Whether because it's novelty wore off after the second viewing, or because the general storyline had been done so many times, the first Avatar never really hit it home for me. With barely a passable script and some hammy acting, Avatar relied heavily on its groundbreaking visuals. Yet over a decade later, only being able to see it streaming on the small screen, it really seems to have lost all of its luster. It leaves me wondering what made this such a big deal in the first place that it broke box office records again and again?
Enter Avatar 2. After waiting a few weeks for the crowds to die down, I finally got to see it. Now suddenly I'm reminded (at least I think I'm reminded) of what made the first one so impressive. Was I being to harsh on that landmark spectacle? Did I just need to see it again in IMAX 3D? While I won't be clamoring to see the original in the same format just to answer these questions, I will say that the sequel does take away that feeling of 'meh' for the franchise.
Even in the same format I don't think the first Avatar looked as crisp and detailed. And somehow the rendering of the alien faces is much more developed as I found the character's expressions much more sympathetic than they were the first time around. Certainly Sam Worthington doesn't inspire as many groans as his acting did before. Dare I say I actually like his character now.
At three hours long, it can certainly be said that the plot is a little overwrought, especially towards the end. And there's little to suggest that the other planned sequels will be able to take off in any meaningful way... yet despite that lack of depth, there is still an emotional core to this movie rooted in the family dynamics of its characters. At times it can tug on the heartstrings forcing you to shed a tear.
All the conceptuality in this film was given to the art design and I must say I was quite surprised by how much I found interesting. Just some of the sets, creatures and technical concepts I found to be very creative. Even with the sound off, Avatar 2 could command your attention. It remains to be seen, if this will still be interesting a year from now streaming on Disney+.
Whereas the first film was the pioneer, the second one treads that same path much easier and so has the benefit of looking better and feeling better. Yet as sequels go, this could easily have been the last Avatar movie and no one would be upset. There are no loose ends, there is no suspense about what will happen next in the story. Without some greater purpose, (we will have to wait for 3 and 4 brings to the table) Avatar 2 is certainly no Empire Strikes Back, but then again Avatar 1 was hardly A New Hope either.
Enter Avatar 2. After waiting a few weeks for the crowds to die down, I finally got to see it. Now suddenly I'm reminded (at least I think I'm reminded) of what made the first one so impressive. Was I being to harsh on that landmark spectacle? Did I just need to see it again in IMAX 3D? While I won't be clamoring to see the original in the same format just to answer these questions, I will say that the sequel does take away that feeling of 'meh' for the franchise.
Even in the same format I don't think the first Avatar looked as crisp and detailed. And somehow the rendering of the alien faces is much more developed as I found the character's expressions much more sympathetic than they were the first time around. Certainly Sam Worthington doesn't inspire as many groans as his acting did before. Dare I say I actually like his character now.
At three hours long, it can certainly be said that the plot is a little overwrought, especially towards the end. And there's little to suggest that the other planned sequels will be able to take off in any meaningful way... yet despite that lack of depth, there is still an emotional core to this movie rooted in the family dynamics of its characters. At times it can tug on the heartstrings forcing you to shed a tear.
All the conceptuality in this film was given to the art design and I must say I was quite surprised by how much I found interesting. Just some of the sets, creatures and technical concepts I found to be very creative. Even with the sound off, Avatar 2 could command your attention. It remains to be seen, if this will still be interesting a year from now streaming on Disney+.
Whereas the first film was the pioneer, the second one treads that same path much easier and so has the benefit of looking better and feeling better. Yet as sequels go, this could easily have been the last Avatar movie and no one would be upset. There are no loose ends, there is no suspense about what will happen next in the story. Without some greater purpose, (we will have to wait for 3 and 4 brings to the table) Avatar 2 is certainly no Empire Strikes Back, but then again Avatar 1 was hardly A New Hope either.