A large part of Avatar’s success can be attributed to how visually stunning the world of Pandora looked. Even by today’s standards, the 2009 sci-fi blockbuster is one of the prettiest pieces of cinematic eye candy to grace the big screen. Moreover, it ushered in the ubiquity of 3D cinema, with most films since being released in regular 2D alongside their 3D counterpart, even if the experience didn’t get any better with the added dimension in most cases.
The sequel to Avatar is looking to up the ante in terms of visual scope as well. From what little we’ve seen so far of the production, Avatar 2 seems to be relying heavily on underwater sequences, so we’re likely to see some incredible alien marine flora and fauna. And if James Cameron’s interview with The Toronto Sun is anything to go by, he seems to be pretty happy with some of the results of the project so far.
“I deal with images in that world every single day and there are some days when I look at those images and say, ‘This is really amazing.’ I’m not patting myself on the back with that comment.”
Cameron isn’t heralding himself as a visual virtuoso though, as he also credits the team he’s working with, saying:
“It’s a distillation of some of the best designers in the world and a great cast. But if you’ve got the script right and the design right and you have a great cast, then it’s just an iterative process to get the whole thing shot and assembled.”
Speaking of getting the script right, the original movie’s story left a lot to be desired. Most people agree that while it wasn’t bad, it didn’t quite tell an original or clever tale and instead served as a vehicle for the spectacular visuals and cinematography. So, while we do hope that Avatar 2 once again pushes the boundaries of special effects, it wouldn’t hurt to see a plot that’s a bit more daring and creative.
In any case, we’re excited to take another trip – or dive rather – into the world of Avatar and hopefully this time “a rounding error” won’t stop the movie from dominating at the box office. Which it will no doubt do.