James Cameron isn’t shy about voicing his opinions, though they may be slightly arrogant. But after making some of the most commercially successful films of all time, it makes sense that Cameron comes off as a little smug. A recent video interview with ComicBook.com (via Variety) is case and point, as the director couldn’t help but compare the VFX of his new film, “Avatar: The Way Of Water” against Marvel movies.” No surprise that Cameron thinks his film’s use of motion capture technology is way, way better than anything else.
“Obviously the big comic book films have been driving the sheer volume of the industry,” Cameron said in the interview after being asked if Marvel’s VFX motivated him during his new movie’s production. “The rising tide of technique raises everybody together. It gives you higher quality artists, more tools and plug-ins and code [to use]. You’ve got more talented people writing code out there. Our team at WETA Digital is constantly having new hires, and it’s coming out of that pool. So it improves everything.”
But then Cameron couldn’t help but boast about the advanced digital effects in “The Way Of Water.” “That said, WETA Effects, as it’s called now, is the best,” the director continued. “Right? Industrial Light & Magic does great work, but when it comes to the kind of emotive facial stuff that we’re doing… Thanos? Come on. Give me a break. You saw [“Avatar: The Way of Water”]. It’s not even close. It’s what WETA did.” To be fair, the motion capture work to make Thanos is a few years old now, a long time in a rapidly developing industry, but Cameron makes his point clear. He strives to have his film use the most cutting-edge digital VFX available, and as far as he’s concerned, the proof is in the pudding. See “Avatar: The Way Of Water” and find out.
Cameron isn’t shy about making jabs about Marvel movies in recent interviews. He even opened this ComicBook.com interview with the declaration, “I just want to say ahead of time that I’m not going to diss the Marvel or DC Universe.” It appears Cameron can’t stop himself, and that’s become a bit of a pattern for him. In October, the director had other pointed criticism about Marvel in an interview with The New York Times. This time, he went after the narrative stakes and the maturity level of characters in “The Way Of Water” against those in the MCU.
“Zoe and Sam now play parents, 15 years later,” Cameron said about his upcoming film. “In the first movie, Sam’s character leaps off his flying creature and essentially changes the course of history as a result of this crazy, almost suicidal leap of faith. And Zoe’s character leaps off a limb and assumes there’s going to be some nice big leaves down there that can cushion her fall. But when you’re a parent, you don’t think that way. So for me, as a parent of five kids, I’m saying, ‘What happens when those characters mature and realize that they have a responsibility outside their own survival?’”
Then came the Marvel dig. “When I look at these big, spectacular films — I’m looking at you, Marvel and DC — it doesn’t matter how old the characters are, they all act like they’re in college,” Cameron continued, “They have relationships, but they really don’t. They never hang up their spurs because of their kids. The things that really ground us and give us power, love and a purpose? Those characters don’t experience it, and I think that’s not the way to make movies.”
In other words, Cameron sees his “Avatar” films as mega-blockbusters with a pulse and a soul that the MCU’s fare largely lacks. Next week, audiences will see if “Avatar: The Way Of Water” backs up the director’s comments. The film hits theaters everywhere on December 16.