‘Avatar: The Sense of Water’ officially opens on Saturday in theaters around the world and will surely attract crowds considering that we are facing the Avatar sequel, the highest grossing film in the history of cinematography. And it won’t be the only one, since James Cameron has four more sequels in mind (Avatar 3 was filmed together with the version at hand) to complete this saga of science fiction and animation.
Some lucky ones have already been able to enjoy it and the first reviews are on the Internet, with general praise. Personally, although I have been following the steps of the filming and I know almost everything about the movie (without seeing it) since I am not able to get rid of spoilers and chronicles, I will pretend I know nothing about it and even if it takes a little longer, As a good lover of science fiction cinema, animation and technology, I will look for the best room within my reach because this is one of the films that -if possible- you have to see it in 3D format And if it can be in a premium level installation such as IMAX or similar. Don’t worry, for our part we are not going to gut anything essential. Just put yourself in a situation of what you can expect and see some of the technique used.
Set years after the conclusion of Avatar, the sequel reprises Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) and his wife Neytiri (Zoe Saldana) as the leaders of their Na’vi tribe, living peacefully in the forests of Pandora. Once again, the “people of the sky” (colonizers call themselves), in a thirst for violence and plunder typical of less than human humans, return to ravage the land to build a military-industrial complex and then plan attacks against the native population.
Leading this violent plan you will see a known enemy from the original movie and in front of you will help a great lady (the one who once fought against the Aliens). Yes, both revived for the occasion even if he refused in his day… The attacks orThey will force Sully and his family to flee to survive among the native islanders known as “reef people.” There, the different cultures will collide, but new friendships will be born, and together, The Na’vi and their allies will unite to push back the Sky People invasion once more..
‘Avatar: The Sense of Water’: HFR technology of the highest level
Getting into the matter at hand. The new setting with water as the protagonist has allowed Cameron an unprecedented technological display. In fact, as was the case with Avatar, the sequels have had to be delayed due to the need to develop new technologies to film underwater motion capture scenes that until now had not been able to be reproduced.
The work and innovation in the field of visual effects is colossal and especially the treatment of the technology of high frame rate or HFR to make the film the best in history in this section. In case you don’t know it, say that it allows you to play certain scenes at 48 frames per second, which offers viewing quality and realism much higher than the standard 24 fps. It leads to 3D action scenes that feel incredibly immersive and in ‘Avatar: The Sense of Water’ they say it can make you forget that the lush alien wildlife on Pandora isn’t real.
It is not the first film to use HFR and we have already seen it in others such as The Hobbit trilogy or Gemini Man. However, the Avatar sequel deploys this technology in a unique way, since instead of using HFR throughout the footage, Cameron uses it for the main action sequenceswhile slower dialogue scenes appear as if they are running at 24 fps.
In reality, all scenes were shot at 48fps, so the quieter scenes use doubled frames to trick our brains into perceiving them at standard cinema frame rates. This is a strategy that Cameron has been discussing for years and as far back as 2016 he pointed out that HFR is “it was a tool, not a format”and rejected Ang Lee’s attempt to use it throughout the entire runtime on Gemini Man.
Some reviewers say it takes a bit of getting used to, but ultimately works and looks amazing. The film seems to be a window into the world of Pandora, with stunning shots of lush forests and oceans. She makes all creations, from huge flying fish-like creatures that can be ridden to alien whales with advanced language, appear to be living, breathing creatures. HFR works in conjunction with the latest generation of CG animation technologies, allowing the Na’vi, their culture, and their world to be as lifelike as the technique allows.
Where to see ‘Avatar: The Sense of Water’
The movie will be released on Saturday, December 16 in Spain and half the world. The intention of Cameron, the production companies 20th Century Studios and Lightstorm Entertainment, together with the distributor Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, is to monetize an investment of 400 million dollars (minimum) that it has cost. Surely it will be so. It will be able to be seen in practically any movie theater because thousands of copies have been distributed. And there will be no shortage of pirated versions on the Internet, a mental scoundrel to watch this movie on your laptop or on TV.
In addition to whether the script and character development is liked more or less or that the film fulfills another of Cameron’s declared objectives in terms of conveying that the threats to the marine ecosystems of Pandora “they are also happening in our world” in reference to climate change, this is an eminently technical film, visually stunning in a colossal 190 minute footage and as such you have to enjoy it.
If you have a good room within reach, you should bet on it. Avatar 2 will be screened in 4K, HFR and 3D at all AMC Dolby Cinema locations and select IMAX theaters. Some dual laser screens will only offer 2K 3D with HFR, but single laser screens will have the highest picture quality the director has in mind for the premiere. We leave you with the official trailer to whet your appetite:
Finally, it must be said that the original Avatar has been relaunched earlier this month with a combination of HFR and additional footage, as well as improving image lighting and applying upscaling techniques to 4K. If you can access it on the big screen, it’s a good appetizer before going to see ‘Avatar: The Sense of Water’, the great blockbuster this Christmas.
