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AVATAR: FIRE AND ASH – Simon Franglen
Original Review by Jonathan Broxton
WARNING: THIS REVIEW CONTAINS PLOT SPOILERS. IF YOU HAVE NOT YET SEEN THE FILM, YOU MIGHT WANT TO CONSIDER WAITING UNTIL AFTER YOU HAVE DONE SO TO READ IT.
The whole situation concerning the Avatar movies continues to fascinate me. When James Cameron’s ambitious sci-fi epic arrived in cinemas in December 2009, it was instantly acclaimed as a visual landmark. The film showcased some of the most advanced and convincing visual effects ever seen on screen, while also pushing 3D presentation and motion-capture technology to unprecedented new heights. It went on to win three Academy Awards, received six further nominations including Best Picture, and earned approximately $2.9 billion worldwide, cementing its status as one of the most commercially successful films in cinema history. However, in the decade that separated Avatar from its long-awaited sequel, Avatar: The Way of Water, the mood surrounding the original film shifted noticeably. The unusually long gap between installments did little to sustain enthusiasm, and a growing critical backlash took hold. Commentators increasingly highlighted perceived weaknesses in the narrative, unacknowledged parallels with earlier films, and a number of troubling elements tied to its reliance on so-called “white savior” and “noble savage” tropes. Then the sequel film came out and it grossed another $2.3 billion at the global box office, despite many people – including me – feeling that, even though it was still visually astonishing, it was significantly inferior to the original in terms of story, writing, and performances. Read more…
AVATAR: THE WAY OF WATER – Simon Franglen
Original Review by Jonathan Broxton
WARNING: THIS REVIEW CONTAINS PLOT SPOILERS. IF YOU HAVE NOT YET SEEN THE FILM, YOU MIGHT WANT TO CONSIDER WAITING UNTIL AFTER YOU HAVE DONE SO TO READ IT.
For a while, people sort of forgot what a big deal Avatar was. When James Cameron’s spectacular sci-fi epic first hit screens in December of 2009 it was immediately heralded as a visual masterpiece, boasting some of the most impressive and realistic special effects in the history of cinema, as well as being a groundbreaking step forward in the use of 3D technology and motion-capture. It won three Oscars, was nominated for another six (including Best Picture), and grossed something in the region of $2.9 billion at the global box office, making it one of the most financially successful films ever. But then the backlash came, with some people (rightfully) criticizing the story as being a tired re-tread of both the Pocahontas legend and movies like Dances With Wolves and Ferngully: The Last Rainforest, while also noting its ‘white savior’ tropes. And then… well… it all sort of drifted away. Cameron announced that there would be sequels – possibly four of them – and then he went away to go and make them. And, slowly, over the course of more than a decade, almost everyone forgot about the whole thing. Every once in a while some bit of Avatar news would leak out – shooting began way back in 2017 – but more than anything the Avatar sequels felt a little like a mythical thing, some fairy-tale idea seemingly destined to never come to fruition. Read more…
AVATAR – James Horner
Original Review by Jonathan Broxton
James Cameron makes a habit of being groundbreaking. Whether he is creating a planet full of ferocious xenomorphs in Aliens, experimenting with liquid metal robots in Terminator II, or making a realistic recreation of a sinking boat in Titanic, the Canadian director has always been at the forefront of cutting edge cinematic technology, pushing the envelope of what is creatively and technologically possible on the screen. His latest film, Avatar, continues that trend; with an estimated budget of $320 million, it’s the most expensive film ever made, and looks set to become one of the biggest grossing films of all time too. Read more…
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