Just got back from the movie. Glad I dodged spoilers.
9/10 Great
First, see this movie in IMAX 3D on a real IMAX screen with a digital laser. The movie looks amazing! You are really doing yourself a diservice if you see it in theaters in any other format. Was well worth the drive. I'd go see it a second time if I could. Definitely getting this on Blu Ray.
The movie also made me smile, like when Tuk feeds the Ilu. The Tarzan scene with the shark had me on the edge of my seat.
Second, the soundtrack. Certain parts were really suspenseful, but there wasn't any "wow" music that I would want to download and add to my favorite's list like in the first movie.
Really loved the new creatures. The Illu are cute. The Skimwings are cool. The Tulkan are interesting. Sadly, the movie is light on new vehicles. The helicopters now look like LEGO toys rather than the grounded, Vietnam-esque vehicles we saw in the first movie. The crab mechs are okay. The real star of the show is the Seadragon.
I think the new environments are underwhelming. One of the things I really loved about the first movie was that you got to explore two fantasy environments: the bioluminsicent rainforest/jungle, and the floating mountains. In this movie, there aren't really any new fantasy environments. Much of the movie is set underwater and at coral reefs, but there is nothing particularly unique about them. I suppose there was a split second shot where you saw floating coral reefs underwater, but that was it. The only new, distinctive fantasy location I can think of is the pink spirit tree that was underwater. I hope the third movie introduces new fantasy locations. Also disappointed that we only got to see the new human city, Bridgehead, for just 30 seconds. Hopefully we get to see more of it in movie #3.
The characters are much more likeable in this movie. In the first movie, it was hard to care about most of the human half of the cast. I didn't care about Norm or Max or Trudy or Grace. Only really cared about Sam, Quarritch, and Parker, but Sam becomes really unlikeable halfway through when he started derelicting his duty and then betrayed his people. In this movie, almost all of the characters are likeable.
I was pleasantly surprised that there wasn't anywhere near as much swearing as there was in the first movie.
That's what I can think of off of the top of my head. It's 3:34 AM so I should probably go to bed now. Can't wait for the third movie.
Miscellaneous thoughts:
- I might be mistaken, but I believe that the Venture Star used antimatter to propel itself, so there would be a humongous radiation trail for the ships. At the start of the movie, when the spaceships lower into the atmosphere and scorch the earth before releasing the drop pods, wouldn't they be irradiating the landing zone? Or did the humans swap out the engines on the spaceship to something that wouldn't emit radiation? Would that have enough thrusting power to keep the ship flying in atmosphere and lift the payload?
- Why don't the whalers harvest whale meat? They could use that meat to feed the growing population of Bridgehead. Tulkan ivory would also probably be really valuable too. Maybe harvesting brain-juice is just so much more profitable, but I'd imagine that there would still be a market for smaller whalers to follow the seadragon and harvest the leftover carcasses.
- Is Spider going to live with the Sullys at the Metakyina's village from now one? If so, how is he supposed to eat if he can't take the mask off? Will the Metakyina's chief be fine with Jake having a hab helicoptered in just for Spider?
- I wonder how Quarritch is going to explain to the general when he gets back to Bridgehead. "Yeah, not only did I lose our army and our base in the first movie, but I also lost my new team of Recoms AND lost your unbelieveably expensive whaling ground-effect carrier that is funding our expedition (hopefully we are still mining!). Also, I was tasked with suppressing the hostiles, but I went around antagonizing villages, so now there are probably more hostiles for you. No, I don't have anything to show for this."
- Did any of the Seadragon's crew survive? Did Quarritch's second in command at least survive?
variety.com
