There was a time when James Cameron’s films mattered. He burst onto the scene with The Terminator, and from there his command of the blockbuster only grew through Aliens, Terminator 2: Judgment Day, True Lies, and Titanic. Each project felt bigger, bolder, more assured. Ego may have inflated alongside his skill, but when he’s focused with one universe, Avatar Fire and Ash is falling flat. I’m not wowed by the digital graphics. I want deeper, spiritual, meaning.
I read the first film as Cameron’s take on environmentalism, filtered through soul transference and a very direct moral lens. It wasn’t subtle, but it had intent. The second film pushed into new territory, including a deeper engagement with spiritualism. That spark, however, was nowhere to be found on Cameron’s third return to Pandora. I found no meaning between the lines, no sense of discovery.
Continue reading “Avatar Fire and Ash. On Why My Journey With This Franchise Is Truly Over.”
When James Cameron’s Avatar played in theatres 14 years ago, nearly everyone loved it. During its first run, this movie proved two things were needed. The technology to capture this filmmaker’s vision on digital celluloid with proper 3D cameras had to be custom made. His efforts proved why films who fake the process aren’t as spectacular, and even watching it again today, in preparation for part two, shows the pretend method still isn’t good.
The meaning behind Terminator: Dark Fate may well on how destiny can’t be changed. Sarah Connor tried to keep her young son John safe and in the future, the elder version reprogrammed a T-800 to prevent his death. When Skynet can mess with the past by sending a bunch of robot assassins to various moments in time, the inevitable has to happen and the question has to be asked, do they go Back to the Future?
By Ed Sum
If keen observers of video game cinematics and CGI films think the computer graphics look great now, especially in how cloth material and hair are rendered, the next wave is going to be amazing.