In a number of Russian cities, film enthusiasts, watching "Avatar: Flame and Ash," say that the scene on screen, not the show itself, has become a "test." Viewers complained about blurry and dark images, "jumping" frames, sound problems, and incorrect color reproduction.
The third installment of James Cameron's franchise was released in December. But in Russia, the premiere was postponed, and protests began only on Thursday. Following these protests, some cinemas in Moscow and St. Petersburg, as well as in the Belarusian capital Minsk, have reportedly seen an increase in similar complaints.
The image is blurry, the motion is blurry, and the sound doesn't "pass"
Actor and screenwriter Denis Kosyakov, in an interview with "Business FM," noted that the quality of the program was "terrible." According to him, the image is blurry and dark, the movements appear "sliding," and the sound does not meet the requirements of Dolby Digital.
Kosyakov also said that he paid more than 10 thousand rubles for tickets and other expenses for a family session, but the result "similar to deceiving the consumer." The reason is that the cinema's website contained information about new laser equipment and "perfect image calibration."
He even described the audience's mood very accurately with phrases like "I wanted to stop the session, lift the light, and wipe the lens."
Experts: cinemas were forced to "screen copy"
According to industry representative Evgeny Ukhov, some cinemas may have been forced to use "what's called a screen" - a material similar to a copy taken from a projector screen. He said that the screenings were initially scheduled for the end of December, and then the release was delayed due to the fact that the theaters themselves appealed not to release the film during the New Year holidays.
At the same time, it is said that with only a few days left before the release, the terms with the "grey" supplier (which has not fully entered into official procedures) have changed, and it has become difficult to quickly obtain copies of the required quality. Ukhov adds another important aspect: it was not possible to fully organize the show in 3D format in Russian distribution.
According to the expert, such a "grey lease" operates not in a clear legal order, but more based on trust and agreements. Therefore, such situations may arise from time to time. In his opinion, it would be right to warn the audience in advance.
Ticket prices aren't cheap either
It was reported that "Avatar-3" tickets in the capital's cinemas cost from 500 to 2000 rubles. Ukhov says that the film's duration is also contributing to this price increase: the film takes about 3.5 hours, which reduces the number of screenings and puts pressure on theater revenue.
A movie that makes money worldwide, but there are many questions in Russia
It is noted that the third "Avatar" maintains a leading position in North American distribution and has collected more than $1.23 billion in worldwide revenue. Meanwhile, in Russia, there are more complaints about how the film is being shown, not about the film itself.
Another important point: it is said that the official distributor of "Avatar: Flame and Ash" stopped applying for a rental certificate in Russia as early as 2022. Therefore, it's natural that questions like "who, through which channel, and in what quality" around the demonstrations will increase.
In conclusion, there's a simple rule for fans: a big movie should be viewed in good quality on a big screen. If this condition is not met, even the strongest blockbuster forces a person to "think about the lens" rather than the film.
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