This past weekend, I had the opportunity to check out Avatar The Way of Water, presented in Dolby Vision 3D, which was James Cameron’s personal preference on how to screen the film.
The Dolby Vision 3D allowed for ultra-vivid colors, 4x the brightness, and over 5x more stereo contrast, allowing incredibly clear 3D. The format also allows for crisp traveling surround sound throughout the theater. When watching Avatar, all the work is on display and perfectly showcases the strength of the theatric experience.
When it comes to 3D, I usually go for the type where moments pop out the screen, like in Drive Angry, Dredd, or My Bloody Valentine. Avatar’s 3D was built more for immersion, as James Cameron used the 3D to make the audience feel like they were inside Pandora. The 3D and cinematography were breathtaking as Pandora glistened on the screen. The Dolby projectors made the colors pop, and there were moments when I genuinely couldn’t tell what was real and what was CGI. The sound was especially enveloping and was the most substantially immersive element of the film.
While the high frame rate was incredibly immersive and gorgeous, there were moments when the film couldn’t keep up with the technology. The frame rate would occasionally shift between scenes, making the film look like motion smoothing was cutting in and out. These were distracting, and while the shifting frame rates didn’t fully take me out of the film, James Cameron should pay attention to these issues for his next Avatar movies.
Thanks to Avatar The Way of Water’s strong story, James Cameron’s technological achievements feel more in service to the film and less like a gimmick. He will undoubtedly be a strong contender for many tech-based awards come Oscar season. While he still has a few bugs he needs to work out regarding the shifting frame rates, the moments that do work are awe-inspiring. Avatar The Way of Water is a film that absolutely deserves to be seen on the most advanced dolby 3D screen possible.
Avatar: The Way of Water is in theaters now. You can read a full review by Knockturnal contributer Jake King here.