Source and Original Article: engadget

Avatar: The Way of Water is an impressive achievement. As the sequel to the biggest-grossing film ever, it has been criticized for its formulaic storyline (and its relatively small impact on pop culture). An epic, it explores our relationship with nature, the nature of families, and humanity’s thirst for violence and plunder. James Cameron’s stilted script in the original film often forced fans to make excuses for it, but that’s no longer the case with The Way of Water, thanks to Amanda Silver and Rick Jaffa (both of whom worked on the recently underrated Planet of the Apes trilogy).

James Cameron has crafted the best high frame rate (HFR) movie yet, and that’s perhaps the most impressive aspect. 48 frames per second gives certain scenes a smoother and more realistic appearance than 24 frames per second. The result is immersive 3D action scenes that sometimes make it seem as if you’re in a lush alien landscape on Pandora.

In contrast to The Hobbit trilogy, Ang Lee’s Gemini Man, and Billy Lynn’s Long Half-Time Walk, the Avatar sequel uses high frame rate technology uniquely. While Cameron uses HFR for action sequences, he uses it for slower dialog scenes as if they were running at 24fps. To achieve this, the film runs at 48 frames per second, while the calmer scenes use double frames so that your brain thinks they are running at the standard theatrical frame rate.

You may experience a similar reaction to this as you watch the film. At one point, I counted around a dozen switches between pseudo-24 fps and hyper-real HFR in one scene of The Way of Water. The strategy has been discussed by Cameron for years. As he noted in 2016, HFR is a tool and not a format, and he rejected Ang Lee’s attempt to use HFR throughout Gemini Man.

HFR is sure to be controversial under Cameron’s dual-pronged approach. It took me a while to get used to flipping between high frame rate and 24 fps footage even though I appreciate what the technology can offer – pristine 3D action scenes without blurring or strobing. The hyper-reality of HFR became second nature to my brain after 15 minutes of playing Gemini Man. The Way of Water had me watching the footage for changes almost constantly.

While the high frame rate footage in The Way of Water was distracting, I still liked it. Featuring breathtaking shots of lush forests and oceans, the film at times seems like a window into Pandora’s world. From giant flying fish-like creatures you can ride to alien whales with advanced language, Cameron’s creations appear to be living and breathing. In addition, HFR enhances the realism of the Na’vi and their culture in the sequel’s more modern CG animation.

 Despite the director’s ambitious goal exceeding his grasp, I was eventually able to grasp what he was trying to accomplish over the course of the film’s three hours and twelve minutes.  During The Way of Water, Cameron suggests you can use the bathroom whenever you like, since he has directed the world’s first [Avatar] and third-highest grossing film [Titanic], as well as dove into the Mariana Trench in a self-designed submarine. (You’ll catch up next time you watch it in theaters.)

In addition to brightening the picture and upscaling the film to 4K, the re-release of Avatar earlier this month used both HFR and traditional footage. While the revamp grossed over $70 million on its own, high frame rate footage has not been much discussed. Avatar: The Way of Water is more likely to come to life on a Regal RPX screen, which offers 3D but no additional frames. The film will screen in 4K, HFR, and 3D at all AMC Dolby Cinemas and select IMAX theaters (single laser screens will have everything, dual laser screens will only have 2K 3D). In spite of the fact that it is available in 2D, why would you want to see it that way?

I felt HFR was mostly a waste of time after watching the endless Hobbit movies, yet another money-grab by Hollywood. Despite production issues, director Peter Jackson failed to incorporate HFR into the Hobbit films to recapture the magic of the Lord of the Rings trilogy. As a result, sets looked like they were pulled from B-grade fantasy films and costumes looked like they could have come from Spirit Halloween.

With Gemini Man’s action scenes, Ang Lee’s more studious use of HFR convinced me that the technology still had some potential. Despite his efforts, he still faced challenges. A cinematic curiosity, Billy Lynn’s Long Half-Time Walk uses HFR to make slow dialog scenes seem distractingly real. In order for Gemini Man to be a big-budget blockbuster, it had to have a messy script and be a big-budget Will Smith production.

All of the earlier high frame rate films have failed creatively, but Avatar: The Way of Water makes up for it. Seeing how general audiences respond to the technology will be interesting since it will be their introduction to it. The popularity of video games and ultra-real YouTube action footage has made 60fps footage more common, so I think Cameron’s vision will resonate with younger audiences. Those who don’t agree will need more convincing. The only thing I am glad about is that a high frame rate film is actually good rather than just a technical exercise.