Not just a movie

Seldom has a theatrical release been so eagerly awaited by exhibitors, in the hope that the film could be the tipping point in bringing moviegoers back to theaters. There were some signs of optimism (the good result of the excellent film La stranezza by Roberto Andò with Ficarra and Picone together with Toni Servillo), but certainly Avatar 2 should be the first blockbuster to hit box offices that have never been so empty.

James Cameron's (formerly director of Titanic) is the second episode of a saga in the making (the third episode is already ready) which takes off from the now dated first film 2009. The story is set several years after the events seen in the first Avatar. We will find the two protagonists Jake Sully (human being hybridized by the Avatar program) and Neytiri (princess with humanoid features) still together and with children in tow, ready to explore the boundless world of the Pandora satellite and to face new conflicts with humanity.

The film has truly impressive numbers for its budget (250 million dollars) and for the production that integrates images taken live in New Zealand (in live action) with others in motion capture (a system that records the movement of our body and then integrates it into very special aquatic scenes): very fascinating explanatory images appear on the film's social channels. In addition to having a very contemporary message which, with the fantasy genre, covers some truly current issues such as the protection of the planet, the relationship between man and nature and between man and machine.

A special curiosity is the one that sees Kate Winslet again in the cast of a Cameron film, the protagonist of Titanic (another aquatic film from 1997) grappling with underwater acrobatics that l 'have led to an effort not only actorial, but also athletic to hold your breath for over 5 minutes ... For posterity if it will be a new success.


Davide Bracco
NP December 2022