AVATAR 2: THE WAY OF WATER (2022)

[nickytea]

That's the problem. This isn't for people who actually want interesting characters, a compelling plot or a well-executed movie.

For me, the movie was thematically rich, with a tremendous depth of character, and a structure that has rewarded repeat viewings. Its success really doesn't surprise me, and the audience is a lot smarter than many have given them credit for.

 

[Tommy]

It's for people who just want to look at pretty colors for a couple of hours. That's modern-day Hollywood. Pretty, but dumb.

Its success really doesn't surprise me, and the audience is a lot smarter than many have given them credit for.

I think it’s sometimes worth taking an extra moment to distinguish among entities in these discussions to help avoid misunderstandings. There's the studio exec's intentions and target audience, the director/crew’s intentions and target audience, and then the actual audience, and a statement about one often doesn't apply to the others. I see a degree of truth to the perceived trend referenced by Cephus at a studio level, but that doesn't necessarily indicate anything about the director/crew's thinking, or characteristics of real viewers who ultimately enjoy the final product. I'm convinced that Cameron put his heart and soul into Way of Water; that he believes it's a smart and powerful film; and that he holds his fans in high regard.

By the same token, approval or disapproval of a film isn’t a great measure of audience intelligence / sophistication. What we like or respond to is a complex matter of balancing qualities we prioritize against absurdities we're willing to ignore, combined with emotional reactions we can't control and even subconscious reading between the lines of associations and personal meanings. [Or something like that.]

I love plenty of movies that people routinely call dumb: Forrest Gump, Troy, etc. And I can appreciate why. It’s no insult against me (at least I hope!).

 

[Cephus]

Finally got around to seeing this last night and not remotely impressed. It was just a 3 hour effects reel and frankly, I thought a lot of it looked bad. The Navi skin looked plastic. The story was virtually non-existent. The villains were evil for the sake of being evil with no real motivation. The vast majority of what went on was just so the story could happen. The writing was crap. I never got invested in any of the characters. When the kid died, I was going "which one was that again?" I didn't care. Zero emotional impact. What a waste of 3 hours of my life that I can't get back.

 

[Pilum Murialis]

I could never watch this film again or even watch another sequel, the whole time I watched the FX, I was unimpressed, cause it took Cameron 13 years, I've seen way better graphics in Skyboxes with VR Chat than this film, case in point below

 

[Mottrex]

Finally got around to seeing this last night and not remotely impressed. It was just a 3 hour effects reel and frankly, I thought a lot of it looked bad. The Navi skin looked plastic. The story was virtually non-existent. The villains were evil for the sake of being evil with no real motivation. The vast majority of what went on was just so the story could happen. The writing was crap. I never got invested in any of the characters. When the kid died, I was going "which one was that again?" I didn't care. Zero emotional impact. What a waste of 3 hours of my life that I can't get back.

So the kid died.. That saves me three hours of watching it now

I'm still undecided whether to see it, the wife sure isn't interested and loves Hardcore Scifi movies oh and James Spader..
Stick him in an antiperspirant commercial and she's there

 

[robstyle]

If memory serves Avatar 2's first wrap party was mid December of 2018 at the LA Science Center. That was so post (cgi) and it's departments could start their dedicated work. Anything leading up to that would be, in many cases, inventing the technical equipment to make things happen. All layman's terms of course.
So yes Avatar 2 had a few years in post, then reshoots and pick ups took place which were minimal. But it didn't have ten years for it's cgi work.

And again, I've still not seen it.
Part three pick ups and reshoots will have some live action done in NZ soon.

 

[Scruffylooking]

Finally got around to watching this. I’m a big fan of the first film, but frankly I was bitterly disappointed with this one. The trouble is what made the first film memorable were the groundbreaking effects. With this one that element has now gone and what we’re left with is a poorly scripted, overlong movie with virtually the same plot!

 

[JakeySnakey630]

I loved it. Great cinema movie to see with your family. Loved the 'bad guy', loved the action sequences. Would recommend!

 

[Laspector]

It is way too long. It took me the entire Sunday afternoon to get through it.

 

[Mottrex]

It is way too long. It took me the entire Sunday afternoon to get through it.

So best watched on Fast Forward then..

 

[dascoyne]

I loved it. Great cinema movie to see with your family. Loved the 'bad guy', loved the action sequences. Would recommend!

 

[TazMan2000]

This data taken from Wikipedia on 25 April 2023. Top grossing movies of all time.

Rank Title Worldwide gross Year
1 Avatar $2,923,706,026 2009
2 Avengers: Endgame $2,797,501,328 2019
3 Avatar: The Way of Water $2,318,325,624 2022
4 Titanic $2,257,263,602 1997
5 Star Wars: The Force Awakens $2,068,223,624 2015
6 Avengers: Infinity War $2,048,359,754 2018
7 Spider-Man: No Way Home $1,921,847,111 2021
8 Jurassic World $1,671,537,444 2015
9 The Lion King $1,656,943,394 2019
10 The Avengers $1,518,815,515 2012

TazMan2000

 

[Malibu139]

This data taken from Wikipedia on 25 April 2023. Top grossing movies of all time.

Rank Title Worldwide gross Year
1 Avatar $2,923,706,026 2009
2 Avengers: Endgame $2,797,501,328 2019
3 Avatar: The Way of Water $2,318,325,624 2022
4 Titanic $2,257,263,602 1997
5 Star Wars: The Force Awakens $2,068,223,624 2015
6 Avengers: Infinity War $2,048,359,754 2018
7 Spider-Man: No Way Home $1,921,847,111 2021
8 Jurassic World $1,671,537,444 2015
9 The Lion King $1,656,943,394 2019
10 The Avengers $1,518,815,515 2012

TazMan2000

Would not have guessed Lion King 2019 did so well? Wow.

 

[Ron]

Would not have guessed Lion King 2019 did so well? Wow.

When I read that, I swear I was thinking they meant the 90's original. I completely forgot there was a remake.

 

[Malibu139]

When I read that, I swear I was thinking they meant the 90's original. I completely forgot there was a remake.

I am floored at this. I had no idea Favreau directed it and that it was such a success. 1.6 Billion? The Lion King? That is astounding.

 

[p51]

I saw it, and I was nonplussed. I can think of no better word for it.
It wasn't bad but I just didn't understand the hype. I felt it was just... there. It was a sequel with nothing to say that hadn't been said in the previous film.
The odd thing is I don't know anyone else who has mentioned talking about it. I'm not sure if any of my friends ever went to watch it.

 

[Knightmare]

Finally saw this film . I lasted 15 mins everyone of them I wish I could get back . Cameron should hang it up. This was not a movie its a cartoon and a horrible one .

 

[Solo4114]

Two words, folks:

Overseas

Audiences

These movies aren't being made for folks here. They're being made for a global audience. Disney knows that people deride their live-action remakes of 80s/90s cartoons. They don't care. They're making bank anyway, and I'm betting a TON of it is due to overseas markets/audiences that simply have different tastes from folks in this forum.

 

[TazMan2000]

I'm not sure how you guys measure success. The film box office is 2.32 Billion dollars. Somehow, I don't think Cameron will be "hanging it up" very soon. Hollywood isn't going to shoot the goose that lays golden eggs no matter how much you dislike his movies. By the way, the highest grossing movie of all time is Avatar at 2.9 Billion. However, adjusted for today's dollars, Gone with the Wind would still be on top at 3.44 Billion.

TazMan2000

 

[HMSwolfe]

No one has a problem with McDonald’s selling everywhere. It’s when McDonald’s gets treated like it’s anything other than what it is—empty calories, not that great, but popular with the masses.