WOW is an understatement. James Cameron pushing cinematic technology to the next level again. The true hero here is the water FX teams. The fluid FX are so good you forget that it's pretty much all simulated. All the 3D was epic but the water is a technological marvel here. The Character animation and rendering is next level, it’s truly immersive. You can forget that your are basically watching 3d generated characters and really invest your self’s in their emotions and journey.
But even though this film may be a technological marvel, it’s hard to see this kind of effort being applied to many other films. It feels like this level of work will only be reserve (and afforded) for the biggest of the biggest films out there… and i’m all for it if it’s executed as well as this movie. For the cinema experience to live on, it’s films like this that make me go ”we need to see this on the big screen”.
The story... suits the world Cameron has created. It's heartfelt and action packed and the 3hr runtime seems to vanish right before your eyes. It’s the first film in a long time (perhaps since Endgame) that has felt like a true mega-blockbuster.
One of the understated achievements is they made 48fps actually work in the cinema format. The 3D stereo work is superb - definitely worth seeing in 3D Imax. Well done to the Wētā FX teams, absolutely outstanding work. - I give it 4 and a 1/2 stars out of 5