Avatar sequel shows Wētā FX is innovation powerhouse

Waves, bubbles, ripples and splashes look remarkably convincing. (Image: Twentieth Century Studios)

Thu, 12 Jan 2023

I wasn’t expecting much from James Cameron’s latest instalment in the Avatar series, particularly after the Guardian described The Way of Water as a “twee, trillion-dollar screensaver”.Indeed, it was nearly half an hour into the screening of the three-hour and 12-minute epic at Wellington’s Embassy Theatre before I was convinced the Avatar train was taking me somewhere interesting. That’s the point at which the Na’vi family of blue giants at the centre of Cameron’s story decamp from their for...

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