review archive
Sam Worthington. © 2022 20th Century Studios, Lightstorm Entertainment, and TSG Entertainment. Directed by James Cameron.
Watched it in IMAX 3D @ AMC Theaters
Technology advances every year, and so does James Cameron himself. He keeps outdoing himself in every film he makes and this is by far, his biggest film yet. But can he manage to make a great film? Oh yeah, he can. The fucker did it. He did it again with patience and watching cinema burn until he releases his true sequel cinematic masterpiece. This is a film that should be seen only in theaters on the biggest screen possible in 3D. James Cameron knows his craft and he utilizes every single piece of film technology into creating a world that seems impossible. With one dream, he directed the shit out of this film into becoming a technical masterpiece. It's an experience that all audiences will be in awe and by the time you leave the theater, you want to experience it again. It's tempting but that's how I feel after watching this film. It's a marvel of a film that every studio dreams of wanting but with dedication and heart poured into a project, this is a result of waiting for over 10 years. As a filmmaker, I want to know every detail of this production and how Cameron achieved it. This is the film that 2022 needed to end off and we got what we wanted. Join me in the world of Pandora once again, exploring the new waves, people, enemies, and creatures of this world. Blue cinema as I call it. Story: Jake Sully and Ney'tiri have formed a family and are doing everything to stay together. However, they must leave their home after an old enemy returns to Pandora. The family explores the regions of Pandora including the islands of Pandora and relearning the ways of this new tribe. Where to start this review? I don't know actually since there are over a million things that I love about this movie! Let's start with something small like the story and characters in the film since that's the most important element in any film. Even if your film is beautiful, the story and characters could be dogshit. But Cameron really explored more of the world of Pandora with his characters. This film is a vast improvement from the first film in terms of storytelling and how they brought back the villain is very smart. The family of Jake Sully is pretty strong. Each character gets their own special moment and character development during the film. It's more focused on the family but still expanding the world of Pandora. Neytiri (Zoe Saldana) is also great in the film. Saldana gives a great performance with her character and we get to see how their relationship can go in many directions. Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) himself was also great in the film. His character is stronger in this film and we get to see more of a father figure caring about his world. His character arc gets stronger with each act and by the end of the film, it feels like a satisfying conclusion but there's more to explore. Overall, I really liked the main character's story and it's a huge improvement for the protagonist. The other supporting cast which is the new underwater reef clan is also great as well. I really liked Cliff Curtis's performance as the leader of the clan and Kate Winslet was amazing as the wife of the leader. While she had minimal screen time, her presence really changes the scene. The rest of the underwater characters were pretty good and sometimes, they were kind of a dick. But I really liked the new characters which let us explore more of what Pandora offers and explore new tribes. It's a huge strong improvement from the first film for the protagonist and a great family arc on exploring love, guilt, and peace. I really was connected with this family and I felt more emotional during a critical scene since I watched this with my family. This film is meant for families and I really loved the father and son connection throughout this film. It's a huge core in this film and it really works because of the set-up from the first film and the direction from Cameron. But the villain really got a huge fucking improvement and honestly, he's the best movie villain of 2022 alongside the Riddler. Let's transition to the human side of Pandora. Semper Fi, Oorah! Colonel Miles Quaritch (Stephen Lang) is back from the dead but in a new way. He's now a Na'vi and the way the film explains his return is way cleaner and more logical sense than in The Rise of Skywalker. Without giving away a lot of plot details, he's a little bit more intense but at the same time, more respectful and Lang's performance really shows how different this character really is, compared to the original human version. He's a much better-developed villain than the first one and honestly more badass. I wanted more screentime with him and we got that screentime. Every time they cut back to him, it's like something badass is about to happen and the drama is more entertaining during his scenes. He really killed it with his performance and with the final confrontation with Jake Sully, it was one heck of a fight. This is what a villain should be like and Cameron delivered it very well. Menacing but still has care about life and trying to finish his goal. But also caring about the villain goal's and motives. Now that's a badass villain in my books. I cannot wait to see him again in the third film and supposedly the other three more films if the actor is alive. Or well, if Cameron is alive. If Cameron is alive, he can keep expanding the world of Pandora. There is so much to explore in Pandora and I'm glad that we went to the ocean part of Pandora, rather than staying in the jungle. The sea islands of Pandora are beautiful and it looks like Disney can make a water park out of that. I even love how they didn't stick to just the main sea island but explored other sea islands including the outskirt ones. Plus, the creatures of Pandora are amazing. The only difference is that they are sea monsters but they offer unique traits to Na'vi's and humans. The sea Na'vi's are different as well with their skin tone much lighter and it's a great distinction between different clans but also still being a true Na'vi. I really love this new expansion of Pandora and it's nice that we still get to stay in the jungle for about one hour and the rest of the film stays on the islands of Pandora. What I really also love about this expansion is the culture of the islands and their own ways of communicating with the ancestors. It's beautiful and the sea itself with all the marine stuff is unique. I hope we get a more expansive side of Pandora that could be beautiful or dangerous. All of this wouldn't be possible without the filmmaking team behind this groundbreaking project. Since 2009, we have been waiting for a sequel and during that time, technology has advanced very fast as a result of that, this film is a groundbreaking masterpiece of the decade so far. I don't know how James Cameron achieves this but the level of detail on every shot is just insane. From a shot of a Na'vi pulling a string while on the water to a Na'vi group fighting human machines underwater is just incredible. It blows my mind that they took the quote "quality over quantity" very hard and they put Marvel to shame. Not even Marvel, but almost every film with CGI. The film shows the decade amount of work that VFX artists had to put into and the level of dedication of the on-set production crew as well. It's unreal how they blend practical effects into a VFX world that feels too real on screen. Just the human scenes alone with the Na'vi Colonel are just insane. We the audiences don't know if the set is practical or CGI. The blending is done very well and when the humans fight on water, that's where we question about reality in this film. The VFX and CGI are just incredible and it's absolutely going to win the Oscar for best visual effects without a doubt. The cinematography is fucking incredible with amazing beautiful wide shots and close-ups. Something about this film's cinematography is so unique compared to the first one. During the talking scenes, it feels huge, and the way that the camera moves is so handheld but not the handheld I expect. It feels like a Steadicam shot but mixed in with the handheld with no shakiness involved. It feels so weird explaining about that but that's how I feel about the way it was shot. It fits perfectly with this film and Cameron's direction. The IMAX 3D presentation was also very great. While I'm not a fan of 3D anymore, only these types of films are deserving to be seen in 3D because of their visual effects. The IMAX scenes are amazing and with the huge screen that it offers, it's done its purpose for this film. I love IMAX and they really did a great job with its IMAX 3D presentation. It's a much watch to see it in IMAX 3D rather than Dolby Cinema just for this film. The production design is also fantastic. I love the level of detail on the human ships and vehicles which they integrate into the world of Pandora with its visual effects. The islands themselves are simple yet colorful and each has its own unique design that helps build the island's culture. The creature designs are amazing as well and nature itself is just beautiful. The score is very great. While the first one is stronger, in my opinion, this score really delivers what it had from the original and explores new ways to express certain scenes with a goosebump score. I'm glad that they reused some of the original beats to stay intact with the Avatar theme. Chills every minute. The editing in this film is also great as well. Glad it doesn't cut back very often and it shows shots that are intended to be in. Overall, the production of this film is absolutely fantastic and you can see the dedication and time put into this film. It's honestly astonishing how they manage to pull this off to give the best cinematic experience of the decade. I cannot forget the man himself who directed it which is James Cameron. He knows his fucking craft and beats the shit out of this film and makes it the best of the best in cinema. It's truly incredible how he directs each shot to make it as huge as possible by scale and size. While the story is straightforward and the plot is not that complicated, it expands the world and Cameron expands it by exploring new ways to show the world of Pandora. Water effects, blending effects, new Na'vi's, and more! Cameron not only expands the storytelling but expands the social commentary on history and how civilization is dying every decade. Without any spoilers, humans are back not just for revenge, but earth is crumbling and they need a planet to begin a brand new life. Pandora is the only option and the way Cameron explores it is honestly scary. Even if you watch the interviews with him, it will explore how humanity is dying and the US will take every territory in order to survive. Cameron loves to put his political earth stuff into his films and it's done so well that the normal audience won't figure it out unless you are a political or cinephile like me. Cameron really achieved what a blockbuster should be and he's a perfect example of how to execute a heavy VFX blockbuster without harassing VFX artists. Cameron is based and real. Too real and that's why this film is goated, however, not every film is perfect. Even for Cameron's best work. One of the biggest callouts I heard from the audience is that it was too long. For me, it didn't feel too long. It felt like a normal two-hour and fifteen minutes film. But I won't lie that it did kind of dragged on during the second act of the film. But I respect taking its time to explore this new part of Pandora and expanding the character development within the family. The spider character was mid at best. He was annoying at first but I kind of grew on him throughout the film. The bullies were cliché bullies which were expected and there were deaths that I expected to happen except one, which I won't spoil. But even with all of that, the spectacle of this film really grabbed me and avoided as many critiques as possible. Cameron knows how to bring audiences together and this is the film that everyone should be seeing right now during the holiday season. This is the film that cinemas needed during the holiday season and Cameron delivered it about 13 years late but satisfying audiences and critics. It's a film that will test time and a spectacle that everyone will remember. It's a must-see in theaters but on the biggest screen possible like in IMAX. This film was a roller coaster ride from start to finish and I want to explore more of Pandora before leaving the theater. I really adore this film and it's a film that should be seen with family and friends and you will laugh, love, and cry throughout the film. It's a jaw-dropping experience that will be experienced once in a while. James Cameron really brought the good stuff of his craft into this film and the biggest question is, was it worth the 13-year wait? The answer is a simple "yes". It's an absolute must-see in movie theaters, no questions asked. You will hate Marvel after watching this film or maybe experience Avatar syndrome after stepping out of the cinema room. For me, write this review and watch it again so I can log it again on my Letterboxd recent page. Now Playing Only in Theaters in IMAX 3D, Dolby Cinema 3D, and RealD 3D. Vizeit Score: "A+" (Share this review with your film friends and on social media! Thank you for your continue support.) Copyright © 2022. Vizeit Studios. All Rights Reserved. Review Written By: Everardo Garcia Jr.
2 Comments
12/21/2022 06:08:16 am
Wow! I’m not really that big a fan of the avatar film but after reading your review I can definitely say I’m more intrigued to see the movie myself now. You did a really great job with breaking down key points of the movie including, the “pandora”,the cgi, the camera shots etc. You are also very raw while giving your reviews making sure not to sugarcoat anything. Which I appreciate.
Reply
Erik Carlson
12/22/2022 10:07:54 pm
Great review! I felt the same way!
Reply
Leave a Reply. |
Archives
April 2024
Categories
All
Copyright © 2024 Vizeit Reviews. All Rights Reserved. |