Avatar - The Way of Water

[Harrison]

Had anyone else watched this yet?

Warning. If you haven't seen it then there might be some spoilers in this post.

We finally managed to watch it yesterday in Chichester Cineworld on their IMAX 4D X screen in 3D.

I'd been really looking forward to this since it was announced years ago and due to family issues was worried I was going to miss it, but thankfully it was still on. The original revolutionised 3D and this film doesn't disappoint with the 3D technology. Some scenes had a bit of a video game feel to them, and some of the out of the screen effects felt a bit forced, but overall it was just as impressive as the first film.

Tom hadn't watched a 3D film at the cinema before and I'm not sure what he was expecting, but when the film started and that 10, 9, 8.. 3D countdown started he said "oh I understand now". :-)

As for the film, for me it was really enjoyable but wasn't as good as the original. The first Avatar really captured the atmosphere of the planet's jungle. Really made you feel you were in an alien jungle learning about it as the main character did. And with this sequel being so long they really needed to have spent much more time just showing the underwater world. That was the best part, but was over too fast.

I think maybe the problem was the change of perspective. In the first you started out from the side of the humans traveling to Pandora and we discovered this new world, its environments and aliens as the characters did. But in this sequel we are looking from the alien perspective, being invaded by alien aggressors. It should have worked but I don't think it quite worked as well.

It also felt like 2 films bolted together far more then the first. A US war film and a fantasy adventure. It didn't quite fit. I actually would have rather they hadn't bothered with the human return and just made this film an exploration of their new life on Pandora.

The film ended up having a very similar narrative to the first. Anti War, and very much anti USA. Corporate sponsored greed creating mass environmental destruction to obtain a small commodity for the super rich. And highlighting they had learn nothing from why Earth was dying, yet they were already starting to destroy Pandora. Yes it had a narrative very close to many of today's issues and I can see why they made the story like that. And that narrative worked because it left me with an even greater distaste for Corporate greed, and especially US capitalism, global big oil greed, the distruction of rain forests, and the mass killing of sea creatures not even for food. In that regard it made me think about saving the planet watching it.

They also had the nod to Whale hunting, which is still happening today.

Would I recommend the film? 100%. Go and watch it. It's one of those films that is a must watch at the cinema. Only warning is that its really long. The film itself is 192 minutes, so 3 hours 12 minutes long. Plus with the adverts and film trailers you are in the cinema over 4 hours. To it's credit thy film doesn't feel like its over 4 hours long and there are no bits that drag on or are not needed. Only part I felt was unnecessarily long and drawn out was the sinking ship bit near the end with their attempt at a Poseidon or Titanic moment. Other then that nothing was dragged out.

With the next film it's obvious what it's going to contain and I'm not sure it's going to be a great for it. Basically another fight for the planet like the end of the original film.

The worst complaint we had was how loud the IMAX cinema was. The volume was uncomfortably loud during the adverts and film trailers. To a point where a few people did go and complain. It was so loud you couldn't clearly listen to any dialogue. Although the film volume was better. But still, that was unacceptable. I might complain.

[Kin Hell]

I found a 4K Torrent around 36GB. - It was okay but glad I didn't blow £30 for a trip to the cinema.

[Demon Cleaner]

I found a 4K Torrent around 36GB. - It was okay but glad I didn't blow £30 for a trip to the cinema.

Doing the same at the moment.

[Harrison]

Much like the original film, half of it was the 3D technology that needed to be watched at the cinema. I think you lose a lot watching it at home.

[Kin Hell]

Much like the original film, half of it was the 3D technology that needed to be watched at the cinema. I think you lose a lot watching it at home.

Yes, but only if your Home Cinema set up is cheap crap!

I watched the original film in 3D @ the Cinema & it was utter stutter-jerky crappy bollocks. - Watched the non 3D version @ home & it was beautiful & a joy to watch.

@ DC

What did you think of the Film?

[Demon Cleaner]

Much like the original film, half of it was the 3D technology that needed to be watched at the cinema. I think you lose a lot watching it at home.

I still have my 3D beamer, watched the first one on that and it was amazing.

Didn't watch the new one yet, also not too excited to watch it, perhaps I also need to find a 3D version first.

[Harrison]

I would definitely recommend the 3D version if you can find one. I have to say the film is really good for the first 2/3. And is worth it buddy for some of the alien landscapes and wildlife.

[Kin Hell]

Just before Avater release, our new Cinema in St. Austell replaced an Old but quaint Retro décor affair. Avatar 3D was the first film we watched at the new Cinema & it was an abundantly shocking presentation.

The old cinema's main screen was always out of Focus & the new one appeared equally as bad. Maybe they employed the same half-blind Projectionist they used in the 0ld cinema!

But really, Avatar in 3D looked wrong in every manner. I know it's different these day's, but back then.... 30 Hz in each eye was about as much use as tits on a bull. Even the huge left to right panned landscapes jerked like a paraplegic on LSD. Just annoying in every manner & completely distracted you from the story line.

My old 1080i Pioneer Plasma did a fine job & now, the 10 Bit Panasonic OLED I have now is simply gorgeous.

3D has never really floated my boat tbh.

[Harrison]

Fair enough, but just as the original Star Wars pioneered Dolby surround sound on release, Avatar was built around the new 3D technology at the time.

I personally didn't have any issue with it, but then you know I'm not so bothered about frame rates as I'm more attuned to editing video at 24fps(film), or 25/30/60fps for video and other formats. But remember cinema runs at 24fps for all films, and always has. And like the first Avatar the new film was completely filmed in 3D, using 3D camera technology. It used Sony CineAlta VENICE 3D cameras, rigged to a specially made 3D stereoscopic beam splitter system. And for cinema, to watch it in its native filmed format you need to watch it in IMAX 4DX with a laser projector that can display HFR in 4K. The HFR refers to the film being filmed at 48fps instead of the normal 24fps for most cinema films. Making the fast action sequences far smoother. And combined with this was a new technology called the Deep X, designed soecifically for this film to film in 3D underwater. This technology significantly reduces the distortion caused by particles in the water and water movement.

So that's the reason for really having to watch this second film in an IMAX 4DX cinema. The image won't convert perfectly to any TV screen. And as its filmed in IMAX HFR the 3D is 48fps, rather than the 24fps of the first film. I admit there were still some 3D effects that didn't track smoothly, but in thy whole it was impressive.

[Demon Cleaner]

The 3D on my beamer is just ****ing amazing, what do you want