James Cameron’sAvatarseries could continue its trend for exceptional visuals with the newAvatar: Fire and Ash. The originalAvatarmovie might not have been praised for its story, but it had some of thebest special effects in a James Cameron movie.Avatar’s worldbuilding was so well realized that I wasn’t surprised when out of the nine Academy Awards it won, two were for Best Visual Effects and Best Cinematography.Avatar’s special effects were groundbreakingas they used facial mapping technology and motion capture in new ways, even inventing new technology for the movie.
James Cameron’s biggest box office successesoftenmake use of his fascination with water, and the director is known for his dedication to his projects. When filmingTitanic, Cameron used multiple submersibles to visit the wreckage, and his love of water is apparent during many epic scenes inThe Abyss. With a virtually unlimited budget and an extremely influential director who often incorporates water into his movies, it was inevitable that theAvatarfranchise would include a movie set near water. Still, I was amazed by the visual effects inAvatar: The Way of Water.
Avatar: The Way Of Water’s CGI Floored Me
James Cameron Used A Mix Of Practical Effects And CGI
James Cameron’s twoAvatarmovies have both pushed the boundaries of what was previously thought possiblein visual effects.Cameron even waited to film the firstAvatarmoviebecause he felt that technology needed to improve first. WhenAvatarcame out in 2009, Rotten Tomatoes critics called its effects “a transporting experience,” and the technology still holds up today. Even with my high expectations, I was floored by the CGI inAvatar: The Way of Water. Payakan’s revenge scene showed that not only had the water CGI surpassed evenAvatar, but so had the story.
Avatar 2combined practical effects with CGI, with the actors performing in a water tank.
CGI can often be controversial, with manygood movies being ruined by bad CGI moments. Even high-budget productions like George Miller’sFuriosahave been overshadowed by bad CGI, and many film critics often praise practical effects by default. However,James Cameron takes his special effects seriously enough to delay movie productions to ensure the technology reflects his visionand uses the best of both worlds inAvatar: The Way of Water.Avatar 2combined practical effects with CGI, with the actors performing in a water tank, while CGI enhanced their movements and added extra details.
James Cameron Could Do Something Similar With Avatar: Fire & Ash
Avatar: The Way Of Water’s Actors Learned Some Incredible New Skills For The Movie
With theupcomingAvatarmoviebeing calledFire and Ash,it looks certain that the film will include fiery scenes on an epic scale. This gives James Cameron the chance to continue pushing the envelope of his visual effects. IfAvatar: Fire and Ashis going to continue a trend started inAvatar: The Way of Water, this innovation is likely to extend to the actors too. Just as the water Na’vi actors learned water-centered skills for the movie, the actors playing the ash Na’vi tribe may well be expected to learn fire skills.
Avatar 3 Is Officially Breaking A Franchise Trend After The First Two Movies’ Biggest Criticism
James Cameron’s Avatar franchise has been criticized for being derivative and simplistic, but the new Na’vi villains in Avatar 3 will address this.
While watchingAvatar: The Way of Water, I was so impressed by the spectacle that it only hit me later how incredible the actors' dedication had been. Cameron had the main cast train as freedivers, including learning to hold their breath underwater for long periods, ensuring that they looked comfortable in the water.Kate Winslet beat Tom Cruise’s underwater breath-holding recordwhenshe held her breath underwater for seven minutes while filmingAvatar 2. She toldCollider,“The thing is, when you can hold your breath for seven minutes, you become unafraid,” which is exactly what Cameron wanted.
Avatar 3 Still Needs More Than Impressive CGI To Work
The Avatar Franchise Could Get Wild When It Comes To The Elements
The originalAvatarblatantly copied other movies, and while James Cameron has redeemed the franchise with the phenomenal sequel, he must be careful thatAvatar: Fire and Ashdoes not attract the same criticism.Avatar 3is sure to be a hit, but with the shorter time between movies, he must be careful that none of the ideas are too derivative becauseCGI alone is unlikely to makeAvatar: Fire and Ashwork. If the storyline is unoriginal and the technical upgrades do not give enough of a spectacle,Avatar 3may not be as good asThe Way of Water.
Rotten Tomatoes ctritics score
Rotten Tomatoes audience score
2009
$237 million
$2.923 billion
81%
82%
2022
$400 million approx
$2.3 billion
76%
92%
Avatar: Fire and Ash
2025
$250 million
TBC
Avatar 4is confirmed to have a big time jump, which could see drastic changes in Pandora’s landscape.TheAvatarmovies are closely tied to the elements, and as we have already seen earth, water, and fire represented, I think it is very likely that the air element will be explored more in a futureAvatarmovie. James Cameron could even go in a very experimental direction by introducing new elements and their corresponding visual effects. IfAvatar: Fire and Ashcontinues the trend of incredible CGI, what Cameron does next could be very wild indeed.
