Giving Avatar: The Way of Water a Chance

[@captainmidnight]

After all these years, are you looking forward to Avatar 2? Go to www.storyblocks.com/midnight to get access to over a million assets to use in your own videos.

[@anubusx]

I am excited to see it.

[@timothyjacobs4707]

I was not going to waste money going to see Avatar 2 but your video convinced me to see it. Thank you

[@maxpops8427]

Yes, After Shazam 2

[@jspost3]

I remember leaving the theater after seeing Avatar thinking that this must have been what it was like for people seeing A New Hope for the first time... blown away by the world that was created. People, places and things like we've never seen them before. I was in awe. I'm looking forward to this next one. Cameron has made some of my favorite movies so I always be a fan.

[@VegimorphtheMovieBoy]

Definitely! Its my most anticipated movie of the year!

[@qzbnyv]

I walked out of seeing Avatar in the cinema feeling awe. Criticisms about the plot / etc. are valid, sure, but “awe” is such a rare feeling for me in life. I cherish that.

[@jeansonne100]

Having watched it recently, I can see how giving it a 2nd grade plot was a creative choice and not a mistake. The audience isn’t supposed to fall in love with the characters, they’re supposed to fall in love with the planet. The struggle is between the pandora and earthlings. The antagonist is colonialism and, yes they should have gone more in depth than “we want unobtanium”. The human/navi love aspect was about as fleshed out as it needs to be, if not more.

[@Darduel]

Dune gave me this feeling recently.. I think they have achieved amazing things with their new way of blending vfx with reality

[@littleredruri]

@@jeansonne100 Exactly. The first film needed to be basic. The only way it can continue, however, is if it grows beyond that and makes something more.

[@rgoodwyn]

@@jeansonne100 I think you are giving the movie waaaay too much credit. Its very possible to create a rich and vibrant world and also have non cliche 3 dimensional characters and a decent script. " They wrote it bad on purpose" is the laziest of all takes.

[@BigfootUnibrowMan]

@@Darduel Dune also had a great story though.

[@aziizrocks]

The best thing about it is, it isn't in production hell cause of studio interference, or writers block. It's the hard work of bringing a beautiful world fully to us viewers, and I for one cant wait.

[@MatanVil]

Jim should have learn from Valve, which ironically both have a strong tech demo element for their stuff, by keeping his mouth shut for most of the time. (They even gone on record on Alyx on being one of many Half-Life project that Valve tried of since '07 but this was the one worth to even be leaked) And it wasn't really in production hell in the first place, there might be a radio silent for a certain time for it be that, James gave every year an assessment of "it's coming" like GRRM.

[@malfaroangel3896]

Well yes and no. I actually know of few behind the scene things about this movie. I live next to one of the warehouses that James Cameron videographer kept his cameras. The videographer had a falling o it with Cameron and refused to give Cameron the cameras to film. He even tried selling them to us.

[@Pastrybfs]

@@malfaroangel3896 hmmmmmmmm

[@genrihlanevsky6612]

Exactly. Let’s celebrate that! If sequels are great than we all win. I don’t understand this mentality wanting this to fail.

[@daliilars3350]

But that's what they said about Avatar...

[@katthunter6561]

I love Avatar. I don't need it to have a complicated plot or character arcs, I'm happy just to spend some time in this world. It's simple enough that I can just sit back and know who I'm rooting for. I'm excited for the sequel.

[@Jay-jb2vr]

Typical casual

[@dannyboy5493]

@@Jay-jb2vr typical comment you made

[@Jay-jb2vr]

@@dannyboy5493 stop replying to old comments

[@yveltalpoderoso1303]

I don’t think jake sully is that bland , he has character growth, and he has some personality and in the end you like him enough to be entertain on his journey but not enough to cry if he dies.

[@TheThirdPew]

Avatar from 13 years ago legit has better effects than No Way Home from 4 months ago. So i can't wait to see what they do with Avatar 2. Only james cameron could make the biggest movie of all time and still be the underdog and have people rooting for his sequel's failure lol. Hope he blows us away. Great vid, Midnight.

[@darkfruit2412]

there’s something about writers/directors taking their sweet time to write a sequel that gets me really excited. Across the Spider-Verse is another (relative) example. btw nice to see you here, Nathan!

[@rorylennon4043]

Another classic comment

[@KelpyG.]

Exactly I rewatched the original recently and the story was good enough to watch but i liked the visuals and how immersive the world is. If the effects are new level the movie will be good

[@jessicalacasse6205]

they cant go film in china like in the first ....

[@stateyournameplease]

What?? I feel like those vfx/special effects aged pretty poorly for being touted as a graphical masterpiece of the time. Of course it was great at the time, but now the Navi environments now look pretty off putting. Also the story was kinda unmemorable. Many modern mcu movies with CGI and old movies with practical effects look better IMO. Maybe it's because I only saw Avatar once in theaters and the other times at home on tv/smaller screen 🤷

[@Kmadden2004]

Honestly, this may be a hot take here, but I kind of think the simple story of Avatar was one of its big selling points. Balancing the weird and crazy-original with the tried-and-true in storytelling can sometimes be a zero sum game, where the more outlandish and extreme you go with one element can sometimes mean you have to be more reserved and simple with another. In Avatar, Cameron created a spectacular never-before-seen world with inventive ecosystems and wildlife, and mesmerising vistas for as far as your 3D glasses could see, which is more than enough for an audience’s collective mind to take in. So keeping it anchored in a well-worn tale helps maintain the earnest, emotional connection that’s at the centre of Cameron’s filmography without risk of overloading anybody, whereas locking that first movie onto some grand epic quest to find the lost stone of [insert unintelligible name here] to fight back against the demonic hordes of [insert Welsh-sounding name here] to fulfil the sacred prophecy of [pull random tiles out of scrabble bag to create name here] would probably test a lot of people’s patience. And to be clear, I’m not accusing general audiences of lacking attention spans or intelligence, it’s more about avoiding the alienating effect movies of this type can elicit in people. Really, the second Cameron started talking about sequels, the first movie made a lot more sense to me as a foundational story that he can now build something much bigger off of. I guess this is a long-winded way of saying don’t count Cameron out, the guy has categorically and certifiably demonstrated twice now that he knows how to sequel…

[@EJD339]

Very interesting take! Thank you for posting.

[@dogeshark204]

Not every movie needs a billy wilder tier script to work for me. Film is a visual medium after all.

[@robinnouara3681]

Couldn't have said it better. When the whole film takes place on an alien planet, with most of the cast being aliens, all of that presented with visual technology more profound and immersive than literally anything ever before, telling an easily accessible "tried and true" is easily one of the most reasonable calls out there. Hell, do Cameron's other tentpole movies have *that* much more layers and emotional complexity going than Avatar? I'm really not sure they do. Avatar's fallen into that weird category where this movie became such a massive cultural phenomenon out of nowhere, due to its technological advances, on a scale we'd never seen before, so once that initial hype has cooled off, you've got a movie with writing and directing that's more or less on the same level as other blockbusters, so the discrepancy between that initial experience and the way we retroactively look at it shines much stronger than any other standard blockbuster, I think.

[@linrichardson8250]

A positive comparison to make here is the first Star Wars movie - it's the most generic heroes journey plot there is, but it gets the viewer immersed in an incredible world that the later films can do much more interesting things with. Avatar can do the same thing. Fundamentally the plot almost has to be better this time around, because the pocahontas story has literally already been done in the first film.

[@Rainbowhawk1993]

Just like how Terminator went from a sci-fi version of a simple slasher film to an action packed and introspective masterpiece with T2. The first Avatar film was Dances with Wolves in space, but from what I’ve heard of the sequels so far, they say it’s going be like The Godfather with themes of family. Also the quote of “Navi villains and human heroes” really tickles my fancy.

[@caesaraugustus7990]

I didn't even realize the consensis was so negative! I absolutely loved Avatar, when I saw it I was really young and it blew my mind. I loved everything about it. Even now, I still absolutely love and adore this movie. It makes me sad that something I really love and look at so fondly is viewed so negatively, but it is what it is I guess.

[@jackkaczmarczyk2709]

If you like it, the consensus at large doesn't matter. Unless you like something problematic?

[@aqeelraja4750]

@@jackkaczmarczyk2709 regardless of whether it matters or not, It always sucks when ppl hate on something you love.

[@NeoConnor1]

If you love it as much as I and many others do, hold on to that. Enjoy it and don't let the negativity get to you. I like a ton of films that get a ton of negativity thrown at them such as the star wars prequels and sequels, the matrix sequels, Indy 4, Spider-Man 3, Superman Returns, and The Dark Knight Rises. If those people can't see what you love about it, then that's them. You love what you love. It has done it's job for you, and that's the main objective.

[@denimschaffer9439]

People who force others to hate something is one of the reasons why I hate internet culture just go and enjoy what you enjoy I’m really looking forward to watching Avatar on the biggest screen possible and in 3d because Avatar 1 was a beautiful movie despite the obvious flaws

[@DJoA]

@@denimschaffer9439 This is the right answer. There are people who loves to create some negative ambiance... But ..these are also the people who gonna watch the movie.

[@nellym46664]

"Your boos mean nothing; I've seen what makes you cheer" Seriously though, even the first Star Wars films are fairly simple stories, whose main purpose was also to push technical boundaries in film production further, and yet they still went on to expand that world into the highly successful franchise it is today.

[@romeocastillo316]

That was because star wars had great characters. Even the androids had interesting, distinctive individuality that make them memorable, at least. I'm not trying to hammer Avatar, but obviously the reputation is justified. It can change with the sequel tho

[@tecpaocelotl]

I'm always optimistic with James Cameron. The director takes his time. Any other director, I would question it. I have a few of his 3d water documentaries and watch it on my 3d tv. Seeing them in 2d does not give it justice. The only issue I have is Disney being involved now.

[@calebsanders1078]

Oh disneys involved? Dang, cant watch it now

[@rgoodwyn]

ahh yeah i remember 3d tv's. Also, how is Disney any worse than 20th century Fox was? Cameron has been making this thing since well before the buyout so I doubt anything changed. It if sucks, the blame will be on the guy who spent over 10 years making it lol

[@joshuajoe1419]

Why is Disney a problem but Fox is fine?

[@TheReZisTLust]

Lmao 3d tvs? Were them red n blue glasses too expensive 🤪

[@Owen-sx4jj]

Sigh That political mediocre rat.

[@SageThyme23]

Sadly Avatar has become babies first "I hate the thing that everyone else likes". I loved the world of avatar and I still remember so much about the world. I am looking forward to returning to this world.

[@harperl2]

Is it though? It feels like from what some of the comments are saying I would he's saying in the video it's like people aggressively hate it and trash it and say it's the worst thing all time. Honestly I haven't seen that much myself in the world. Want to talk to friends and family about it after seeing it It just seems kind of bland and boring and forgettable. That's something my feelings and that's what I usually typically see. Very pretty amazing technology incredible world, but the characters story plot and general themes are all kind of meh, at least to me personally. I got nothing out of the film, didn't resonate with me whatsoever, and I can think of plenty of blockbusters that only had one entry that people can remember fondly. I think I'm just trying to say that people just don't remember this movie phone and there's a reason for that - all people obviously not, I can appreciate that you like the film but I don't want the position to be made that we hate it. I just don't know if five movies (greenlit) are warranted without seeing the sequel 🤷🏽‍♂️

[@harperl2]

No hate, if it's good, great if it's bad I'll forget about it just like I forgot about the first one.

[@spoonabenson8762]

@@harperl2 pretty much agree with all you said. I honestly can’t say I’ve seen hate for Avatar, just uninterest or surprise that a film like it is the highest grossing movie and not something almost universally loved like Titanic

[@DarkKnightofAnime]

The only question I’ve got is where they go from here cause the first film kind of wrapped up the central conflict pretty well

[@spearshake4771]

Well it has been quite a while since I watched the first one, but to my understanding in the first movie it was a conflict between a corporation from Earth and the natives. Maybe in the sequel a sort of United Earth Government surfaces and invades Pandora. I mean what we saw in the first movie was merely a fraction of Human forces. The natives were very lucky in defeating them. Defeating a whole other planet on the other hand, they might find somewhat challenging. And I find it hard to see how Earth would pass up the chance of making so much money of the valuable resource they could get from the planet.

[@ibelievegodexists4198]

Maybe a war between tribes

[@Mayor_Of_Eureka17]

Gonna be about the children of the two leads from the first.

[@DanJuega]

@@spearshake4771 I think the earth is fucked up

[@demonteprice5870]

Someone said it before but yeah, James Cameron said it's not like a saga with a big story, each film tells its own story

[@franciscob.maciel8745]

My father loved the first movie, accordingly to him it was "simple and peaceful". It's so sad that he passed away before the second movie. Also he fought a cancer for 11 years, he dreamed about a technology from the Navi where he could get a new, functional body.

[@NasJuiced]

i’m sorry for your loss, he’s peaceful now 🙏🏽

[@matttheking1655]

🙏

[@Skaiser_Wilhelm7938]

He's with Eywa.

[@scottwerner279]

God, he really had to make the Avatar vs Avatar confusion even worse with that name. The way of water? like water bending? I was pretty young when it came out and I for sure really enjoyed the movie experience. I'd say its a very easy to watch film with no barriers for entry and the in-theatre experience was just awesome for me.

[@RestingJudge]

I was a 14 year old kid who wanted to escape, Pandora was exactly where I wanted to be. I think I went to see it five times.

[@BlueTearDconnor]

Nobody cares about the Avatar movie from the American anime, nobody who is into this genre confused the movies when they came out, nobody...

[@tylerriddle7748]

Think of it as avatar something controlled by a person like a controller or body and the way of water as an indigenous tribe that follows the way of water that has been taught to them by nature

[@KobeLoverTatum]

@@BlueTearDconnor 1. The American anime Avatar is often regarded as one of the best american animes. 2. People get confused when talking about it not when they’re going to see it🤣

[@BlueTearDconnor]

@@KobeLoverTatum nobody is arguing anything about the anime, the entire world likes it...

[@david_walker_esq]

I don't think Avatar is so much "Dances With Wolves in Space" or "Pocahontas" as it is James Cameron's perspective of Crown-Indigenous relations in Canada while growing up in Kapuskasing, Ontario. The town was established as a result of geological survey by the federal government and later the colonization efforts of the provincial government. While Kapuskasing might not be a source of Unobtanium, it is a producer of pulp and paper as well as phosphate. The town also hosts cold weather research stations for General Motors and Agriculture Canada, which kind of echoes RDA in Cameron's film.

[@jackkaczmarczyk2709]

So, Dances with Wolves in Space

[@david_walker_esq]

@@jackkaczmarczyk2709 Isn't Dances With Wolves about an injured war deserter that's nursed back to health by a Lakota tribe who becomes immersed in the culture? In Pandora, Jake is previously injured and goes off to Pandora with the RDA who's tasked with research and resource development on that planet. But, if you're only capable of relating to the plot of Dances With Wolves, that's fine.

[@kjj26k]

@@david_walker_esq Jake does become immersed in the native way of life, but that _causes_ him to desert his faction. He was human loyal like half the film.

[@david_walker_esq]

@@kjj26k Yeah, I know. I've seen and own the film.

[@kanadetachibana2689]

I'm sorry but I feel like this is giving way too much credit to a director that either didn't critically think enough about the themes he wanted to represent or didn't actually care. This movie is basically a mashup of Pocahontas and Ferngully. At its core, this is a white saviour movie and while I appreciate the anti-colonial aesthetic, it could have been much more powerful to actually center a non-white perspective. Also, a bit random but I'm still mad about how Cameron completely hijacked the music for the film (Sideways has a great video about it if anyone is interested)

[@JRbro100]

The way I see it there are two types of films. Those with a memorable look and those with memorable scenes. For example, The Lion King is a movie with scenes anyone would recognize if referenced like Rafiki raising Simba, Mufasa in the clouds, and the stampede scene. Avatar is more of an aesthetic. People remember the blue aliens and Pandora but nothing specific beyond that. The difference is The Lion King reached people on a much deeper level because of its story; while Avatar was just cool to look at. This is why I think many speak negatively of the sequel’s fate. Normally I would agree. However, Avatar is the most significant of the cool to look at films, in fact it is THE “cool to look at” film. That status I predict will carry for the sequel. People will just want really awesome effects. So while I don’t think people care about Avatar, they will be curious about it.

[@theprojectofgamers]

Yeah and if the sequel has a good story attached in addition to the beautiful visuals, avatar 3 will almost certainly make a billion as I already think 2 will, and will ensure 4-5 are made

[@baloproductions]

This is exactly it

[@ph5.484]

Mine's an incredibly niche perspective but as someone who does worldbuilding and conlanging as a hobby, Avatar's world is often more iconic to me than the Lion King's scenes. I'm really hoping that the sequel properly dives into all the lore, history, and culture of Pandora. (And if you haven't checked out Sideways's video on Avatar's music, I'd definitely recommend it!)

[@jackkaczmarczyk2709]

It's essentially an FX viewer

[@SP8inc]

Yeah, and you know that the lion king is not an original story? It's shakespeare's hamlet, but with animated animals. And people LOVE the lion king.... and yet hate Avatar for doing the same exact thing: taking an old story and adding a cool, new coat of paint. The mandalorian is another example. It's all been done before, but because Avatar was so successful, people now hate it with passion.

[@genrihlanevsky6612]

Avatar was a solid movie when it came out. But by now the circlejerk about “Pocahontas in Space” or “Fern Gully in Space” or “Dances with Wolves in Space” have come so far that I feel that this movie has gone around to being pretty dang underrated. Let’s knock that first big criticism right off the bat: Yes. The plot is derivative. But to be honest, there are a lot of derivative movies out there, so I don’t think that’s as huge a knock against the movie as other people do. And honestly, the plot structure makes a lot of sense: you have a big crazy world you’ve developed, what’s the best way to get the audience to appreciate it? Take an audience-proxy character and put them through a protracted fish-out-of-water narrative. And that’s what Avatar does. Now on to the movie’s good points Firstly, it’s one of the only movies, and especially one of the only not-completely-animated movies, to get a really really good result out of 3D. I’ve seen the movie 4 times since it came out in 2009: twice in theaters, and twice seeing the extended cut at home (protip: the extended cut really does improve the plot quite a bit). And if it came back into theaters in 3D, I would watch the hell out of it in that format, and I’m not normally one to shell out extra for movies in 3D Secondly, the movie is technically and visually very well executed outside of 3D: the creatures are all interesting and cool; the ecosystem is dramatic and visually stimulating, mixing tropical rainforest, influences from undersea structures, and karst-style rock formations; the near-future-style human technology is all interesting and gives a good sense of purpose and feels used and lived-in. The opening interstellar spaceship did the really cool semi-plausible long-distance spaceship design that The Martian did, but years before that film. And to be honest, the cast is pretty excellent, especially in the roles they’re given. Stephen Lang is awesome as a villainous version of R. Lee Ermey (RIP Gunny). Michelle Rodriguez continues to do Michelle Rodriguez things, which IMHO is never bad, though it’s always a little bit campy. Sigourney Weaver is good. Sam Worthington and Zoe Saldana are both pretty decent as well. So yeah, I think the “derivative plot” circlejerk has gotten so strong that people ignore the good things about a movie that did a few things wrong and a lot of things right. I don’t think it’s a 10/10 movie, but it’s a solid and entertaining film that stands up to rewatching.

[@kjj26k]

Avatar is the ultimate popcorn movie. Most people are dumb, most people saw this film. I *Guarantee* you if the plot had been a fraction of a percent more deep, the endless complaints would be about how confusing (poorly written) the thing was.

[@LadyAstarionAncunin]

Let's be real regarding the plot: Hollywood is in the business of making money, and the best way to do that is to make a "universal" story. I don't mean this against you or in a snarky way in general, but you can tell that most people don't understand writing because story structures, tropes, and the like are so common throughout most films. You can take two very different stories and see that they're structured exactly the same and tell the same story with different coats of paint. But people don't get that because they're unaware of story structure.

[@jaredburke9445]

I hate when people say dances with wolves in space...

[@bmvthemoviefanatic7282]

I think one of the reasons why I hear people are kind of uninterested in the sequel is that it's one of FOUR (If Cameron gets to make all four that is). Not necessarily me, but I think people roll their eyes at a movie that they've realized isn't the best is getting four movies after it barely proved itself the first time from a storytelling perspective to warrant that. Also, think the four movie thing decreases the value of the franchise for many. It's like releasing a Star Wars film a year. People are still excited, yes, but not AS excited. I think this is a reason the sequel isn't grabbing people (Apart from its delays becoming a meme)

[@akwasiasiamah7542]

You said it barely proved it self meanwhiles that particular movie earned 2 billion+ at the box office. If were a studio exec I will greenlight the heck out a movie franchise that will earn me close enough to that first amount.

[@AR-io8fv]

He should’ve kept the 4 sequels thing a secret

[@chiagozienwasuruba9884]

We are 100% getting all the sequels because they shot them all back to back

[@kjj26k]

@@chiagozienwasuruba9884 Thing about that is, if they aren't all epic af, folks will get burned out on Avatar real quick and film 4 (or even 3) could flop.

[@chiagozienwasuruba9884]

@@kjj26k Ah ya you're right I just hope they don't lol

[@KaiCrafted]

I told a much younger person on campus that I like Avatar and he said "you're wrong, that movie is dogshit!" and stormed off, and I... just think that's an opinion based more on hearing people say it's bad than on having actual criticism. I'm not saying it's a great film, I'm allowed to like not-great films, but I think the hate is more trendy than authentic

[@WalkrFilms]

Exactly. It’s become a “personality trait” to be edgy and hate on things most find appealing. Bet that kid was regurgitating Reddit neckbeards that haven’t even seen the film either. Truly amazing.

[@stephcannon2106]

And next that person will continue to watch the next Marvel Disney+ show.

[@peacemaster8117]

Hating the movie is a common talking point among reddit film shits. It's like a herd mentality. Those are the people Captain Midnight is talking about when he says that everyone he talks to hates the movie now. He's only talking to redditors.

[@mcurran6505]

This Avatar sequel and its soon to be franchise could make or break everything Cameron had been working on for 10 years, and if I'm perfectly honest I hope he succeeds.

[@spoonabenson8762]

Same, I personally have no interest whatsoever in this but I ain’t gonna wish bad on something someone has been working on for so long

[@Jason-gq8fo]

The blue avatar world is pretty cool so I don’t see why I wouldn’t look forward to more movies in that universe

[@chance757]

this is the perfect take right here! people come up with crazy think pieces on why the movie’s bad and i’m like, “can’t you just enjoy the world?” geez.

[@knodel2378]

Ye. Sure it may not be the best movie ever, but everything considered its not a bad movie imo. Plenty of people (including myself) really enjoyed it despite its weaknesses. I for one am stoked to see the continuation of the story.

[@Darduel]

but the blue avatar world only exists in the context of the last films villians, in that that they had this machines to transform humans to avatars so they can infiltrate them, without it it's just the natives, sure they can make a complete movie just about the natives without the human avatars but then it just won't be avatar anymore, and there wouldn't be any conflict either

[@JDReC100]

@@Darduel who says the humans would be the only conflict for Pandora. Jake (I think that's the main human's name in the first movie) is still in his alternate body, living his new life. I'm sure they're more wild dangers in that world that haven't been shown in the first movie. and I'm sure there are some tribes that aren't too keen on having "avatars" living amongst them, even if they did help each other. basically, I'm intrigued as to where the second movie will go and am willing to give the movie a chance

[@darkwoods1954]

I watched Avatar once and never went back. It was nothing we hadn't seen before once you get past the 3D gimmick visuals. I've also never known anyone outside youtube to ever talk about it since. Once the hype died down people had jumped on the reality sunk in that it really wasn't anything special story wise (where it counts). It's telling that the toys and merchandise did not sell well. Avatar did not grab people's imaginations and fandom beyond watching the film. It just had good marketing getting people in the cinema.

[@Freak80MC]

I never once watched the film in a theater so I never got to see the 3d effect, but I still love this movie. And I guess I was one of the few to buy the merchandise as I bought the toys when I was a kid and even the ps3 game which I thought was pretty good.

[@battling_murdock]

And it grossed so much because of the extra ticket charge for the 3D. It's just so strange that it doesn't feel like it has a presence. Like you said, aside from KZbin, I don't hear people talking about it and have never met anyone who said it was their favorite movie

[@motherplayer]

For me, after coming off "District 9" earlier that year and then going to see it with my Dad and Sister, it really felt weak by comparison. That wasn't even close to the technical innovations of Avatar, yet I found that world and characters far more interesting. I still want to see a sequel deep down in many ways.

[@thebatman4279]

It's a purely cinematic experience. That's where its appeal lies. I honestly can't watch the film on Blu Ray, the story doesn't grab me.

[@eltman1012]

I just got the trailer for my movie theatre. I’ve been looping it forever in my family fortress. Here’s my first thoughts: 1- Jame’s Cameron legitimately took his time setting up a whole cinematic universe 2- Pandora is much bigger than we expected. 3- The Way of Water is a very apt title 4- The CGI is so incredible. From the smallest wildlife to the widest pan across the forest canopy, you’ll be transported back 5- I know one thing, wherever we go, this family…

[@aqeelraja4750]

great to hear. Sounds good

[@fransesco97]

I will definitely give it a chance. It's James Cameron after all, I'm sure it's going to be at least decent.

[@LadyAstarionAncunin]

That’s what I was going to say. He generally doesn’t miss. Other directors (and creatives in general) would kill for his stretch of wins.

[@bluemonkey88]

James cameron does what james cameron does because james cameron is james cameron

[@swans184]

And his sequels are better than his original movies generally

[@Wedge_Khan]

@@bluemonkey88 yes

[@mattwolf7698]

I honestly hope it does well and that we get the sequels, it's such a nice looking world even if the story is kinda average. I hope the future stories are more original though, it would be nice if the visuals could be supported by a better story and as a result, have the sequels go down as proper classics.

[@LadyAstarionAncunin]

I bet he would have directed a great Cowboy Bebop film.

[@Dahkeus3]

Atmosphere, setting and style can go a long way to substitute a packing story (look at Elden Ring for a recent video game example), but hopefully we get a decent story and characters with the Avatar sequel.

[@horace6851]

Avatar was an amazing film. These days people seem to miss the point - yes the story is simple and predictable and characters are flat but the main focus of the movie is the experience of the alien world. I'm really excited to see it again and I don't really care about the characters. It's almost like a high production nature documentary and I hope it will continue with this approach.

[@chrisherber1635]

Yea I agree. The first one was a cinematic feat on a technical level. Even with a simple plot, i feel they hit all the emotional beats they needed to.

[@rockon609]

I’m definitely guilty of trying to knock it down a peg or two. Like you said, a lot of the characters, nothing special, story is very predictable. In my opinion I don’t think the alien world and visuals can carry four movies alone.

[@GringoXalapeno]

I also think the not the story but the premise is pretty original instead of aliens invading earth it’s humans invading an alien planet

[@Rainbowhawk1993]

Knowing James Cameron’s track record with sequels, I’m pretty sure Avatar 2 will join T2 and Aliens on the podium of the best sequels ever made.

[@evanjoao9678]

Never really thought about that. The man does make really good sequels

[@harperl2]

@@evanjoao9678 What about the next four? en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avatar_(franchise)

[@Skaiser_Wilhelm7938]

I've been waiting three years for this movie, and despite the claims of poor quality, I'm going to watch it and I'm going to enjoy it! Hopefully 👍

[@michiel1162]

yeah first movie he uses to set up the world and how it works and second movie he goes all in

[@Mattswfc14]

Honestly I think part of the problem people have, and I certainly have, is the fact that we're locked into 3 sequels to a solitary not very good film. The presumptuousness of announcing and filming 3 and 4 before seeing how 2 does really turns me off completely

[@TheLingo56]

To be fair though a lot of the reason for that is because Cameron is trying to avoid the issues that Star Wars 7-9 had. He's a smart guy, and I think he's right that modern audiences are very attracted to longer running stories featuring the same characters from one movie to another. If he plans and sets up a good arc for the next few years of movies this Avatar series should theoretically provide a better connected story than the majority of blockbuster series. However, of course that's all dependent on the writing quality.

[@peteri298]

For me it’s actually so refreshing. I think Avatar will be the next Star Wars, lord of the rings. Because what Disney failed to do with the sequel trilogy was fail to plan, at all, whatsoever. To have five movies planned out already is really exciting to see from a creative perspective

[@Mattswfc14]

@@TheLingo56 Genuinely, how many of those long term, multi release stories are using IPs which aren't universally recognised and beloved? What you're saying is right, totally. But nobody gives one about the Avatar characters whereas people did care about Iron Man/Thor etc and they cared about the entity which is Star Wars. These were things where people placed intense value on, not a franchise which is more a meme to those between 25-35. To me, if he wanted to create that type of story the best he could, Avatar in 2022 isn't the thing to do it with at all

[@spoonabenson8762]

Exactly bro, which is why Dune didn’t advertise itself as a “Part 1” even tho that’s total what it is. Even if Marvel said they were making 3 avengers back to back I’d be skeptical and annoyed cause I know that the first and second won’t resolve anything. It’s the feeling a lot of my friends and I’m assuming other people got after watching Infinity War. After the shock of that ending hits and you’re on your way home you remember that part 2 is coming out and everything is gonna be okay

[@joen8529]

I also love movie theaters. That’s the way you’re supposed to watch movies, in a larger-than-life, social environment. Streaming services are for longer and more involved shows, not movies.

[@cinematicgoodness7325]

I find it odd that there's a lot of doubt surrounding James Cameron, considering his filmography. The guy that made Titanic, Terminator 2, and Aliens is gonna make something special regardless of what we think.

[@maxpops8427]

He also produced and Wrote Terminator Dark Fate,

[@cinematicgoodness7325]

@@maxpops8427 so...? One arguably less stellar film doesn't tarnish years of cinematic brilliance.

[@Gmthekiller]

@@maxpops8427 name one director who hasn't made bad movies (kubrick doesn't count because he's so far beyond common discourse of my point)

[@wayothefro3249]

@@cinematicgoodness7325 It doesn't tarnish his legacy but it does show that he isn't infallible and when he's taken ten years to release a sequel to a movie that is on the lower end of his filmography, it's not surprising that people have their doubts.

[@cinematicgoodness7325]

@@wayothefro3249 it's still one film to push people to doubt that I find very hard to believe. I'm not saying he was a perfect filmmaker not was he immune to any and every form of failure in the industry but in a filmography that has way more pros than cons, I find it a little ridiculous that one film that he only had a writing credit on was enough for people to throw so much doubt and skepticism. If anything his successes have shown that he's capable of making quality work why should one film he wrote for diminish and devalue all that?

[@8Wallflower8]

My issue is that the 1st movie prioritizes visuals almost above all else, and the visuals are exactly what make the movie. I don’t have high hopes that this won’t happen again with the sequel even with a better writer. Visuals should be there to support the story, but if it’s the other way around, likely your story is going to suffer.

[@niedude]

@Hamburgler Helper dude its fucking youtube, how gross do you have to be to harass a woman on a KZbin comment section?

[@TheZeratora]

This movie will do the exact same thing as the first just shuffle around a new story, just a few familiar characters. Mark my words.

[@calebsanders1078]

@@TheZeratora nah bro, blue monkeys fuckin 2 will be awesome

[@SquareNevada1]

@Hamburgler Helper bro wtf..drink some water

[@ziglaus]

@@TheZeratora you just described sequels. All of them.

[@dominique0403]

The point of al the scepticisim is that cameron at the time was one of the most credible directors of his time and that it feels like he sold his soul to work on a fuck ton of sequels for a movie that was only succesfull because the technology was impressive in the time but the story etc. was very simple and mediocre at times. And the movie feels like it was never meant to be an entire franchise.

[@harperl2]

I think when people talk about it, it's because there's news about it. Literally never think about it and forget it exists myself, till there's a video like this or a reddit thread or something. It's all visuals. I really don't remember much or feel like the story or characters warranted the first one being made... So people are worried about it for the simple fact that he's making 5, yes 5 of them! I remember seeing it in theaters and, yeah a great experience.. but that's it a great one off feast for the eyes... With zero staying power, personally. Anyway, I just feel Avatar is aggressively boring, but pretty. That's the best way to sum up my feelings on it and it's franchise-ability. Could it be possible for all of them to be amazing and able to justify their existence? Maybe, but doubtful. Let's see what he can do.

[@icedcapplord710]

Avatar is FAR from my favorite James Cameron movie but I'd be lying if I wasn't impressed at the guy's dedication to not just one, but 3-4 sequels to this one film after like 13 years

[@michaelglynn7010]

Cameron bringing in a writer is a good sign to me, especially after writing the first film which at the time ended up becoming the highest grossing film ever until Marvel broke that record 🤷 also agreed on the fact that the world has lots of potential, so let’s just wait and see before we come to conclusions

[@ranovee2682]

Actually Avatar regained the title just recently last year when they re released the movie in I think China… so it’s still the world wide box office champ lol. Funny how I could totally see Cameron pushing for that re release haha.

[@powerbad696]

Avatar was re-released in China,now is still the highest grossing film ever.I thought Avatar had a better storyline than Endgame and a better film too.

[@michaelglynn7010]

Thank you for letting me know it still had that top spot I didn’t actually know it was re released in China, learn something new every day 🙏😌

[@powerbad696]

@@michaelglynn7010 You're welcome Glynn,I learn something new everyday also. LIVE LONG and PROSPER.

[@vilosey2013]

I'm actually looking forward to it, I think it honestly dose have a lot going for it.

[@TheLingo56]

I think a lot of people forget that this exact same sentiment was surrounding the first movie when it was about to come out. If not worse. Avatar 1 was one of the most expensive movies ever made when it came out and an astronomical risk given how few Sci-fi movies ever made enough back to recoup a budget that large. Against all those odds though it still broke almost every record in the book. Don't underestimate James Cameron.

[@Keldroc]

Except Avatar 1 did that because it happened to hit the exact right button in the evolving tech zeitgeist. It wasn't successful because it was a good movie, it was successful because it was a theme park ride. Avatar 2 isn't going to be able to recreate that. It'll be a hit, I have no doubt, but Avatar 1 was a singular thing.

[@VegimorphtheMovieBoy]

Same when he was making Titanic, Aliens and the first Terminator too!

[@VegimorphtheMovieBoy]

@@Keldroc I don't think its going to repeat Avatar 1 beat for beat though (Plus there's no way for him to actually do that as well). There's a lot of great story potential in the world of Pandora, and considering that Cameron has brought on an entire team of writers for the sequels, its highly likely he's going to make the story and characters as strong as he can.

[@ranovee2682]

Im one of those crazy people who actually really likes Avatar even though I was a skeptic back when I first saw it in 09. I think theres so much more under the surface of this than meets the eye. Its a subtle yet biting examination of American imperialism/colonialism. My point is I think its incredibly short sighted to underestimate James Cameron. Especially since he took over a decade to make this sequel due to his insane commitment to his vision and pulling out all the stops to make it a reality. Cant wait to finally experience this.

[@theneilzone]

Subtle?

[@ranovee2682]

@@theneilzone lol true I should have been more specific. There are certain elements of characterization and and elements baked into the action scenes themselves that I feel had more substance under the surface than what was immediately shown. But yes the overall story itself is pretty much hitting your over the head with themes of imperialism/colonialism lol.

[@thepoeticpainter8032]

Avatar has an "A" cinema score and is the highest grossing movie of all time. The idea that people are not excited for the sequel is comical. Don't be fooled by the loud minority on Twitter.

[@iamyourfather4270]

And it had over 150M views within 24 hours on it's trailer. The weakest yell the loudest tbh

[@Freak80MC]

God, from the first minute it really sounds like your building up to that usual "Oh it was amazing in theaters, but then I realized it was bad when not watching it in theaters" and I'm over here like "I love this movie and I never once stepped foot in a theater to watch it"

[@raideurng2508]

The biggest gripe I have is it falls into the trope of villains are bad because that's just how they are. They just like killing, destruction, etc for no apparent reason. The mustache-twirling baddie can be done, aka Palpatine, but it has to be finely crafted and fit the situation. One solution would be giving said baddies a backstory that truly conveys why they do what they do. Maybe they know the dire stakes and have convinced themselves it's the only way. Maybe they don't understand the true nature of the world they're destroying, or maybe they're just deranged, psychotic, traumatized and otherwise a broken person. The other is do what the Alien universe does: There are no good sides. Corporations are bad, colonial marines are bad, predators are bad, aliens are REALLY bad. You get the protagonists simply by being the least horrible thing in the universe and thus we route for them.

[@LadyTsunade777]

I think the main issue that happened with Avatar was that yes, it was super impressive both technologically and visually, and yes _everyone_ went to see it and raved about it for a short time after release; _BUT_ it didn't really leave any significant or long-lasting impact. The story and most of the characters are kinda painfully generic when you sit and think about it for 5 minutes, and the visual spectacle of the environment is a one-and-done thing. Any potential sequels or even re-watches aren't going to be anywhere near as impactful because we've already seen the world and the wonder has worn off. It really doesn't help that it's taken them _13 years_ to release a sequel, _long_ after everyone has already completely forgotten the series even existed. I'm not trying to be all doom and gloom here, just realistic. I did really like the movie (saw it in Imax 3D when it came out) and the concepts, and there are some really amazing things people have done with it since - like there's this one clip where someone took the 30 second scene of Jake's first flight around all the floating mountains, and fed it through an AI interpolator program to turn it from 24 fps to 60 fps, and it looks so good that it almost hurts to watch.

[@FizzgigMcarthur]

I think part of it is the hubris of leaving it dormant for so many years while at the same time a slow drip of rumors about sequels, I heard there were 5 in development at one point, not to mention the theme park. Its a bit like Batman V Superman teasing the justice league when they are already cramming too many characters into a poorly written, cash grab sequel. I don't have a lot of faith in the artistry when the decisions are so obviously money-focused.

[@GiulianaBruna]

"I dont remember the name of the protagonist". Dude, I dont remember the name of the guy from Jaws and I love it. Maybe if I have watched all the dumb sequels I would remember.

[@iamyourfather4270]

Fight Club didn't even bother naming it's protagonist. Another example of why remembering the name of the protagonist doesn't really matter.

[@DiestroCorleone]

I see you, Captain. And I'm looking forward to this movie, for the very reasons you mentioned. I have the special edition DVD boxset and watched the movie in theathers 4 times when it came out. It might be forgettable, but man... On the big screen, it was an experience I'll never forget.

[@powerbad696]

I watched it 3 times in the cinema,I think it's a very good film.All the hate is interner drones who don't want to be upset the core complainers,they want acceptance from others,instead of voicing their true opinions.Dare to speak your real intentions,people will respect that.

[@LadyAstarionAncunin]

I actually bought his art book. He’s a talented artist/painter. And in the stories he’s written in the book, one trend is his ego. And, really, given his output, I can’t be mad at it. Given that, he’s earned my trust as a viewer. He’s earned his ego, as his creativity has always been evident and he always shows us something that’s never been seen before. So, someone with his level of ego is not about to give us something half-done. I was unaware that the sequel was getting hate already, but people are so trained to be cynical and automatically contrarian and intense now, I guess I shouldn’t be surprised. But it’s super weird given how much they worship filmmakers like Nolan for his string of hits. James has already proven himself over and over, yet they’re treating him like a pop star whose star has fallen. Uh, no. He’s been working.

[@Excelsior1937]

If he's got an ego, that to me just confirms my suspicions that he's only making this movie now that Endgame has taken his throne.

[@paulwillox8778]

@@Excelsior1937 That doesn't fit as Cameron actually announced the sequels only a few months after the original Avatar was released in 2009, so while I don't deny his ego, the sequels aren't some spite play against a rival. They were in production long before Endgame was even a twinkle in Kevin Feige's eye.

[@Excelsior1937]

@@paulwillox8778 Huh. Wonder why it took so long

[@nicholashylton6857]

@@Excelsior1937 Everyone knows he's got an ego, but he's one of the few fellows in Hollywood who can justify it.

[@paulwillox8778]

@@Excelsior1937 Because ol' Jimmy got a little carried away and decided to do multiple sequels (can't recall how many but I think at least three) back-to-back-to-back, like the lord of the rings trilogy, and wouldn't release any of them until main production on all of was complete. Add to that that it took a long time to produce the first one because of the development of technology specifically for that film, and that he announced his intention to push the technology even further for the sequels and you have a recipe for a very long production cycle.

[@sebastian8922]

I love Avatar so much. And I’m so excited for this next one. No amount of internet hate can dissuade me of these feelings.

[@Freak80MC]

Same here! The first film gets so much unnecessary hate imo. It's a good scifi story, if a bit predicable.

[@VegimorphtheMovieBoy]

Same!

[@jmmjeprule]

I’m not much of a movie theater goer, but I will more than likely be making it out to see Avatar and the sequel in theaters

[@Kekkersboy]

Not every movie he makes is amazing. But I can't think of an actual bad film from him.

[@molopower2354]

The new terminator is bad.

[@judsoncoffey8980]

Okay?

[@Kekkersboy]

@@molopower2354 Tim Miller directed that.

[@thebatman4279]

@@molopower2354 He didn't direct that one thankfully.

[@AC-si2uu]

@@judsoncoffey8980 uh, who are you saying "okay" to?

[@Beldizar]

I don't think I can name a single character in Rise of Skywalker or The Last Jedi that wasn't introduced in an earlier StarWars movie.

[@Aryan_Playz]

NO matter if this movie dont work out in north america, people in asia love the original avatar movie, here people are very hyped for the movie and i am sure it will bring a storm atleast in non american market.

[@mattwolf7698]

The Disney park area for the first movie is amazing, that said, that's the only thing that's somewhat kept it in pop culture. This sequel really should have come out in 2015 or so, it's weird to think that I saw the first movie when I was 13 and if a baby was born that night, they would now be going to see this at the same age. I don't think it will flop. I'd think it will make around a billion if not more, I am somewhat skeptical if it will make as much as the original though as it is somewhat forgotten. Also big flashy worlds are common in big budget movies now, especially Marvel so this wouldn't be as special now. This came out when it wasn't uncommon for some big budget movies to still have some bad CG so it was a real treat to see then. ...I usually don't go IMAX but I saw the first in it so I'll probably see this in it.

[@Calaveso]

The first movie was a good movie in general and the VFX did a great job making the world look absolutely gorgeous. Yeah, the story is predictable but I feel like the second movie will have a better chance at world-building compared to the first movie. I'm sure it'll be a fine sequel.

[@arieldahl]

But that’s the point. The world building was heavily invested in, But a celebrated director like Cameron - surrounded himself with yes men that didn’t warn him that other than looking good his movie was shit. In the end he bastardized the music (that he paid so much for in pre production), and made a boring movie that even packing it in a nice package didn’t save it. A good movie can survive a simple visual or a so-so soundtrack, but a good soundtrack/visual can’t save a bad movie…

[@tomgu2285]

@@arieldahl this movie isn't bad. At all.

[@tomgu2285]

The world building was amazing in avatar 1. Are you insane? Pandora is by far the best alien planet in all of movies.

[@arieldahl]

@@tomgu2285 if you want to get wowed by fancy pictures and ignore bad acting, bad accent shallow characters etc’, Go ahead. If you enjoyed the movie (maybe even rewatch it from time to time), cheers. But, that is not what most people experience in the long term when the razzle dazzle has lost it’s effects. So yes, it was a movie with a ton of potential and they worked really hard with academics from all possible fields to design the flora, fauna, climate, astronomy, spaceship design, music and more. You could fill an entire encyclopedia with what they prepared for the world building. But the movie was still meh, and he pretty much tossed away almost all of the hard work put into the music

[@Ryuk45]

"Avatar is so forgotten, we need to talk about how forgotten it is, at least once a month" Reminds me about the discourse around Game of Thrones - there's been a new "dae ending so bad Game of Thrones FORGOTTEN" every few days for the past 3 years

[@sacvideo1998]

Along with Gravity, I think Avatar made the best use of 3D that I've seen in a movie. Watching it in 2D seems like someone watching the silent version of The Jazz Singer (though here's a fun movie history fact, most people in 1927 actually saw the silent version of the Jazz Singer because there were fewer than 10 cinemas at the time of its release that were actually wired for sound. Also even the sound version of The Jazz Singer is a mostly silent movie). I also remember in 1997 that people thought Titanic might be a bomb because it was so expensive and ran into some production issues. Also the memory of Water World was still fresh at hat point, so people were skeptical that an extremely expensive water-based film could actually make its money back. So along with the original Avatar, Cameron has twice produced billion dollar hits out of movies that a lot of people thought might be costly disasters. Maybe he can do it a third time.

[@TylerL220]

I surprisingly still have a 3D TV from like 2012, and I own this movie in 3D. From what I remember it translated well. It's the movie we watched in 3D the most on that TV. So I'd be lying if I said I didn't have fond memories of this movie.

[@dtt719]

It’s more Ferngully than dances with wolves

[@Cold-Blooded-Jay]

I'm really looking forward to the sequels. Ever since Star Wars dies, I've been looking for another source to satiate my thirst for good Sci-Fi films. Cameron is a genius and even though I don't like him at all as a person, his films are often groundbreaking spectacles.

[@eronic404]

I honestly am just going to see it to experience one of the top Imax 3d experiences I will probably have in my life. I do hope Cameron gives us a good or just better story, but I'm honestly just hoping that the visuals blow my mind. So I am excited to see the movie because of that, even though my whole child and life I only seen the movie on a TV screen.

[@LadyAstarionAncunin]

I saw Avatar in theaters 5 times, in Japan where ticket prices are more expensive. It did something I need from film, give me the ultimate escapism and take me somewhere I never imagined.

[@WeirdDragonTwins]

I remember going to watch it in theatre back in the day twice because how amazed I was by the world and the visual effects. The planet was gorgeous, the music fantastic, I just wanted to be overwhelmed. Yeah, the story is a very weak point of the whole show, I couldn't stop comparing it to Pocahontas, but honestly that didn't bother me enough to hate the movie at all, I was like "Ok, a recycled story with flat villain and not so great characters... nothing new, pity, but tolerable." When I heard a sequel was coming I had high hopes. When I heard it initially was going to be a prequel I had mixed feelings... Now that I know they're going full sequel mode with multiple movies I'm excited and really hope they will deliver a magnificent looking final product with a better story. Although if the story will still be weak, I can at least say I had fun looking at something pretty

[@powerbad696]

I felt the main characters were well rounded out,I loved Jake Sulley,he had a true character arc in the film,I even loved Trudie's traits.Flat villian??? When he bit the dust the audience in my theatre CHEERED !!! Recycled storylines are a standard in films,JOHN WICK is prime example,ex-assasin wants revenge from being wronged from his former employer. Sounds familiar to me.Sign me up for AVATAR 2. LOL.

[@WeirdDragonTwins]

@@powerbad696 I liked Jake just fine, his relationship with Neytiri was nice, but I hoped for them to be less cookie-cutter standard, they just didn't amaze me. Just because the villain bit the dust and people cheered doesn't it make it any less flat, good for them who enjoyed it more than me. To me he was one note, immediately thought of him as bad guy from the start and his end was predictable as water is wet, I don't even remember his name even after watching the movie multiple times... Of course recycled stories are common, when people like a certain plot, they usually relate more to that and it's easier for movie makers to base something new on something old, and there's nothing wrong with it all, it's the presentation of the final result that impresses people. Just look at The Lion King, the majority of people doesn't know Hamlet, yet everyone remembers the lions ah I agree about being excited for Avatar 2, let's hope for the best :)

[@powerbad696]

@@WeirdDragonTwins Everyone has different opinions on their viewing of movies,that being said,did you enjoy the film??? i hope so.You made some good points in your thread,well done.i salute you,i like DEBATES,not arguements.Most people can't tell the difference.Here's hoping Avatar 2 is gonna be worth the price of admission. SEMPER-FI.

[@WeirdDragonTwins]

@@powerbad696 Oh I still loved the movie a lot :) Even went for the director's cut version and it was so interesting to see more about Neytiri's sister and the school, wished they did more about that! Thank you for your patience and your politeness, I salute you as well Let's get both ready for Avatar 2!

[@powerbad696]

2Due,I think you may have to buckle up for a WILD-RIDE !!! LOL. Cameron has stated in a current interview these new films will have 3-D without the glasses !!!! I think the new films will set a standard for future film series.Cameron is a trailblazer,be sure to wear SOCKS when viewing Avatar 2,cause they're gonna be blown off !!! NUFF SAID !!! LOL.

[@technocore1591]

Avatar in 3D Imax was one of the most breathtaking visual cinematic experiences of my life. But lord the story, dialogue and characters were so cartoonish and unpolished. I figure at the very least, even if Avatar 2 is terrible, I'm looking forward to the inevitable re-release of Avatar 1 in Imax 3D so I can experience that again.

[@mohammadzekereya9311]

Re-release was already announced , I think it's in September.

[@thebatman4279]

To be honest, most the dialogue in James Cameron films are pretty cheesy. But I kinda dig it.

[@Bondoz007]

I had the chance to see Avatar at IMAX last year, so I saw it again (having seen it in original release). Still a very impressive film and I would definitely still go see a sequel. Interesting to know the co-writer did Sarah Connor Chronicles which seems to be getting a bit more love at the moment as people are realising that was axed before its time.

[@joecamps1119]

The one thing I can say has me genuinely excited for the sequels is that Sam Worthington has become a far far better actor in the years since this film. Especially in his television work.

[@Gemnist98]

Too bad he’ll be in mo-cap the entire time this time around. But hey, fingers crossed for Under the Banner of Heaven.

[@NexusKin]

His performances in both Hacksaw Ridge and The Shack really highlight just how far he's come. The latter has him delivering a raw, emotional and extremely grounded performance that I'd argue is one of his best performances ever. Also, even way back then, I thought he did a really good job as Alex Mason in the Call Of Duty Black Ops series.

[@therealseanw.stewart2071]

I don't remember being a particularly big fan of the first Avatar when it came out, but I'd be willing to refresh my memory of it after a decade or so. Even as a kid I thought the plot was incredibly cliched, but the visuals were very nice. The sequel could be beautiful as well. Although I really don't blame you about the modern use of CGI.

[@joshuajoe1419]

As someone who spends way too much time on box office corners of the internet. This video shows why I need to leave that bubble sometimes cause I assumed most people wanted to see Avatar 2

[@djnfbrhkelkondwvb6853]

I’m expecting something from this movie. After all Disney bought up 20th Century Fox and one of the main reasons was for this IP and the plans Cameron had for it. They made it possibly the best theme park land in the world, can they turn it into a industry-renowned blockbuster franchise?

[@inspektical2393]

I'm also cautiously excited for this movie. Personally the most iffy thing for me is just how many Avatar movies were announced (5 I think?), for me that's never a good sign but I'm hoping Cameron can surprise me.

[@CommonCommiestudios]

Every masterpiece [Avatar The Last Airbender: The Waterbending Master] Has its not very cheap copy [Avatar: The Way of Water]

[@cgduude]

Yeah the naming is too similar to ATLA stuff. Even "Avatar: below the water" or something like that would sound much more distinct and less silly

[@VegimorphtheMovieBoy]

Actually Cameron copyrighted his Avatar script back in the 90s before ATLA was brought up, so the ATLA had to add The Lost Airbender to help differentiate it. As for the water thing, that's probably just a coincidence since Cameron's always been a big ocean fan

[@cgduude]

@@VegimorphtheMovieBoy I understand that. But even if I wrote a book about Harry Jensen in 1960, and I was releasing a movie today about it, I wouldn't call it Harry Jensen and the Micromanager. I'm just saying the naming scheme could be a little more distinct and unique

[@VegimorphtheMovieBoy]

@@cgduude While that's a fair point, I don't necessarily think the title will hurt Avatar 2, because what we know of the plot so far, the title makes sense and it'll probably have deeper and greater significance and meaning in the movie itself. Plus there's been movies in the past with fairly generic or simplistic titles that have turned out pretty well like The Haunting, Speed, or even Room (heck, I've even heard people say The Shawshank Redemption is a bad/confusing title). If you mean some might confuse it for a TLA movie based on the title alone though, while I can see that happening, considering how fast word spreads on the internet, I think that confusion will be in very small doses.

[@mickeymouse7726]

I'm excited I love the first James Cameron Avatar movie I think people don't give it enough credit

[@MostlyPennyCat]

Oh, we drove to London to watch it a second time on the only IMAX screen in the UK. After seeing it in a bog standard local multiplex with RealD's frankly rubbish 3D tech which uses circular polarization we were disappointed I'd hyped up 3D to my wife because what I saw in the Florida parks (Muppets 3d, terminator 3d, Michael Jackson 3d) amazed us. But I notice that the glasses were different and my wife couldn't really see any 3D with RealD's system. Everything looked like it was cut out flat people. Turns out, IMAX being 90s vintage tech uses the old linear polarization (and the glasses are identical to the Florida ones) so off we went. For me, night and day, everybody has depth, the ash particles of home tree filled the room, Colonel Evil behind his cockpit glass looked occluded, the reflections had their own depth. And my wife said it now looked real, scenes had depth, objects had geometry, their own depth. So we'll only see it at IMAX London.

[@hpgainer6932]

I remember sitting in the theater thinking “this is really dumb. Really overhyped and really underwhelming” then 10 years later, I still feel the same way.

[@denimschaffer9439]

Story wise yeah it’s not really anything special but damn the visuals still hold up to this very day and is still better than most movies that use CGI today

[@iamyourfather4270]

10 years ago means 2012. Avatar was released in 2009. I think it's not the movie that's dumb.

[@MinecraftWorld1954]

I’ll give it a shot. I liked the first, and with Camron’s history of sequels, I have decent hope for this movie

[@datoneanimations1715]

I am a bit more hopeful for avatar 2 as it's been taking a very long time to make so maybe after all it takes some criticism and ends up being good

[@ZentaBon]

Keep in mind on the internet, especially twitter, you'll mainly be shown more extreme opinions because those are more engaging for algorithms, and that may mean more anger, more outrage, more extreme emotions. Typically this "selects" to show people more extreme opinions online, because the algorithm noticed it keeps people on the platform longer. And when you're upset about something, you're very likely to share it with friends, family, or your following. This allows them to show more ads to more people, which is how they make money.

[@Tomhyde098]

I never go into a movie hoping it’s bad. I wish that every movie was fantastic. But I’ll never understand people that say “I hope this movie bombs”

[@misatai5457]

Seriously? Its gotta be intentional at this point. Next we’ll have: Avatar 3: Road to Earth Avatar 4: Path of Fire Avatar 5: Stream of Air

[@mezmerized4lifejay654]

Cameron always delivers. It's going to be an incredible underwater 3D experience

[@yveltalpoderoso1303]

We don’t doubt that , but the movie is gonna be 3 hours long , it can’t rely on visuals, I hope the story it’s as good as the visuals

[@JackiSins]

Avatar is one of my favourite films of all time, I literally can give 2 shits if it had familiar story, I love the world and I’m really excited to be going back to it.

[@merial7]

I really love this movie, and specially bc of pandora, if the second movie use this already establish world and focus in the story parts, I think it could be awesome.

[@michaeltnk1135]

I was 5 when Avatar came out and even I vividly remember seeing it in the theaters

[@themikx2939]

I think the reason it gets so much hate is cause of all films this is one that’s the highest grossing film ever. Which is fair from a storytelling perspective

[@spoonabenson8762]

Exactly. You’d imagine the highest grossing movie would also be one most people agrees is pretty entertaining and enjoyable

[@ummmmmmmmmmmnmmmm]

To me avatar is like a super vivid dream that you forget almost instantly after you wake up. Vivid is the right word. I don't think I've ever had a more vivid experience of a film. It's hard to describe but all the hair horse riding and dragon riding just felt real. Especially when he gets dropped into the jungle for the first time. I don't know why but I just remember it being like i was there. If inception feels like a dream when you're watching it then avatar feels real when you watch it and dreamlike when you try to recall it.

[@Moonfire864]

Without love and nostalgia blinding them, people now notice how gross the over selling of certain IP’s can be. And Avatar is exactly that. All the merchandise and none of the real fandom. At least for me, the original movie is fine. Great even in technical points. James Cameron is obviously a talent. But you said it yourself- no one remembers the characters. Because they were never beloved in the same way as a franchise. And yet for some reason, they get presented with the same corporate rollout as beloved franchises like Star Wars. It feels a little icky.

[@diersteinjulien6773]

I remember the characters... I mean... the unfortunate protagonist in a wheelchair who is given a chance to walk again if he helps on a project he doesn't believe in the alien girl curious but cautious, who ends up falling in love with him the enthousiastic scientist, fascinated by alien lifeforms the warmongering military commander ... I don't remember any of their name, or any iconic line, I remember them because they were very simple stereotypes

[@neonbarnowl]

Yeah he answered his own question right in the beginning. When it first came out it was technically impressive but there's not much else to love. The tech it flaunted is pretty commonplace now, it'd be hard to recapture the same energy it blew up with

[@sadiejay_]

This might be why it feels like disney theme park advertising to me. I have no opinions on Cameron, his techniques nor his movies. It just doesn't sit right with me knowing that the new park addition came out and now this and I'm assuming others to follow.

[@afctaylor12]

I never understood why people enjoyed mid 00 and 10s so much. I remember going school with radio tell us watch out of bags watch out for wired people they going blow you up. That 08 . I remember swine flu and people using Internet to trick children and to sell in slavery so I was told the financial break down and teacher telling it be so difficult to get job and your so lucky your at school . Easy access to porn extremists content on you youtube and mental health triple thanks to facebook and Instagram. From adult looking back it was childhood of paranoia. I really don't understand the hype

[@darkwoods1954]

The toys and merchandise did not sell well. Avatar did not grab people's imaginations and fandom beyond watching the film. It just had good marketing getting people in the cinema.

[@jstarwars360]

Regardless of how it turns out, a big director driven blockbuster will be a breath of fresh of air from the enjoyable albiet stale studio films that get regularly pumped out most notably MCU installments.

[@dappitydingdong1219]

thought this video was about atla for a brief moment, a little disappointed but your videos are always great anyway

[@jacobsims8307]

Wit you big dawg, that movie was decent at best, atla is in my top 10 movies/shows of all time.

[@jsquire1331]

Somewhere between 10 and 20% of society don't see stereo or have extreme adverse psychological and physicialogical reactions to films made in stereo. The aspect of it being made for 3D makes it a step above over 3D films, but still makes it something that is accessible to these people. The CGI on the fly methodology is definitely cool and has made film making much easier, look at the Mandalorian's graphics pipeline. Otherwise, the plot is hackneyed and derivative of many other stories. I am not personally excited for the second, and the projected series.

[@SocialExperiment232]

I remember being the only one of my friends who didn’t like it but still I want this to be good so bad. I am craving a new franchise to become popular so we can get more and get a break from the same reboots, reworks, and sequels. I hope he listened to the public opinion and got a better writer. He is clearly a visual innovator and I can’t wait to see what he does next. Just want it to be great instead of meh like the first one :(.

[@Andrew36597]

I suddenly became more and more interested in Avatar 2 in recent months, and the idea of this being the first of 4 sequels that Cameron has been working on for over a decade just made me really excited as a film fan. I also don’t remember too much about the original, but it’s not like i ever hated it and the special effects were undoubtedly breathtaking. I’m gonna be there opening night for sure

[@donkeysaurusrex7881]

I like that one of his is arguments is, “Het guys, it isn’t as bad as the Sequel Trilogy.” Watching Avatar 2 will probably also be a more pleasant experience than being bitten by a snake.

[@Skaiser_Wilhelm7938]

My only problem is the amount they are going to make in the future, with five films, hopefully there's enough story to tell. The opposite of Ice Age where they just make five movies all for profit and a decrease in interesting storytelling. Anyway, I like to think it's brilliant that we still have filmmakers who want to make movies for a vision and not just a cash grab.

[@sharkboy28298]

I really like your point about how this isn't made for passive home viewing, AVATAR was intended as an engaging cinematic experience. It's really not as mindblowing watching it in 720p on your phone with streaming compression. This might be a weird take, but I think meme culture may play into the forgetfullness of AVATAR? It's sincerity doesn't really make it memeable, and people don't reflect on it positively in the new way we discuss culture.

[@kjj26k]

Excellent point about the un-meme-able being forgetful, but I gotta disagree on the "only meant for theaters," I've only seen this film on my bedroom TV and _still_ I was in AWE. Maybe that's cause I play videogames and so am a slut for Setting.

[@MakiPcr]

Avatar holds a special place in my heart because it came out at the time my country was experiencing a massive movement against mining in virgin forest (of which I was part of), so you can understand it was incredibly relatable to me

[@foreverfirebird5712]

I think what also pissed ppl off about the Avatar sequels is just how many James Cameron has announced. It just comes off as a little presumptuous and arrogant that he can turn this movie that ppl felt was meh and turn it into a franchise. Also it makes it seem like he expects the same amount of success as the first one.

[@thomasluhrs]

It's not Dances with wolves in Space, it's Ferngully in 3D

[@Okjoenie]

I saw Avatar for the first time in 3D in the cinema when I was 9 and thought is was an amazing movie at the time

[@Keldroc]

The only characters I can name from Rise of Skywalker are returning ones. I have no idea of the names of Finn's new friend, Poe's ex girlfriend, the slug everyone loves, or the old Imperial guy. I guess I know Babu Frik from memes, but that's about it.

[@randyjax09]

They’re really going all-in on the whole “water” thing. That said, I wouldn’t underestimate a James Cameron movie.

[@NextToToddliness]

I'm going to watch all the Avatar sequels, because I know it'll be a fun ride and feature things I've never seen before. I find a lot of cinematic value in an experience I can feel instead of over-intellectualize. I wish more audiences felt that way, but we can thank Cinema Sins culture for ruining what makes art so great: Emotion. Edit: I also fully understand it has a simple narrative, but this film is trying to say something, and do so by accessing the widest range of audiences. You can literally watch this film without dialogue and still understand its meaning. It isn't meant for one audience. Additionally, If Spielberg's classic E.T. came out now, it'd be ripped to shreds for being nothing but an empty marketing plot to sell toys, when that movie is trying to tell little kids who don't come from perfect homes that they still have value and that there is nothing wrong with them. It teaches people that family is just a word, and you can make it whatever you want. THAT'S THE MAGIC OF CINEMA. Not a convoluted dissertation on the human condition by way of edgy visuals and grotesque realism.

[@powwowken2760]

I'm mainly just curious to see what exactly they do with this sequel Will it be "Blue Jake Sully in the ocean"? Because to be honest that sounds very lame... Or will it be on an entirely different planet where humans are once again using 'Avatar' technology to interact with the local people who just happen to be ocean dwellers this time, because that sounds potentially very cool.