FILM: Avatar The Way Of Water 3D (dir: James Cameron, 2022)

"The way of water has no beginning and no end."

Thirteen years on from the box-office-record-breaking Avatar, Cameron unleashes the first of four proposed sequels.  The original film rode the crest of the late 2000s resurgence of 3D with its ambitiously immersive experience, and The Way Of Water uses 3D to similar effect here, with its opening act based largely in familiar jungle territory before moving on to more sea-based adventures.   It goes without saying that the technical level of CG effects on display is nothing short of astonishing, not just in its levels of scale and detail but also in delivering many truly beautiful moments that look incredible on the big screen and - like the first film - even though it mostly looks like the world's most expensive videogame, there are some truly almost-photo-realistic shots where you forget for a moment that you are watching computer-generated tall blue people with tails.  This is more of the same but bigger, with a number of familiar shots and story beats that echo the first film, but the two major differences both work very well: moving forward in time, Jake and Neytiri are now parents of four children (three teenage, one younger) who are engaging, integral to the plot and future-proof the series, and the move from the jungle to a sea-based people - with whom the Sullys seek refuge from a younger cloned version of Quaritch hell-bent on revenge - opens up a whole new palette and CG-playground.  The overall template remains the same: the first act is set-up, the second act is all about learning to adapt, and the third act is a barnstorming huge-scale action finale that is an extraordinary technical feat.  The Way Of Water feels more emotional than the first Avatar, probably owing to the big themes of family and acceptance having much more impact this time round, and whilst the second act may feel a little indulgent with its meandering but impressive set pieces, it is to the film's credit that it holds attention and engages for over three hours.  It will be interesting to see if this sequel busts blocks similar to the original in the post-pandemic box-office or if the numbers determine that the series concludes as a trilogy with the third film, but the set-up for Avatar 3 proves to be a welcome and enticing prospect.
 

Hellraiser (dir: David Bruckner, 2022)

"So, if I solve it, do I get a prize?"

Hulu and Spyglass bring us this latest attempt to drag the Hellraiser franchise back to some level of respectability following its descent into bankrupt sequel hell, and this 2022 take is definitely an improvement on the recent entries.  The arresting and well-shot opening sequence shows promise, the classic Clive Barker themes of pain, sex and addiction are spelt out quickly, and the focus on recovering addict Riley as a female protagonist provides a good angle on the concept.  Production values are strong - the film looks and sounds great - and the attractive cast generally delivers well.  The power and pull of the Puzzle Box is restored, and the Cenobites have their sense of menace restored to a fair degree.  A two-hours run-time may seem ambitious, but it pays off in character grounding and development; sadly, the film does lose some momentum in the final act, but overall this is a positive step forward in resurrecting a classic property.
 

VOD: Warriors Of Future (dir: Ng Yuen-Fai, 2022)

"Now is the time for mankind to pay the price."

Hong Kong delivers this blockbuster sci-fi/action genre Greatest Hits in a vision of mankind trying to repair catastrophic environmental damage, only to be faced with the arrival of a meteorite carrying a fast-growing huge alien plant life-form, with a 'suicide squad' sent to plant a virus to harness the plant's power in order to purify Earth's atmosphere, but as the mission goes awry, three of the soldiers fight for survival in the ruined city - making sense is not the film's strong point.  There is little character or story development, as the movie is all about the machinery and technology and its string of action sequences.  The CG special effects are ambitiously detailed and large scale and a very lively to watch, but they often have a flat videogame sheen.  A lot of the action with the alien creatures is standard Jurassic Park/Aliens/Robocop/terminator/Transformers-influenced fare, but if you are a genre fan there is plenty of spectacle to enjoy.

VOD: Slumberland (dir: Francis Lawrence, 2022)

"School is not a prison!"
"Can I leave whenever I want to?"

This Netflix CGI-fuelled fantasy epic about dreams and storytelling focuses on 11-year-old Nemo, who lives in a lighthouse with her father, but a life-changing tragedy sees her moving to the big city to live with her estranged uncle.  One night, her toy pig and her bed come to life, setting in motion a set of fantastical adventures in the dream world Slumberland with a larger-than-life character Flip from her father's bedtime stories.  Jason Momoa plays flip with a gruff relish, but this very simple story is dragged out for over two hours as it lurches from one pointless and empty set piece to the next in a rather emotionally unengaging manner in this expensively hollow spectacle.
 

VOD: Bully (a.k.a. Pesktop) (dir: Sjoerd de Bont, 2017)

"Makes me look pretty stupid, doesn't it?"

This micro-budget Dutch teen movie oddly transplants the bones of the story of A Christmas Carol into a modern-day high school, with Scrooge being replaced by Danny, a handsome, charismatic but troubled bully who particularly picks on a shy young lesbian student and is afforded glimpses of the past, present and a dark future 'trial' courtesy of a fortune teller.  The story is told in very simplistic broad terms, but the youngish cast appear invested in the material.  The sudden late about-turn and self-realisation redemption arc is triggered in a shockingly-realised moment, but whereas Dickens just about got away with his unconvincing character shift in a sentimental Christmas tale, here it rings very untrue indeed.