Sir finally survived to the day where he could watch the video.
excitedly took out the ticket, bought 3D glasses, and sat in the seat at that moment.
is at ease. The general reputation of
should be heard.
Overseas media have been praising it to the heavens for a long time - the latest, the greatest, the most profound, the most breathtaking, similar words are overwhelming.
Rotten Tomatoes
Many fans in China who "jumped the gun" also praised:
The third act will be recorded in history!
Your uncle is still your uncle after all!
You ask Sir how he feels?
Frankly speaking, I am still feeling it - three hours of using have passed without me having a taste of it. The
movie was officially released.
Therefore, in order to take care of all the movie fans, Sir must first sell it off and leave the movie-watching experience at the end of the article.
Today’s article belongs to
I haven’t seen it, but I have seen it, and I want to watch the next one immediately after watching it. The past, present and future of
and of " avatar ".
Attention.
has them all!
《Avatar: The Way of Water》
Avatar: The Way of Water
01
Path of the Forest
One of the questions you are most concerned about:
I haven’t seen/forgot the first one. Is it okay to just watch "Avatar: The Way of Water" (below: "Avatar 2")?
Sir said directly, yes.
The movie thoughtfully fills in the previous story with details in the first 15 minutes.
Even if you regard "Ah 2" as a brand new story, there is no sense of separation.
but will lack some "fun".
What fun, Sir will talk about it later. Let’s briefly highlight the key points for those who don’t have time to review it.
The origin of the concept of "Avatar".
The background of the story is the Pandora planet in the future 2154. This is a planet with an ecological environment similar to that of the Earth. The only difference is that Pandora lacks oxygen and the atmospheric environment is not friendly to humans.
The indigenous people of the planet are called the Na'vi. The ancestor they worship is also the mother of the earth mentioned in the movie, Eva.
Every village and clan is connected by this "tree".
The Na'vi people have a tail full of neurons, allowing them to form some kind of conscious connection with home tree , animals, or other Na'vi people (similar to sharing a cloud disk).
The Na'vi people are organisms with strong bodies, rich emotions, and emphasis on clan relationships.
The first part is about the human "invasion" of Pandora.
There are two types of "invasion":
One is violent. Due to the deterioration of the earth's ecology, some humans want to violently occupy Pandora and enslave the Na'vi people.
The other is gentle, hoping to coexist with the Na'vi people in Pandora through understanding and learning.
For example, the scientist Dr. Grace (lower right in the picture, Keeli's biological mother in "A2"), after being transformed by DNA of humans and Na'vi people, created an "Avatar" that can be controlled by the human mind, which is a "prosthetic robot" to a certain extent.
So the protagonist of the story of "Avatar" is not an Earthling or a Na'vi.
are "heterogeneous" people who combine the two.
It is the incarnation of Hindu deities in human form. In this movie, this means that future human technology can inject human intelligence into the bodies of remote-controlled creatures. (Quoting Cameron )
is like the male protagonist Jack Sully.
He was once a human soldier. He was injured in the war and his lower limbs were paralyzed. He was forced to come to Pandora to take over the work of his twin brother and control the Avatar.
At the same time, through the form of Avatar, he met the heroine Natili, a girl from the Omaticaya tribe on this planet.
The girl taught him all the skills to survive in this forest:
Archery, riding a big bird, awe of nature and land, exploration of emotions and heart...
At the same time, it also made him see the arrogance of human beings.
Jack had to obey the orders of his commander, Colonel Miles Quaritch, as a "spy" to find out the weaknesses of the Namei so that the human demolition project could start smoothly.
Jack is caught between two forces.
His choice of camp is the core conflict of the first part of "Avatar".
The ending must be expected.
Jack was moved by the unity and tolerance of the Nami people and became a leader to fight back against the violent demolition of humans.
The villain Miles brought his own fault and died in the wilderness.
The second part continues from here:
The villain is resurrected into a new version of "Avatar" through technology, while retaining Miles's will and memory. The first thing he does when he appears is to return to the place where he died in battle and angrily crush "his" bones.
A great revenge will be avenged.
but.
Time has passed, and this person is no longer the same person.
02
The Way of Water
The plot will be released first, and let’s talk about the second question you are concerned about:
special effects, are they as shocking as they were back then? The first part of
can be said to be the pinnacle of 3D movie special effects more than ten years ago. I can’t say whether the second part of
has reached its current peak.
But one thing is certain - Cameron has personally overturned the "limit" he once created.
The on-site experience is difficult to describe in words.
But to make it clear how shocking the special effects of "Avatar 2" are, Sir only needs to show you one thing:
His absolute confidence that he can't wait to cram into every frame.
The lens zooms in, bigger and bigger.
Wrinkles, scars, hair, slight tremors of the facial features...
will take the camera to his face from time to time, bringing out the color of their pupils, making you look directly into his eyes, and even the reflection in his eyes.
Then proudly sprinkled the sun's dapples on his face, passing by silkily.
was caught off guard - the arrow has already pierced your eyes.
This is still a basic operation.
The magic wand in Cameron's hand is far from the maximum magic value, and it still needs a catalyst:
water.
There has long been an unwritten taboo in Hollywood: When making movies, stay away from "water".
Especially commercial blockbusters with strictly controlled cost cycles - due to their liquidity and uncertainty, they are both difficult to capture and even more difficult to generate with technology.
This is why famous directors who actively seek technological breakthroughs have thrown their bets into the sea.
Spielberg 's "Jaws ", Ang Lee 's "Young Pi", and now Cameron's "Water".
Originally, Cameron had a rigorous plan: a trilogy, forest → sky → ocean.
is getting harder and harder.
The film did not live up to Cameron's adventure.
Just from the trailer and stills, the ocean in the movie has already achieved the effect of being fake and real.
This is not only supported by technology, but also by the flexibility and focus of the filmmakers.
special effects are not enough.
In order to capture the true flow dynamics of the seabed, the crew specially built a water tank with a capacity of 900,000 gallons, and installed devices that can simulate various marine mechanical environments, allowing the actors to truly experience the flow conditions under the sea level.
Moreover, Cameron also invited professional diving experts to conduct professional breath-holding training for the actors. Kate Winslet actually reached a breath-holding time of 7 minutes and 14 seconds.
Speaking of this, it inevitably returns to the question: Is
necessary?
Is it necessary, especially for viewers who are already used to or even tired of 3D technology?
Sir's answer can only be:
Go see it and feel it.
Go to see the Na'vi children jumping happily in the forest, the emotions hidden between the boys and girls' eyebrows, and the teardrop in Tukun's soaked eyes that blends with the sea water and is clearly visible.
These flashed on the screen for only a few seconds and a few frames.
will eventually add up to a long-tail effect.
I am the dividing line that starts the light spoiler
03
你子·我子
Compared with the unanimous praise of the visuals, the script of "Avatar 2" is still quite controversial.
Some people say that the story falls into the cliché.
Isn’t its main plot just to protect the family and fight against the villains?
The story direction and character setting seem to be a bit old-fashioned.
is three hours long, and the play basically follows the regular Hollywood three-act structure.
was in the forest an hour ago, paving the way for the crisis.
came to the Ocean Tribe in the second hour to learn and integrate.
In the third hour, the decisive battle.
Another example is the character arc of the second son.
was on the edge of loneliness from the beginning, not recognized by his father, and was eventually triggered by his brother's death to grow up and be seen by his father.
At the same time, just like his father in the first film, there is a beautiful and kind-hearted girl who is devoted to him.
Yes, it’s a Hollywood routine.
But the amazing thing is, how can it be so beautiful and touching at the same time?
The classic Hollywood routine has been used for so many years, and it is naturally based on its scientific research on the best viewing experience for the audience. The
framework is there, and not everyone can use it well.
A clichéd main story line, but Cameron and the screenwriting team used a lot of details, metaphors, and character comparisons to enrich it.
In terms of rhythm, there are big ups and downs, small climaxes constantly, and no peeing for three hours.
In terms of structure - "Avatar 2" is full of "control groups" that are like mirror images of .
The Na'vi people and humans, the narrative goes hand in hand.
The most prominent are the two groups of father and son:
Jack & second son Loya, Colonel Miles & Spider.
Loya and Spider, two new generation young people, both have serious identity crises.
One is not liked by his father, and the other has no father. They are both "looking for their fathers" .
There are also contrasts and metaphors between characters and animals.
Tu Kun, who was racially misunderstood and expelled because of his youth and recklessness, shared the same fate as Luo Ya.
also has a lot of details, which are pits Cameron dug for the sequel.
Grace's daughter, Keely, adopted by Jack.
She has no father and was conceived by her mother alone - this origin has been given the meaning of "savior".
She frequently shows some unique powers in the movie.
showed great talent on his first dive.
can control sea creatures , and she claims that she can sense the existence of the Virgin Eva.
Her name Kiri is homophonic with key in English, meaning "key" . After
grows up to become the protagonist of the subsequent story, she is expected to play a key role.
Human children, spiders.
In the final battle of the movie, Natiri, who lost her eldest son and lost control, hijacked a spider to confront Miles and almost killed him.
"Exchange your son for my son."
At the same time, he also realized that his eldest son died to save the spider.
Natili lost control and killed people. The spider hiding aside witnessed the bestiality in her blood, and his eyes were filled with fear.
So in this family, Natili became an alien in the eyes of spiders.
The adoptive father Jack is originally a human being, and several of his children also have human blood.
has only one adoptive mother, Natili, who is a purebred Na'vi.
So after this incident, how will Spider face this adoptive mother?
Ever since he secretly let Miles go, certain seeds have been planted in his young mind. The subsequent development and transformation of the character
will be the focus.
Judging from the information currently released, there will be five "Avatar" films.
Cameron said that he wants to create an epic series like "Lord of the Rings".
△ Source: Weibo @TNABO North American box office list
From the mouth of a female general in the movie, we learn that humans are no longer satisfied with plundering resources on Pandora.
The earth's decline is accelerating, and human beings' intention is to colonize and immigrate here completely.
The war will become more and more extensive.
A new generation of young characters has completed their initial debut and growth.
"Avatar 2" is not only a wonderful and beautiful story, but also a foreshadowing episode in a grand epic.
04
Weakness·Armor
Looking at a single movie, a line in "Avatar 2" is the core of understanding of the entire movie.
Children are our weakness and also our armor
△ Source: Weibo @TNABO North American box office list
It can also be seen from the trailer that home has always been a word that appears frequently.
More than ten years later, another visual revolution has not yet been born.
The core of the story of "Avatar 2" has become simpler.
Cameron is very honest about this. Yes, "Avatar 2" is an "American family carnival".
Compared with the first film, "Avatar 2" is a family movie that can cross the generation gap. The audience can take on the roles of parents and children.
In a sense, this is an era when Cameron resists the end of the gods in his own way.
When the audience was still looking forward to looking forward, he returned to the starting point:
The last part of the film, the Avatar version of "Titanic".
Hollywood, the golden age of the last century was given an image title: Dream Factory.
and European films pursue artistic highbrow.
Hollywood believes in the idea that everyone can dream.
That is, using a complete and advanced industrial system to carefully polish a wonderful story that everyone can understand, be immersed in, and be moved by.
Two months before Avatar was released, Cameron's words also caused considerable controversy.
"No matter how old the characters in Marvel and DC are, they all behave like college students."
Cameron does not mean to look down on the clichés of the emotional core of Marvel movies.
However, the perfunctory creation of their characters and stories prevents the audience from truly experiencing and empathizing with these emotions.
"They look like they have various emotional relationships, but they don't."
"The characters don't feel that way, and I don't think that's what movies do."
This also reminds Sir of some names that have been mentioned many times in recent years: Martin Scorsese , Ridley Scott ...
This generation of veteran directors in Hollywood who have created brilliance are always innovating in technology and form.
But they always believe that story, characters and emotions are the soul of a movie.
doesn’t need to be complicated or difficult.
must be sincere.
Even a technology geek like Cameron, his masterpiece "Titanic".
used " motion capture technology " revolutionaryly to recreate famous disaster scenes. What about the
kernel? Isn’t it “vulgar”?
In an era when everyone wants to be new and different.
The most difficult thing is to return to nature.
is like the ending of Avatar 2.
At the important moment when Jack and Natiri connected to the undersea tree of life and officially joined the Ocean Tribe.
What did they see?
is not a grand miracle, prophecy, or a fancy visual feast.
is exactly a simple and simple dream of family reunion.
You could say that "Avatar 2" is tacky and safe at the textual level.
But apart from the text, we really need an "Avatar 2".
Yes, it has disadvantages.
But Sir would like to use a more accurate statement: this is a film that breaks through the limitations as obviously as .
personal limitations.
You can see silhouettes of the past glory of traditional Hollywood in it, scattered in the story like puzzle pieces - the historical metaphor of "Dune", the family fate of "The Godfather", the epic framework of "The Lord of the Rings", the scene tribute of "Titanic"...
And when Cameron hopes to put it all into the sky-rising, blue planet of Na'vi.
Standing in front of a beautiful vision, Sir guessed that he was ready to expose his personal limitations.
So even if there are many breaking points that go against the norm in the setting: the villain whose body and consciousness are separated, the hostage whose identity is ambiguous, and even the 3D revolution creates chaotic intertexts inside and outside the movie...
Each of these propositions is worthy of in-depth study.
But in the end, Cameron consciously extinguished these flames one by one, and let them serve the overall rhythm of the film and converge on more universal values.
If this is his long-term choice as a project sponsor.
Then, something happened next, completely beyond expectations.
There was a major premise for the sequel of "Avatar" - a complete "China-US co-production".
Cameron has even drafted the story outlines and live-action shooting plans for several sequels, and is preparing to add Chinese actors.
was only later known to us.
This larger wish could not be realized due to special reasons. The project was overturned and the script was rewritten. Nowadays, the only Chinese elements in the finished film are some special effects scenes inspired by Chinese landscapes. Sir has indeed not seen the rumored Chinese actor Michelle Yeoh joining the cast. According to IMDb information, her character will only appear in " Avatar 3".
The door that Cameron tried to push open was blocked hard again.
This is a limitation of the era.
But once upon a time, the light in the door was reflected by the times.
The technological innovations of "Avatar" in the past have swept across the world like a hurricane, creating strong convection with the Chinese film market, which is gaining momentum. The encounter between the two instantly accelerated the marketization and globalization that followed for more than ten years, and of course was accompanied by all kinds of magic bubbles.
But I can still clearly perceive that movies will become more important, which is not only for Cameron, but also the common expectation of all of us.
What about now?
The movie is indeed more "important", but what is important is not the movie itself, but its radiating and vague stance.
We speculate on it rather than feel it, dismember it rather than understand it.
Sir I saw an old black and white photo of Cameron flooding the screen some time ago. At that time, the whole country called for watching "Titanic", which was still the unabridged version.
The past exudes black humor at this moment.
should realize that the era will not produce "light", but it will secretly guide us in the direction of "light".
This may be a limitation for everyone.
Cameron realized this earlier.
Abandon distracting thoughts, turn around, and throw yourself into the familiar light and shadow, special effects, and script.
But for you and me.
If we will inevitably be involved in the quagmire of tearing and stagnation.
then.
Why not experience an adventure to the fullest.
Immerse yourself in a fantasy without any obstacles.
Let that light go out as late as possible.
This may be more important, right?
The pictures in this article come from the Internet
Editorial assistant: Oda will not let you cut, M is the murderer
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