For those unfamiliar with gaming lingo or film tradition, the vast majority of movies and TV shows are shot at 24fps with some types of TV broadcasts or internet content rendered at 30fps, a standard that’s pretty much defined the entertainment industry. Simply put, frame rate defines how many still images are captured and displayed in any given second, and the jump from 24 to 60fps can be quite jarring sometimes, yet while Cameron had already experimented with 48fps in the first Avatar, The Way of Water achieves an even better video game feel.
Why Avatar Feels Like A Video Game
In 2009 Avatar captivated so many people partly because of its worldbuilding, as even despite it not having the most unique story and its themes of colonialism, indigenous tribes and environmentalism, what it offered from a visual standpoint was unrivaled. That same dedication to creating Pandora, the Na’vi and its creatures was also very relatable to gamers, as it embodied the sci-fi fantasies of many titles, only now with bleeding-edge technology that gave it the highest level of realism possible.
Avatar: The Way of Water doubles down on all the good things about the first movie, and though the overall story is again far from spectacular, on a graphical level it’s the same mind-blowing experience at a stable 48fps. Realistic graphics have come a long way since 2009 thanks to blossoming tech like Ray tracing breathing new life into The WItcher 3, but current consumer-level GPUs and video games can’t ever hope to match what Cameron and his teams of CGI artists can achieve with -possibly- the highest budget ever used by a film — Avatar invites gamers to dream of a time when such realism can be enjoyed at home.
It’s this mix of brand a new sci-fi world portrayed with the best eye candy money can buy that continues to make Avatar a compelling watch, albeit its story perhaps not being as fascinating as some games. A sub-par narrative is often acceptable in gaming when gameplay, graphics or the sheer fun they provide compensates for it, and the same can be argued in Avatar’s favor.
As Cameron himself has stated in the past, high frame rate film is a tool, not a format per se, it just so happens to be that The Way of Water’s action finds a better home by ramping up the frame rate to 48fps in its action sequences but dialing it back to the traditional 24fps in its calmer sequences, a trick commonly used by game developers to render cutscenes, and one that will be appreciated by many moviegoers. Not that it matters if people fully know what’s going on, as similar to what happens with games or tech, most won’t be too interested in understanding how this is done, only that they recognize its effects when they see it, and in Avatar: The Way of Water it makes for a large part of the movie’s theater experience.
Avatar Stands Out Among Other High FPS Films
There are few notable films shot in a high frame rate, with Ang Lee’s Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk and Gemini Man, as well as Peter Jackson’s Hobbit trilogy being the more famous, but the former two are more like novelties, whereas in Jackson’s movies is not as apparent. When it comes to Avatar the 48fps choice only helps drive home the idea that Cameron has put together something truly unlike anything else.
It’s safe to say Avatar doesn’t have much competition from other high frame rate movies, and that’s largely because what would feel “wrong” in most films for some reason is “right” in The Way of Water. Back in 2009, 60fps YouTube, smartphones and high-performance gaming were not as widespread as they are right now, and the fact that many consumers can now see a high refresh rate screen as a bonus when buying a new phone is the biggest tell that a piece of what makes Avatar special can now be appreciated by a lot more people.
Avatar is to blame for sparking the 3D bug among movie studios, a trend that’s now almost completely gone, save for the few filmmakers, like Cameron, who actually wish to use the tech to enhance the immersive qualities of their work. Comparatively speaking, high FPS movies never became a thing, which only highlights how much of an achievement Avatar really is.
Game of the Year winners like Elden Ring can be experienced at different frame rates, and even Pokemon Scarlet and Violet game-breaking bugs and performance can’t hinder what for fans is still a very fun adventure, yet many gamers would prefer for technical prowess, creativity and entertainment value to all be at their best. Avatar may not be a game, but it represents many of the values the industry exalts like few other films.
Whether James Cameron gets to make all the sequels he wants to remains to be seen, and that uncertainty should only incite people to go out and see Avatar: The Way of Water, especially if they love video games.
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