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maria_slayer t1_j2de9oz wrote

Not really surprised. For the visuals he waited for the technology to be developed and even developed some himself which to me made it visually better than its predecessor. Cameron doesn’t get enough credit for his directing/world building/ storytelling. I think thid movie, original as well, showcased his greatness and him working at his best.

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Antic_Opus t1_j2deb04 wrote

I always knew it was going to be a huge success. It's the newest roller coaster film with the best graphics available. Of course it was going to shatter records. Expect a lot more Marvel films now trying to capture on the technology that Avatar 2 pioneered.

Luckily for people like me, it's never been easier for indie creators to get their films out into the world.

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asburymike t1_j2dezuf wrote

Top Gun Maverick: Hold my raybans

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[deleted] t1_j2dfjyn wrote

Yeah, it's not like he ever made a successful sequel several years after the original before, and most of his movies basically suck. Totally shocking.

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Stacy_Ann_ t1_j2dfwlv wrote

I am surprised too. But whether or not you were attracted to the material itself, you knew you were getting a AAA Hollywood Blockbuster with the original, and I guess the same thing was at play here. (I haven't seen the sequel.)

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twinkyoda t1_j2dfydb wrote

nah, it’s been long enough that now it’s nostalgic for people who liked the first movie.

2

ProAssassin84 t1_j2dg1ew wrote

You can tell it’s almost 2023 and that the new generation hasn’t watched James Cameron older movies and considering Avatar is 13 Years old many probably don’t know who he is.

We are talking about easily one of the top 5 filmmakers of all time and responsible for 2 of the greatest Sequels ever made Aliens and Terminator 2.

All the doubt he was getting and hate he has gotten with Avatar makes me laugh so hard. Say what you want about Avatar no other director could have pulled it off.

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vexx421 t1_j2dgl77 wrote

No.. they have such limited decent releases now days. If marvel universe is Avatars biggest competitor, then there is no competition 😂

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Philcycles84 t1_j2dglfh wrote

I have a lot of faith in Cameron. His career is made up of some of the best films ever made. That being said, I was dubious on this one. 13 years was a bit mad. However, I'm very happy for him. His patience has paid off with yet another hit in his nearly flawless catalogue. I look forward to seeing it and I hope the next in the series is just as successful

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TywinShitsGold t1_j2dgtqg wrote

It would be more impressive if he did a billion on an original idea.

−6

oblacious_magnate t1_j2dhk7d wrote

Not much. Today's movies need little more than eye-candy, stars and hype to be successful. Avatar 1 was flashy, junk-food orgy with predicable wargasm ending and 2 ain't gonna stray far from the formula. <yawn>

−6

HEHEHO2022 t1_j2dhw7q wrote

not surprised at all. not because its good because its not but because mainstream audience love a franchise regardless of the quality.

Its like they need some IP that they no or they arent going to watch a film

−3

Mish4life t1_j2dijru wrote

I was never surprised because I've seen all the James Cameron films since The Terminator and every single one of them is incredibly epic and fun to watch. After seeing the trailer for The Way of Water I knew the visual effects and world building were going to be mind-boggling and they were.

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dietreich t1_j2djt58 wrote

I’m surprised it’s doing this well. I knew it would do pretty good, but I didn’t expect it to be on par to Break the original record lol

−1

setlis t1_j2djwwi wrote

I’m not surprised it has mass appeal, that’s Cameron’s normal audience. I’ve heard mixed reviews on it as being a ‘successful’ follow-up. I haven’t seen it myself, but I’m shocked at how few people heralding this as a great film, and haven’t seen the original. Seems odd, but then again I was around for its theatrical release.

1

oblacious_magnate t1_j2dkpse wrote

Replying to Philcycles84 (#1,223,048)

>His career is made up of some of the best films ever made.

Fix: His career is made up of some of the best Hollywood-blockbuster-popcorn movies ever made. Granted, but nothing beyond that. The only people studying his movies 100 yrs from now will be accountants.

−12

Doppelfrio t1_j2dkzg1 wrote

Looking at the highest grossing movies, Force Awakens, Top Gun, Jurassic World, Incredibles 2… no. I’m not at all surprised. People go nuts over a sequel

1

oblacious_magnate t1_j2dl5d3 wrote

Replying to TywinShitsGold (#1,223,126)

>It would be more impressive if he did a billion on an original idea.

It's a nice thought, and I share it to some extent, but there is literally no such thing as an original idea: every thought is inspired by previous thought. It's the nature of thought. There is only recombination, the illusion of novelty and the will to carry it out.

1

itsmejpt t1_j2dlgc7 wrote

Not really. For whatever reason people liked the first one, this is just the same event 13 years later.

−5

fradelgen t1_j2dn4af wrote

I'm surprised there was so much interest in it. To me, the first Avatar was a very forgettable movie and I barely remember it.

0

mno86 t1_j2dnz4o wrote

I enjoyed the new Avatar movie, but I have to be honest- the amount of times they dropped the words “bro” and “cuz” was to the point of distraction. It was cringe-worthy.

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MrFluffyhead80 t1_j2dprpi wrote

Why would anyone be surprised? He is James Cameron, the greatest pioneer

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NedThomas t1_j2dqqsc wrote

Adjusted for inflation, Avatar is the second highest grossing movie of all time. Even 13 years later, it would be shocking if a sequel didn’t do well. The real test will be seeing how Avatar 3 does, because that one won’t have the draws of anticipation or new technology to fuel it.

1

Smileynameface t1_j2dqs54 wrote

The reviews were spot on. Stupid story full of potholes but great visual effects.

−1

KeziahPT t1_j2dr053 wrote

Not at all. James Cameron directed Aliens and Terminator 2, arguably the best sequels of all time. He also directed Titanic and Avatar, two of the three highest grossing movies of all time.

I'd be surprised if Avatar 2 wasn't a big hit.

10

Beethovens_Stool t1_j2drxl9 wrote

How is James Cameron going to compete with...YouTube and TikTok? Holyfuckingshit.

3

Jolly_Job_9852 t1_j2dt3k3 wrote

My GF and I decided to see it last night and we both enjoyed it. My only complaint, the third act finale was super long and drawn out. I think you could have cut 45 minutes and still get the same outcome

1

ChrisNYC70 t1_j2dt8gs wrote

My oldest and youngest children are 13 years apart. But I consider the newest child a very successful sequel.

2

redditisawesome555 t1_j2dtb5a wrote

I'm curing my short attention span by watching gradually long movies. I realised my attention span is so bad that I can't even fucking start the movie. Movies are cure.

1

Select_Action_6065 t1_j2dtcqv wrote

I’m not surprised at all. For 13 years people have just been saying that people only watched Avatar for the 3D and visuals and while that was definitely part of it, it ignores the fact that people actually like the movie and were/are interested in the world itself.

1

geronika t1_j2duluu wrote

Is there anything else playing right now that would compete with it?

1

DrRexMorman t1_j2durde wrote

Avatar 2 has to earn another $1 billion to break even.

1

tigersanddawgs t1_j2dw97i wrote

heres the way i see it: technology will always progress, but greatness is greatness and Cameron is truly great as a spectacle filmmaker.

so i'd argue that time isn't his enemy because he continues to be the same uniquely gifted human

1

Nivekian13 t1_j2dwi22 wrote

Surprised? No. Tired of people doubting Cameron? Gods, yes.

1

Shakespurious t1_j2dxe6f wrote

Beautiful movie, but couldn't he please just release a 100 minute version? 3.3 hours is just too long for this story.

0

MorrowPlotting t1_j2dyygd wrote

I asked my 11 year-old daughter if she wanted to go see it with me.

I got a withering “no” in response.

“Oh, ok. I just thought it would be cool to see it in 3D in the theater.”

“What now?” she asked. “It’s in 3D? Yeah, I want to see that!”

When Avatar first came out, there was talk of it legitimizing 3D tech in movie making and birthing a new era of 3D movies. The fact that it failed to do that probably helps Avatar 2 sell tickets today. A lot of us saw the first one because 3D is a rare thing in modern movies. That’s still true today, which is probably helping the sequel, too.

2

sleepcrime t1_j2dzvcx wrote

Many people go on to make successful sequels to 13 year olds. Who among us hasn't looked at their disappointing 13 year old and thought, "well this is kind of a dud. But imagine what I could do if I had a second chance, and really put some resources into it. State? All-confererence?"

1

brockwuzhere t1_j2e5hnk wrote

Avatar 2 is a reskin of avatar 1. I still enjoyed the movie but it was kind of ridiculous how much of it was just the same shit from the first one.

1