Avatar: The Way of Water | 16 DEC 2022 | Don't worry guys, critics like it

[stuart360]

Just got home from seeing it, WOW.

 

Purely as a film-

 

AVATAR - 9/10

A2 - 9.2/10

 

As a 'spectacle' thats going to get tons of repeat viewings -

 

AVATAR -9/10

A2 - 8/10

 

A2 is a better film 100%, it has better characters, better dialogue, a ton of it as well. I can def see why so many critics said it was better than the first film.

 

A year from now when i'm sat at home and want to watch some AVATAR, A2 will be the one i watch the most (although i will probably watch both toghether as a marathan) as quite simply its the better film. The first film is the better spectacle though, and its that spectacle that brings in 5, 6, 10 repeat viweings.

 

The problem though is that this film is very much what it is, a middle film in a franchise, or more accurately, one half of a film. For people that dont realize, Cameron split the orig A2 script into 2, thats where the 4th sequel came from as he was only doing 3 sequels to begin with.

Ands thats what the film feels like. The first film had a start, a middle, and a end, and could be seen as one movie, one fantastic movie.

A2 feels very much like Empire, and while many people like Empire the best, if you were going to watch a orig SW film for the action and spectacle, you would pick ANH or Jedi.

 

The final battle in A2 is amzingly shot, but its short, and you can tell it was supposed to be a smaller mid film battle before Cameron split the script in two.

There are a few other action set pieces through the film though, something the orig film didnt have as it saved all the action for the final battle.

 

The kids streal the show though, and their interactions with each other feel so real. Also they have all the best 'nature doc' style scenes with tons of mesmerizing underwater sequences with the kids and animals. A joy to watch to be honest.

 

I cant go into too much detail for obvious reaspons butI think the general mases that kind of like the first AVATAR, they will be once and done with this film ,and its going to need the poeple that realy liked the first film, and the hardcore fanboys, to get this film to the heights some of us think it could get,.

 

Of course if that article about half of the US wants to see the film, well we wont need any repeat viewings to get a record breaking gross!, lol.

 

Already booked my Monday 3D show though, cant imagine what those underwater sequences look like in 3D!.

I'm doing my part.

 

 

Mods i tried to not put any specific spoilers in the review. If you dont agree than just delete it. I'm getting tired of constantly getting warned for stuff.

Edited December 16, 2022 by stuart360

[cdsacken]

6 minutes ago, Deep Wang said:

 

Is it though....??

I fear for my safety from avatar stans if I say otherwise 😂 

 

Honestly? No idea. You know much more than me and if I remember you have club about this.

[Nero]

1 hour ago, kayumanggi said:

 

Also, have they been using their own vaccines still?

Yes. Even their own booster dose too

[The GOAT]

Don't speak too soon. The Avatar deniers are not out of the woods yet. Not even close. This movie still has the potential for monstrous legs like the last one

[Cap]

20 minutes ago, Deep Wang said:

 

Is it though....??

When does your club close?

[stuart360]

19 minutes ago, The GOAT said:

Don't speak too soon. The Avatar deniers are not out of the woods yet. Not even close. This movie still has the potential for monstrous legs like the last one

If you talking to me GOAT, i'm still sticking with my 2.5bil total, and still feel 3bil is in play!.

Its going to be harder now after seeing the film, but i just wanted to be honest with the review.

Edited December 16, 2022 by stuart360

[Nikostar]

2 minutes ago, The GOAT said:

Don't speak too soon. The Avatar deniers are not out of the woods yet. Not even close. This movie still has the potential for monstrous legs like the last one

Sure but this is not 200o this 2022 and bixoffice is different 

[Deep Wang]

22 minutes ago, cdsacken said:

I fear for my safety from avatar stans if I say otherwise 😂 

 

Honestly? No idea. You know much more than me and if I remember you have club about this.

 

lmao I don't know anything about anything.

 

and yes I have a club about this 👀

 

9 minutes ago, Cap said:

When does your club close?

 

I never set a date on it, but I suppose I should lock it today, huh?

[Deuce66]

Thursday previews being reported at $17 million for Domestic 

 

by comparison

Black Panther 2: $28 million
Top Gun Maverick: $19.3 m
Jurassic World Dominion: $18 m
The Batman: $21.6 m
Doctor Strange: $36 m 
Thor Love and Thunder: $29 m
Minions the Rise of Gru: $10.8 m

 

from Boxoffice Pro 

AVATAR: THE WAY OF WATER Studio Reports: $17.0M Thursday Domestic Previews $50.4M International 2-Day Total

 

Edited December 16, 2022 by Deuce66

[SchumacherFTW]

All things considered going on, I hope you guys that were excited for this enjoyed it as much as you hoped, especially you @IronJimbo

[GipJo]

As a frame rate sensitive person, Cameron fucked it up with Its frame rate choice. He should pick one and went with it, the frame rate changing makes the viewing experience feel a lot worse to me.

[MikeQ]

I'm hoping I won't have to contend with HFR because I'm seeing the film in glorious 2D (though I have no idea if HFR can/will still be present, as it isn't advertised anywhere). All of the respect to those who like to and enjoy glamming it up with 3D and HFR, but it's not for me.

 

Peace,

Mike

[Dragoncaine]

IMAX 3D for me tonight at 6pm EST, but thankfully no HFR on first viewing. I will be checking it out in that format once I travel to PA for the holidays, though. Probably IMAX 3D HFR with MUCH comfier seats than this first theater lol

[StreamBO]

43 minutes ago, Dragoncaine said:

IMAX 3D for me tonight at 6pm EST, but thankfully no HFR on first viewing. I will be checking it out in that format once I travel to PA for the holidays, though. Probably IMAX 3D HFR with MUCH comfier seats than this first theater lol

If it is IMAX most probably IT IS HFR alot of IMAX don't say if they are HFR but end up being HFR, IMAX has probably HFR in all of them because p Cameron wants it so. You have p most of a chance standard not being HFR. 

Edited December 16, 2022 by StreamBO

[stuart360]

1 hour ago, GipJo said:

As a frame rate sensitive person, Cameron fucked it up with Its frame rate choice. He should pick one and went with it, the frame rate changing makes the viewing experience feel a lot worse to me.

I forgot to mention the HFR in my review. I really hated the switching bewteen framerates, and it happens a LOT, id even say at least 50% of the movie is HFR. Its really random as well as you will get the framerate switching in the same scene, and sometimes you will see the HFR in a slow talky bit, or walky bit, and then the scene will speed up but the HFR stops, its really weird.

Also they remove the blurring and motion blur when it switches to HFR, and 48fps really isnt that high to remove motion blur completely. You end up getting scenes that look lik Ray Harryhausen stop motion.

 

Thankfully the home version will be full 24fps.

 

Imo he should of done what his orig plan was all those years ago when the sequels were announced, full 60fps. Those AI converted trailers at 60fps look sublime.

Edited December 16, 2022 by stuart360

[GipJo]

16 minutes ago, StreamBO said:

If it is IMAX most probably IT IS HFR alot of IMAX don't say if they are HFR but end up being HFR, IMAX has probably HFR in all of them because p Cameron wants it so. You have p most of a chance standard not being HFR. 

I think all laser IMAX screens are HFR, even some digital imax screens.

[Dragoncaine]

22 minutes ago, StreamBO said:

If it is IMAX most probably IT IS HFR alot of IMAX don't say if they are HFR but end up being HFR, IMAX has probably HFR in all of them because p Cameron wants it so. You have p most of a chance standard not being HFR. 

 

3 minutes ago, GipJo said:

I think all laser IMAX screens are HFR, even some digital imax screens.

Interestingly my IMAX theater only has HFR listed for the standard 3D and RPX 3D showings. I even texted my buddy who works at the theater and he said he saw it in IMAX 3D and it wasn't HFR. I'm pretty sure it's a LieMax, so that could be why lol

[adaros]

3 minutes ago, Dragoncaine said:

 

Interestingly my IMAX theater only has HFR listed for the standard 3D and RPX 3D showings. I even texted my buddy who works at the theater and he said he saw it in IMAX 3D and it wasn't HFR. I'm pretty sure it's a LieMax, so that could be why lol

Also 4DX should all without HFR

[Alexdube]

Great fun but in all honesty, as a giant Cameron nerd, I don't think Avatar 2 is the world destroyer Titanic and Avatar were.

It's not that it's better or worst, it's that those movies were essentially perfectly tuned blockbusters. Perfectly engineered to make boat loads of money. 

The main issue I think is the script, it's the first big movie Cameron is directing that was written by a writers' room instead of mostly just himself, and it shows. It's less focused, less efficient storytelling.

 

But I'm only "disappointed" here because I was essentially hoping for some form of "perfection", which I didn't really get here.

It also didn't help that I had to settle for a regular 3d screening and that of course, it wasn't bright enough. Definitely took away from the experience.

Next time, I'm going to watch this on the best biggest screen available, maybe with slightly lowered expectations, and I know I'm going to have a great time because there is a  lot of cool stuff in there.

 

As for how much this movie will make? I had no idea before, I still have no idea now. I think it's the biggest wild card in history in terms of box office. But I won't be disappointed whatever it makes, whatever happens happens. If this isn't the big one, there is always the next one! (barring an unlikely catastrophe)

Edited December 16, 2022 by Alexdube

[ThomasNicole]

The viral lol