James Cameron has gone and done it again!! That was an absolute, mind-blowing, utterly immersive, cinematic experience like no other. It was exactly how I felt when I first watched Avatar the first time. This was what IMAX 3D is made for! There is totally no other way that this film should be enjoyed: on the big screen, in 3D. IMAX will really show off the scope and the scenes filmed in 48fps.
Cameron has just propelled himself to the front of the Best Director race. This film is also now, without a doubt, a Best Picture nominee. Even if there were only five nominees, instead of ten, this would be in the race. It also has served notice to Tom Cruise's Top Gun: Maverick as the number one popcorn blockbuster for 2022.
Seriously, Namor and Talocan has nothing - absolutely nothing! - on the Metakayina and Pandora! The visual effects team are a shoo-in for the Oscar. Simply stunning and groundbreaking and mesmerising. All divers will totally get it. The underwater world has never been defined, enhanced, souped-up as realistic as this. The ocean battle was nail-bitingly epic!
As for the story itself, to be honest, we were not really here for that. There was nothing special or groundbreaking about the plot. Every single plot point and "twist" was telegraphed and predictable. But yet, Cameron still managed to have us by the leash as we followed through the simple - really basic - storyline for 3 whole hours. Why? Because the world that he has created was simply amazing and he just immersed us fully into this hyper-realistic, alien world that is being threatened by evil humans (read: White Capitalists)
And boy, these humans are vile and disgusting!
In a clearly demarcated case of good vs evil, it was easy for the audience to root for the Na'vi, but simply just that could be a bit too boring, so Cameron et al wove in some mystic elements, familial drama, internal conflicts, a bit of love and romance, and of course eco-conservatism.
As for the acting, the performance capture was flawless but only Zoe Saldaña stood out. Sigourney Weaver was a tad distracting and Kate Winslet did not get much to do. Sam Worthington's character had less of an arc this time round, and Stephen Lang chewed his scenes up! The young stars, as the next generation, were really front and center, and they could have had a bit too much teenage angst.
Then again, nothing could have overshadowed the visual effects and directing.
Undoubtedly, Avatar: TWOW will also scoop up almost every single technical Oscar nomination: Sound (Editing and Mixing) was incredible; Production Design was unbelievable; Editing was essential in the storytelling; Score was by Simon Franglen and it really befitted the film; and Cinematography by Russell Carpenter was just gorgeous and sublime!
Also, please give it up to the fantastic stunt team!! The underrated and undersung heroes of this film (and many others!!)
Avatar: TWOW has done - again - for cinema what Avatar did. It broke cinematic and technical barriers and reset the bar to a higher level.
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