In the review of Avatar 2 – The way of the water we refer to an episode of South Park (the number 9 of the 16th season, entitled Raising the Bar) in which it rises James Cameron the last bastion of human greatness. And indeed the movie director has done it again: while many thought that, thanks to the pandemic and the increasingly fierce competition of streaming platforms, he could not reach the glories of his greatest hits, Avatar 2 he grinded record are a record.
The receipts of Avatar 2 have reached, as of this writing, 2.1 billion dollars, placing the film in fourth position in the ranking of highest-grossing film in the history of cinema. And guess who’s in two of the other locations? Well yes, always him: he is in third place Titanicto the second Avengers: Endgame and at the top the first Avatar. Soon we may have another surprise: for his 25th birthday Titanic returns to cinemas on February 9 in 3D. Are you thinking the same thing too? Cameron is aiming for a podium of his own.
The filmography of James Cameron but it is so rich, diverse and innovative, that it deserves much more than the mere bill of the money collected at the box office. Because regardless of his patrimony, the director is above all an adventurous spirit, a person who, to make his visions real, improves everything he touches. From technology to technique, Cameron has always demanded the best from himself and his collaborators, thus managing to really raise the bar of excellence in cinema.
He confirmed it himself Jon Landau, producer both of Titanic that of saga in Avatar, connected from Los Angeles. Who, judge for yourself whether in a falsely modest way or not, says: “We’ve actually raised the bar quite a bit with this film. But I prefer that others tell us. For me the most important thing is the audience’s reaction when they see the film. One of my favorite things to do when I show movies is sit sideways and observe the audience as they watch the screen. For me, that’s the real joy. The feedback I’ve had from people I’ve spoken to tells me that we’ve raised the bar. That’s what matters“.
Avatar 2 – The Waterway: Interview with Jon Landau
Avatar – The Waterway: Fathers, Mothers and Children in James Cameron
James Cameron: a filmography dedicated to innovation
James Cameron’s filmography explores different genres, is ambitious and conceived from the mind of those who dream big. But the thing that makes Cameron a unique director is his attention to every detail of the universe that he builds around his films. Whether it’s inventing a new technology, or improving its performance, bringing together professionals with different skills, nothing is left to chance. On the contrary: for his studies on the depths of the abyss, which served him for many of his films, he pushed himself beyond the limits. On 26 March 2012, after a 5-hour descent, James Cameron has reached the bottom of the Mariana Trench. He was the first human being to have made a successful solo dive, reaching -10,898m!
Avatar: The Waterway, James Cameron: “In the sequel we faced the responsibility of having children”
If this isn’t dedication (and also madness). Or again: now tired of being asked, for the past 25 years, if Jack could have saved himself on the raft with Rose, has commissioned scientists to carry out a study, to have a more than precise answer. In short, just like the captain of a ship (hopefully not of the Titanic), Cameron is the first to commit to a project and the last to leave, constantly questioning himself. And indeed the 13-year wait between the first and second Avatar, now that it’s over, is perfectly understandable: once you’re number one in your field you can only beat yourself.
Even Jon Landau, when asked about the unbelievable skin texture of aliens and creatures in Avatar 2, confirms the level of obsessive care that the director puts into his work: “From the first _Avatar the evolution of technology has allowed us to have more details. The skin texture, both of the characters and creatures, gives everyone a more authentic look. We asked Weta to give us as much detail as possible and more real-world references. She is a very important element_ “.
Avatar: creature design and love for the environment
One of the strong points of Avatar – The way of water they are the creatures. Among the new animals introduced in this second chapter are the I will come: gigantic sea creatures that resemble part whales part turtles. Jon Landau explained that working on the creature design was crucial: “It’s one of the first things we started working on. We have an incredible team of designers: Dylan Cole, Ben Procter. We have used Weta Workshop. The challenge was to design creatures that at first glance seem fantasy, but to which we have also given realistic characteristics, which reflect the world of Pandora. The Tulkun is a giant ocean creature. It swims and the way its tail moves works. Jim asks us this: the movement of these creatures can’t be unrealistic. I love it when Lo’ak holds on to the fin – I wish I could too! Everyone should see something different in these creatures. I am not one thing. Just like people are not one“.
Avatar 2: The Water Way – We need a bigger screen… and more James Cameron
If the invention of impactful animals and plants is crucial to creating a believable alien world as it is Pandorathe amount of time that the director dedicates to exploring this universe (beautiful minutes, and not a “stuff to the National Geographic, as some have said) reveals all his fascination and love for nature. Something that also carries on set: Landau indeed explained that the production of Avatar – The way of water it was “green”: an attempt was made to reduce carbon emissions to a minimum, everyone did separate collection, precisely at Cameron’s behest.
Avatar and openness to other cultures
If we leave aside the idea that Avatar is set on another planet, Pandora, and that the protagonists are not human beings, at least not all of them, but blue-skinned aliens, the Na’vithe first Avatar it actually speaks, in a not at all veiled way, of colonialism. The most immediate comparison is with the Native Americans, driven from their own lands. But, as shown by Avatar – The Water Way, the discussion is more general: in the second chapter we know another population, that of the Omatikaya, which is more reminiscent of the fusion of the Maori of New Zealand and the Hawaiian culture. Who knows maybe in the next films there will be peoples who remember the Indians or the Aborigines.
Avatar – The way of water: the role of the family
Cameron openly condemns all forms of oppression and claims by those who have the arrogance and aggressiveness to claim for themselves something that does not belong to them, because everything, as part of an ecosystem, is connected. Tulkun hunting can only disgust: yet still today poachers and whalers empty seas and forests.
Proving that the director is open and curious towards other cultures, he has created new ones. In the first chapter, great attention is paid to lingua Na’vi. Here a next step is introduced: sign language. Always Landau revealed to us how it was created: “We have put a lot of effort into creating the Na’vi sign language. We hired CJ Jones, deaf actor, who created the language. We asked him to do it using not five fingers, but four, because that’s what the Na’vi have. We told him we wanted them to use it when riding creatures as well: when you’re on horseback, a hand is attached to the animal. So we needed a sign language that uses only one hand. The cast had to learn that and CJ did an incredible job“.
