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The massive format is a great way to see Avatar: The Way of Water. The scale of the screen absolutely enhances the experience of being transported to the beautiful waters of Pandora.

Set more than a decade after the events of the first film, learn the story of the Sully family (Jake, Neytiri, and their kids), the trouble that follows them, the lengths they go to keep each other safe, the battles they fight to stay alive, and the tragedies they endure.

Link Stream / Download Avatar: The Way of Water here

Runtime : 192 minutes

You absolutely should. Just as with the first Avatar, The Way of Water’s 3D is so good, it will trick you into thinking the technology is viable and should be used by people not named James Cameron. (In reality, it is not viable, and its use outside of Cameron movies should be illegal.) Regardless of whether you want to see the movie in HFR, you should do your best to see it in 3D if that’s at all possible for you.

Should I see Way of Water in 3D with HFR?

This one’s tough. When The Way of Water’s HFR sequences work, they really work. Most notably, everything in the water (a lot of the movie) and everything involving flying (slightly less of the movie) looks outstanding, and for some people, the rest of the scenes will work just as well. Others, however, will feel that HFR makes them feel like they’re watching a TV with motion smoothing enabled, or that it looks too much like a video game cutscene. If motion smoothing bothers you, you might want to opt out of HFR screenings. If you don’t notice it at all when other people complain about it, you’ll be fine.

Problem is, the movie’s frame rate is dynamic — it switches between standard and high frame rate using a visual trick. When it goes back to the standard 24 frames per second, which it does when only humans are on screen, it’s actually just doubling each frame you see. In other words, it’s still playing at the higher 48 fps rate, but mimicking 24 fps in a way that some people perceive as feeling off or sluggish.

The HFR version of the movie makes a lot of the beautiful action shots of Pandora and of Na’vi kids running around and exploring way better for people who don’t find the format distracting. But it’s got some drawbacks that might make it significantly more annoying for certain people. Should I see Avatar 2 in 2D?

This is an option reserved mostly for people who can’t or won’t watch a 3D movie for one reason or another. And if that’s the case, don’t worry! Pandora’s still going to look great, and you’re still going to have a good time diving back into the world of Avatar. Should I see it in 2D with HFR?

I’m not sure this exists. I can’t find any local theaters playing the movie this way, but if someone encounters it, probably just don’t go. Either see it fully standard, or in a 3D version. Should I see Avatar: The Way of Water in 4DX?

Avatar: The Way of Water is probably the most 4DX movie ever made. The immersive format is not the optimal way to see this sequel, but having experienced the physical effects of the medium, we can say it is incredibly fun. As with the other versions of the movie, the underwater and flying sequences are particularly thrilling, taking full advantage of 4DX’s shifting chairs, which often rattle you around hard enough to make you fear being thrown from your seat in a delightful way.