James Cameron is one of my favorite filmmakers of all time, I do not believe he has made a bad movie, and he keeps that streak alive with Avatar: Way of Water. He has once again reset the standard of what is possible with CGI, but should visuals alone be the sole factor in assessing this movie's greatness. Throughout the history of cinema, movies are evaluated on their presentation and story to put it simply.
If Avatar 2 (To keep the wordcount down) gets a 100% A+ for visuals, then I have to be honest in giving it a solid B for its story. While I agree with Cameron's choice to keep the story simple in the first one to allow for more time to be spent word building. It in a lot of ways works to the detriment of this movie.
Characters from Jake Sully to Neteyam & Lo'ak, the Sully sons, and numerous others just fill their typical archetypes. Protective father, rebel son, "force-sensitive" child, etc.
It may seem harsh but the greatest franchises are almost always built on equally great characters whether it be via their backstory, motivations, or an actor/actresses performance.
However maybe the movies greatest sin is committed with my two favorite characters from the first film being Neytiri & Colonel Quaritch. Neytiri is suspicious sidelined in this movie with really no arc or true impact to the story except for maybe the best scene of the movie in the final act. At the same time, Colonel Quaritch while having a lot more to do then Neytiri is booged down by a nonsensical backstory and no character growth except for the final act. I'll admit he fulfills the main purpose of a villain by being an intimidating threat, but when you're arc is basically a repeat of the previous movie.... The first thing I thought when I left this movie is what Corridor Crew (VFX React Channel) will have to say! Today studios for the most part have gotten stagnant with pushing the VFX envelope, and VFX artists are asked to create spectacle with minimal time. This movie shows firsthand when you have a vision, talent, and time what can be accomplished. The result are images that show exactly why I am a valued AMC Stubs member, and also why movie theatres aren't going anywhere anytime soon.
Immense credit goes to James Cameron for knowing what he wants, having an idea of what he needs to shoot, and putting together a capable team. And despite his shortcomings in characters, his vision for fleshing out Pandora, its lore and other territories truly makes it feel like one of the most immersive fictional worlds since Star Wars.
Credit and respect must also be given to Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, Stephen Lang, and all of the other Na'vi character actors. Similar to voice acting, I believe it almost takes more talent to capture the human nuances in a digital character and that is achieved by each actress and actor though the same can't exactly be said for the human counterparts.
As I'll reiterate, James Cameron has created another amazing film that improved upon its predecessor in the story where needed. I do have to ask the question, how far can this franchise go. I thought the 2nd movie would emphatically answer that a la Cameron's Aliens. Yet for the most part it hits most of the same beats as the first one and in conclusion, WOW essentially begins and ends with the visuals. Are 3 more movies that are essentially pretty to look at but not much else going to justify a billion dollar production price tag?
We will see, but in the meantime I'll refuse to doubt Mr. Cameron.
If Avatar 2 (To keep the wordcount down) gets a 100% A+ for visuals, then I have to be honest in giving it a solid B for its story. While I agree with Cameron's choice to keep the story simple in the first one to allow for more time to be spent word building. It in a lot of ways works to the detriment of this movie.
Characters from Jake Sully to Neteyam & Lo'ak, the Sully sons, and numerous others just fill their typical archetypes. Protective father, rebel son, "force-sensitive" child, etc.
It may seem harsh but the greatest franchises are almost always built on equally great characters whether it be via their backstory, motivations, or an actor/actresses performance.
However maybe the movies greatest sin is committed with my two favorite characters from the first film being Neytiri & Colonel Quaritch. Neytiri is suspicious sidelined in this movie with really no arc or true impact to the story except for maybe the best scene of the movie in the final act. At the same time, Colonel Quaritch while having a lot more to do then Neytiri is booged down by a nonsensical backstory and no character growth except for the final act. I'll admit he fulfills the main purpose of a villain by being an intimidating threat, but when you're arc is basically a repeat of the previous movie.... The first thing I thought when I left this movie is what Corridor Crew (VFX React Channel) will have to say! Today studios for the most part have gotten stagnant with pushing the VFX envelope, and VFX artists are asked to create spectacle with minimal time. This movie shows firsthand when you have a vision, talent, and time what can be accomplished. The result are images that show exactly why I am a valued AMC Stubs member, and also why movie theatres aren't going anywhere anytime soon.
Immense credit goes to James Cameron for knowing what he wants, having an idea of what he needs to shoot, and putting together a capable team. And despite his shortcomings in characters, his vision for fleshing out Pandora, its lore and other territories truly makes it feel like one of the most immersive fictional worlds since Star Wars.
Credit and respect must also be given to Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, Stephen Lang, and all of the other Na'vi character actors. Similar to voice acting, I believe it almost takes more talent to capture the human nuances in a digital character and that is achieved by each actress and actor though the same can't exactly be said for the human counterparts.
As I'll reiterate, James Cameron has created another amazing film that improved upon its predecessor in the story where needed. I do have to ask the question, how far can this franchise go. I thought the 2nd movie would emphatically answer that a la Cameron's Aliens. Yet for the most part it hits most of the same beats as the first one and in conclusion, WOW essentially begins and ends with the visuals. Are 3 more movies that are essentially pretty to look at but not much else going to justify a billion dollar production price tag?
We will see, but in the meantime I'll refuse to doubt Mr. Cameron.