Review: 'Avatar: The Way of the Water' is a cinematic adventure not to be missed

James Cameron is arguably one of the most influential filmmakers in the history of cinema. He is also considered the master of the sequels - Aliens and Terminator 2: Judgment Day remain two of the best sequels ever made - and he is one of the main artists to the origin of the technological evolution in this field. respective art, it would be absurd not to have Avatar: The Way of the Water as one of your most anticipated films of the year. As a fan of the original, expectations for the sequel to the saga - which will have at least three more films in addition to this one - were very high, and for the most part they were fulfilled... for the better. and for the worse.

Regarding Avatar (2009): I don't know the reasons behind the words "popular to hate" and "anyone care?" trend that emerged a few years ago. The truth is, I hadn't seen the original in a long time, so I was curious to know how much my opinion had changed. After seeing it again the night before the sequel, I couldn't have been more positively surprised. The visuals remain amazing even 13 years later. The score never ceased to be memorably epic, and contrary to one of the points used to dispute the film's cultural impact, I picked up the story and characters perfectly.

Having written all of this, The Way of Water meets my predictions. Technically, it is practically impossible to report any defect. The same can't be said for the sequel's screenplay, written by James Cameron, Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver. Do I see this as the typical case of "quality over substance"? No. There are easily distinguishable themes, clear intentions and important messages to convey. However, the levels of creativity, innovation, and dedication are so technically high that the story suffers in comparison.

It doesn't matter if I start by discussing the visuals, sound, score, or anything like that, because they all stand out in truly spectacular ways. Funnily enough, The Way of Water's visual effects were the most complimented feature - and the reasons are more than valid, of course - but for me personally, the sound design and sound mixing deserve the accolade. same amount of praise, especially in the aquatic environment, i.e. in water or under it. The movie may be 95% CGI, but the sound work is so immersive that viewers will easily forget they're actually watching a movie.

Whether it's the water splashing against the rocks, the lapping of the giant waves, the underwater animals communicating, the figures splashing on the surface or moving through the water, the detail of the design sound is amazing: some moments seem straight out of the iconic documentary series Blue Planet. Simon Franglen's score complements the original, the late James Horner's score for the first Avatar, retaining the classic melodies and notes that stood out to me so much in 2009. It contains all the hallmarks chilling as a blockbuster of this dimension demands, elevating stunning shots and adrenaline-charged action scenes.

Of course, the visuals of The Way of Water are also absolutely mesmerizing. The film can be referenced as perfectly undeniable and incontrovertible proof that CGI can be an essential complement to filmmaking and even the main visual engine of an entire film. What Cameron has managed to create underwater is incredible, and it is in this underwater environment that new technologies and innovative filming methods come into play. However, the Holy Grail is in what is called the "performance capture".

As of this release, no other film matches The Way of Water when it comes to capturing facial expressions in motion capture renders - which is saying a lot when Planet of the Apes and The Lord of the Rings did it so well, and the superhero genre also constantly uses this technique. Unlike in other movies, the sheer fact that viewers can analyze the actors' performances as if they were ordinary live-action performances is impressive in itself. Emotions are palpable through a simple gaze or posture in a way unmatched by anything Hollywood produces elsewhere. The Oscar for best visual effects is more than certain and well deserved.

That said, The way of water is...