of movie is one of the few that is truly meant to be seen on the big screen.

 

[choombaz]

This movie isn't really a movie. It's a cartoon. It's 3 hours of 100% digitally generated images. It's like all the cut-scenes of a video game strung together. I can't believe they spent all that money to animate a bunch of wet sea cat people and at no point when you're watching it do you think it looks "real."


The first reviewer I watched said he thinks it'll be a big hit and that kids are gonna love it.


I don't know. Will kids love this? Will anyone love this? It's just a big dumb video game.


Visuals aside, I think what this movie has going for it is likeable characters. Even though they're weird cat people, you can't help but like Sully's family. Likeable, interesting characters that you can relate to is exactly what's missing in most of the Disney SW and Phase 4 dreck.


It's just OK. It's plot is as paper thin as the first one, and whatever spectacle that movie had is completely diluted at this point. This just feels bloated and overdone, but not nearly as impressive as it should be.


I think people will go see it. It'll probably do all right for a month or two. No way is it gonna make Top Gun money, though.


When they were all splashing around under the sea and frolicking in the clear blue water, I kept laughing to myself cause it just reminds me of Zoolander as the Merman.


Special request for Jye.....can you take this scene

View attachment 613235

And put Derek Zoolander in it??

View attachment 613236

Is it ok to agree with you but still love the film haha? I think it’s possible.

But when was the last time you saw a 3 hr gazillion dollar film come out of Hollywood that didn’t have a paper thin plot. They seem like contractual necessities.

 

[Otomofan]

Of course it's OK to love the film! I'm glad people are enjoying it. I really hope it has the intended effect and that families will go and see it together.

I didn't think it sucked at all. I was invested in the characters. I just thought it was a typical Hollywood big budget CGI fest, like everything else for the last 20 years. It was a perfectly cromulent movie, but certainly not "the movie that comes along once in a generation" like the trailer said.

I thought early reviewers were exaggerating about how much Cameron referenced his own movies, but maaaannn.....everything from Aliens to the whole Titanic thing and even healthy doses of Free Willy thrown in....they weren't kidding!

I quite liked the whale, by the way.

I wish

Spoiler

Giovanni Ribisi's character

was in it for more than a cameo....he was so great as his character.

Also, I liked how the creatures and even the Navi had bio-luminescent features. The neon glow reminded me of when I saw "Batman Forever" with my friends on opening night and we all got really high beforehand, and I was really digging all the neon scenes. Wonder if this movie would be good that way?

 

[jye4ever]

 

[Otomofan]

 

[jye4ever]

Whoa

RT:

80/94

Wor-Gar i’m sorry to say but for Otomofan YES Otomofan to give it a positive review you might have to admit that Cameron has done it again lol

 

[Prime Clone]

Early days but...

I lean closer to the critics.

 

[Wor-Gar]

Early days but...

I lean closer to the critics.

Most will. Can't judge the movie now as all the 'true-fans' have come out in their blue make-up and beads.

 

[jye4ever]

Most will. Can't judge the movie now as all the 'true-fans' have come out in their blue make-up and beads.

Buffinator has Blue……..Beads

 

[Rotfish]

Most will. Can't judge the movie now as all the 'true-fans' have come out in their blue make-up and beads.

Avatar has those?

 

[Wor-Gar]

Avatar has those?

Everything does, doesn't it?

I mean, if you said the sky was red, I bet there'd be quite a few people somewhere, somehow who would agree with you ardently.

 

[jye4ever]

Everything does, doesn't it?

I mean, if you said the sky was red, I bet there'd be quite a few people somewhere, somehow who would agree with you ardently.

I mean if the Nazi ideology can have millions of followers certainly there is room for Avatar acceptance lol

There is an ass for every seat!

 

[Otomofan]

I'm still perplexed by the reproductive cycle of the Navi.

There's one character whose birth is a mystery through the whole movie....

They show Navi women pregnant and they look like pregnant humans. I even think there was a shot or two of umbilical cords. All very mammalian traits. (Along with nipples, evident on the male Navi but always conveniently hidden on the females. And since they don't have nips lining their chests, I assume they only have one baby at a time, and not a litter.)

Then there's the genetic mutation of the human/Navi hybrids having five fingers instead of four. But if that's from human DNA...whose DNA is it? I don't think twins share the same DNA 100%, so like I said before, the kids running around on Pandora are really Jake's brother's kids cause he's in his brother's DNA-cloned body.

And in the first movie, we see that they attach their ponytails to have "sexual relations" but it's not clear at all if that's how they reproduce. That might just be for recreational purposes.

And before you accuse me of overthinking it, you KNOW Cameron has an illustrated notebook that goes over every little detail of Navi physiology from birth to death, and he's had it all planned out to the letter since the mid 90s. That's the kinda dude he is. He's actually a very decent artist, both with organic and mechanical designs, as seen in the book "Tech Noir: The Art of James Cameron."

 

[T8OO]

I saw it in Dolby Cinema 3D. Movie aside (which I really enjoyed) the picture is like something I've never experienced. The clarity was amazing. This is how 3D should look! Not keen on the high frame rate though.