The secret of “Avatar 2”: That’s why “The Way Of Water” looks so unbelievably “real”.

Months before its theatrical release, “Avatar 2: The Way Of Water” caused astonishment at an exclusive film screening in Munich. The author of this article was there himself and couldn’t believe his eyes – as were many other seasoned press representatives, who all opened the ensuing Q&A with producer Jon Landau with the same opening question: How can it all look so real?

The sequel to “Avatar – Aufbruch nach Pandora” is now in cinemas worldwide, but the images (for the author of this article) have lost none of their impact even after three cinema visits. But why are you seeing all this now? look so “real”? The secret lies in both technophile director James Cameron’s vision and the experts who helped him make it a reality in the first place.

James Cameron: the rock of 3D cinema

Visionary James Cameron has continued to develop advanced film and cinema technology with his films – whether with “Terminator”, “Terminator 2”, “Titanic” or the first “Avatar”. And “The Way Of Water” is no exception.

“Avatar 2” was delayed, among other things, because the 3D technology still had to be developed in order to realize James Cameron’s vision according to his ideas.

So where others use the tools given to them to get the best out of them, Cameron develops those tools in the first place. Finally, for research purposes for his ‘Avatar’ sequels, he also dived into the 11,000 meter (!) deep Mariana Trench to find inspiration for the plants and creatures of Pandora. This man doesn’t do things by halves.

The director led the implementation of his project with great knowledge and passion, but was also dependent on others: That “Avatar 2” looks so damn good is not only thanks to Cameron, but also in large part to Pawel Achtel and the camera developers at Sony.

Yes, James Cameron created the fascinating, diverse world of Pandora. From others, however, he got the tools to bring the picturesque Na’vi moon to life so impressively. The name of this tool: Sony VENICE or Sony CineAlta VENICE 3D.

Not only two VENICE cameras were used for this, but also the so-called “3D Beam Splitter” DeepX 3D from inventor and cameraman Pawel Achtel, who used Nikon lenses specially developed for underwater photography. The stated (and achieved) goal: underwater shots in pin-sharp IMAX 3D without the usual “distortions”.

If you compare the shots with other 3D underwater scenes, for example from the DC blockbuster “Aquaman”, the differences become more than clear. Finally, James Cameron also insisted on filming the many scenes that took place in or under water in or under water – which demanded a lot from his star ensemble. Like I said, James Cameron doesn’t do things by halves.

3D: That’s why James Cameron swears by the supposedly dead format

James Cameron has been a fan of 3D not only since “Avatar”. He retooled his two classics “Terminator 2” and “Titanic” a few years ago – and did so in such a complex way that they eclipse even much more recent blockbusters shot in 3D. T2-3D: Battle Across Time has also been one of Universal Studios’ most popular attractions since the 1990s.

So while today’s 4K televisions are no longer built to be 3D compatible, one certainly wonders: Why does James Cameron swear by this format, which many have declared dead?

“Count the eyes on my face. I have two. you have two […] virtually every animal has two. […] We experience the world through a stereoscopic system”leads Cameron in an interview, among other things and explains how images in stereo create a three-dimensionality that makes what is seen immersive and allows the audience to immerse themselves in it.

And that is exactly what sets James Cameron’s movies, especially “Avatar: The Way Of Water”, apart from other 3D movies. Jon Landau also told us in an interview last September: 3D isn’t about throwing something off the screen at the audience, it’s about – on the contrary – pulling them into the world created on screen.

“Avatar 2”: the ultimate movie

At a time when even the big blockbusters from Marvel and Co. already after streaming for a short time, “Avatar 2” is the strongest sign of life that cinema can currently have. Not only does it give goose bumps when the cinema audience in the bulging cinema hall collectively freezes in awe when, after 13 years of waiting, they finally see what Cameron has in store for them. Above all, “Avatar 2” is a film that can only be experienced in its full glory in the cinema.

Not even the biggest 4K television and the best home theater system (at least not by today’s means) can replicate the movie theater experience. And that’s exactly why “The Way Of Water”, like “Aufbruch nach Pandora”, is so successful – because people keep going to the cinema for it while they still can.