In 2009 the world’s most-watched movie hit the big screen. Avatar, directed by James Cameron, is one of the first movies that pushed the boundaries of film technology. It also brought back 3D movies to theaters. 3D has been around forever, but Avatar resuscitated its popularity. 

The movie was predicted to flop at the box office, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. Not only was Avatar technologically advanced, but the content of the film also covered a variety of relevant topics.

From race relations and a call for a revolution to the destruction of natural habitats for the sake of greed, Avatar brings forward the true nature of how humans have chosen to treat the environment. Avatar is also openly critical of how colonialism has affected everyone and everything, destroying a way of life that should have been preserved.

After its release, the world waited anxiously for several years regarding the release of another Avatar. 

After 13 years of waiting, the world was relieved of its stress. Avatar: The Way of Water was released in December 2022. 

Junior Avery Lutenhoff said “I felt very involved that I couldn’t look away. I loved all of the scenery and how the characters interacted. The actors did a phenomenal job at creating the characters. I loved the scenes when the avatars were interacting with the creators of pandora” 

Soon after its release, the movie received a 77% TOMATOMETER and a 97% audience score, on the Rotten Tomatoes movie review website. 

The use of CGI H2O was hands-down the more extraordinary element of the film. Only two shots in the extent of the movie contained no visual effects. Other than when the actors are physically in the water, the remaining water scenes are purely CGI.

In all of Hollywood movie history, most directors prefer to use weight-defying wires and vague, swimming-like motions to mimic the effect of swimming in actual water. However, James Cameron preferred his actors to interact with bodies of water. This was to allow the actors to make split-second choices which creates a more intense effect on the audience. 

Technology today and James Cameron’s way of creating truly made viewing the film an immersive experience.