• Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.

Avatar: The Way of Water | Review Thread

jason10mm

Gold Member
Is it better (as a movie) than Top Gun Maverick?

It's the deciding factor if I even give it a chance. Don't care to watch blue panther people.
Maverick had a story that was almost IMPOSSIBLY dumb, so it relied heavily on nostalgia, "in the moment" epic events, and the megawattage of Cruise. I'd say A2 is relying on many of the same characteristics for its success.

Really, this is an extremely high budget, meticulously crafted, sci-fi action film made by one of the undisputed masters of the genre. Even if there was literally ZERO dialogue in the entire film, it would merit being watched by anyone that is a fan of action filmmaking and is tired of repetitive capeshit with sloppy action, dodgy CG, and internal logical fails.

I see it tomorrow, so maybe I'll change my mind but seems unlikely given I actually liked A1.
 

Ulysses 31

Member
8/10 from Angry Joe


He kinda confirms there's a some real dumb things in the movie for the spoiler video that's coming up. :messenger_winking_tongue:
 

kruis

Exposing the sinister cartel of retailers who allow companies to pay for advertising space.
Anybody see it yet in 2D, and if so how is it in 2D?

I've seen the movie in 2D for a couple of seconds when I closed one eye during two or three different scenes. Believe me, the 3D is the way you want to see this movie (if you can).

3D + HFR + Imax + laser projection + underwater scenes is like being in a real life aquarium.
 

EviLore

Expansive Ellipses
Staff Member
I've seen the movie in 2D for a couple of seconds when I closed one eye during two or three different scenes. Believe me, the 3D is the way you want to see this movie (if you can).

3D + HFR + Imax + laser projection + underwater scenes is like being in a real life aquarium.
Yep. Dolby Cinema IMAX 3D was like peering into another world more so than watching a movie.
 

Punished Miku

Human Rights Subscription Service
I've seen the movie in 2D for a couple of seconds when I closed one eye during two or three different scenes. Believe me, the 3D is the way you want to see this movie (if you can).

3D + HFR + Imax + laser projection + underwater scenes is like being in a real life aquarium.
Man .... I don't think that's even available where I live.
 

DeepEnigma

Gold Member
I've seen the movie in 2D for a couple of seconds when I closed one eye during two or three different scenes. Believe me, the 3D is the way you want to see this movie (if you can).

3D + HFR + Imax + laser projection + underwater scenes is like being in a real life aquarium.
Yep. Dolby Cinema IMAX 3D was like peering into another world more so than watching a movie.
Fine! I will go see it. There is an amazing IMAX on I-Drive in Orlando.
 
Last edited:

kruis

Exposing the sinister cartel of retailers who allow companies to pay for advertising space.
How can A2 rely on nostalgia when there are no iconic scenes in the first one?

Sure, let's keep pretending that Avatar was a big nothing burger of a movie that nobody fondly remembers....

18757.jpeg
 

RiccochetJ

Gold Member
I'm going to see the film next week. I'm expecting a good looking movie and a fun time out with my family.
Just be aware that at least for me, there was about 30 minutes of trailers and ads so we were literally in the theater for just shy of 4 hours. If you have kids, that's a lot to ask of them depending on their age.
 

INC

Member
Reviews and feedback from this forum indicate it's better than average. Just like the last one was better than average.

So you're saying avatar had an above average story.........with above average acting from Sam Worthington.........Sam Worthington doing above average acting is more rare than unobtanium tbh

Visually yes its stunning, but that doesn't automatically make it above average.

Avatar is a cut and paste film, with themes pretty lifted from other films (dances with wolves, ferngully lol).

It's entertaining and average. Glad you think of it highly tho👍

I'll still watch the new one, if it's on par with the previous one, then mission complete overall
 
Ticket sales:

Those under 25 repped 41%. That latter number is potent given how some were concerned how older skewing this property would be.

Most people under 25 never saw the original in theatres. Their experience now is what we had in 2009.
 

Lasha

Member
Just be aware that at least for me, there was about 30 minutes of trailers and ads so we were literally in the theater for just shy of 4 hours. If you have kids, that's a lot to ask of them depending on their age.

Good to know. I usually come around 20 minutes late to skip trailers.
 

sinnergy

Member
Movie was flipping amazing ! Story in my opinion better than the first , loved the final act. CGI also out of this world ! The master shows how it’s done . Water tech is flipping unreal.
 
Last edited:
Good to know. I usually come around 20 minutes late to skip trailers.
The Mission Impossible preview was dope. The woman never watched one of these and now wants to see it in IMAX lol

And she also LOVED
the whalers being eaten alive and dismembered
. That entire action finale was pure bliss for someone who usually watches dramas and romance shit. Fucking Jimbo does it again.
 

GloveSlap

Member
I've seen the movie in 2D for a couple of seconds when I closed one eye during two or three different scenes. Believe me, the 3D is the way you want to see this movie (if you can).

3D + HFR + Imax + laser projection + underwater scenes is like being in a real life aquarium.
I was going to do HFR, but then i heard it switches constantly between HFR and 24fps. That is very disappointing and sounds really annoying.
 

EviLore

Expansive Ellipses
Staff Member
I was going to do HFR, but then i heard it switches constantly between HFR and 24fps. That is very disappointing and sounds really annoying.
The variable frame rate adjusts to the needs of each shot. Works very well overall.
 

sinnergy

Member
I was going to do HFR, but then i heard it switches constantly between HFR and 24fps. That is very disappointing and sounds really annoying.
I couldn’t tell the switches and I am sensitive. In my opinion this is the way how you do it. Btw The texturing of everything btw is next level stuff . As a graphics whore .. I couldn’t phantom how they did some of the water scenes ..
 
Last edited:

Neff

Member
Saw it today, a good movie but not a great one. Tons of strong moments and beautiful images, but also a lot of preachy meandering and times when you just want the movie to get on with it. For some reason, I never quite felt the rush of adrenaline or sincere waves of emotion that I usually get bombarded by when watching a Cameron movie. It also feels rather hasty and contrived, which is some feat for a 3 hour movie. I wish they'd come up with a good reason to let the RDA use the Avatar program for a simple revenge mission, since it's so expensive and a lot of the movie hinges upon it. I did like the idea of the bad guys from the first movie being revived as a sort of genetic dirty dozen to avenge their human deaths. Very sci-fi, very Cameron.

I think it's absolutely Cameron's weakest movie by far, and certainly not as good as its prequel, but it's still a fun ride. Lots of potential for Avatar 3.
 
When they first walk into the trees at night and it all lights up and glows everywhere and reacts to them.
Yeah right. Right up there with the “you talking to me” scene from Taxi Driver. Parodied and referenced many times - still in the current movie zeitgeist.

Come on, you just pulled a random scene from the first one. The first movie had no culture impact. None.
 

DeepEnigma

Gold Member
Yeah right. Right up there with the “you talking to me” scene from Taxi Driver. Parodied and referenced many times - still in the current movie zeitgeist.

Come on, you just pulled a random scene from the first one. The first movie had no culture impact. None.
Happy International Cat Day GIF


Fuck culture impact.
 

Punished Miku

Human Rights Subscription Service
Name one iconic scene from Avatar.
  • The final battle.
  • When the marine villain shoots at them by holding his breath when they're stealing the ship.
  • Jake learning to fly for the first time.
  • Jake getting the giant dragon tamed.
  • The tree getting exploded.
  • Jake leaving his human body behind at the end.
I could keep going. You're just bitter dude.
 
  • The final battle.
  • When the marine villain shoots at them by holding his breath when they're stealing the ship.
  • Jake learning to fly for the first time.
  • Jake getting the giant dragon tamed.
  • The tree getting exploded.
  • Jake leaving his human body behind at the end.
I could keep going. You're just bitter dude.
You’re just listing scenes. None of those are iconic.

Nothing to be bitter about. Mediocre movies come out all the time.
 

Punished Miku

Human Rights Subscription Service
You’re just listing scenes. None of those are iconic.

Nothing to be bitter about. Mediocre movies come out all the time.
The conversation is about nostalgia. All that nostalgia requires are memorable scenes that people liked. That's all it is, literally.
 
The conversation is about nostalgia. All that nostalgia requires are memorable scenes that people liked. That's all it is, literally.
You have to be really young to associate Avatar with nostalgia. And personally I don’t think a scene being memorable is enough to trigger nostalgia (not that there were any memorable scene).
 

FunkMiller

Member
Box office tracking for this puts it at around Dr Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness at 175-180 million domestic.

It's unbelievable that this kind of money would probably be considered a low opening amount for this movie.
 

Chiggs

Gold Member
Just got back from seeing it:

Pros:
  • Next, next, next level visuals.
    • Nothing is even close.
    • I mean, really.
    • Seriously.
    • Fuck.
  • A surprisingly dominating performance by the bad guy.
    • Really liked his interactions with one character in particular.
  • A highly entertaining 3rd act that has some really inventive action.
    • Bonus points that I really couldn't predict what was going to happen, besides what I could piece together from the trailer.
  • A 2nd act that feels like a visit to an aquarium/underwater alien petting zoo, which I didn't expect to enjoy as much as I did.
  • Cinematography and shot selection is superior to the first.
  • Somehow I didn't mind the children.
Cons:
  • A couple of groan-inducing lines.
    • A
      subtitled alien whale
      really made me laugh.
  • Hippy-dippy spirituality that will land for some, and simply will not for others.
    • And I don't mean environmentalism, by the way...which is there, but not nearly as obnoxious as I thought it might be.
  • The score can't touch James Horner's original.

Random thoughts:
  • I do feel like James Cameron currently trips acid, which I know might sound like a brainless explanation for his vivid imagination, but there were some tells for me.
  • I think the film will do quite good, but won't hit the Avatar or Endgame territory.
    • I think clearing 2 billion is quite feasible, though.

Overall: 8.5/10
 
Last edited:
Ticket sales:



Most people under 25 never saw the original in theatres. Their experience now is what we had in 2009.
Woah woah easy there. I consider there to be like 3 factions of gen Z, early, middle and late. I myself was in the very earliest bracket just barley missing millennial and all my peers saw the first one in theaters. I was in 6th grade and it was one of my favorite movie experiences.
 
Box office tracking for this puts it at around Dr Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness at 175-180 million domestic.

It's unbelievable that this kind of money would probably be considered a low opening amount for this movie.
What did you think of the film? Always curious to get your takes on media.
 

brian0057

Banned
Sure, let's keep pretending that Avatar was a big nothing burger of a movie that nobody fondly remembers....

18757.jpeg
> Create the highest grossing film of all time.
> Make no cultural impact whatsoever.
> Refuse to elaborate.
> Leave (Until the next one comest out)

Respect.
 
Last edited:
Top Bottom