Thirteen years after the visually stunning blockbuster AVATAR, James Cameron’s long awaited sequel finally hits theaters. A must-see on the big screen with incredible 3D effects, Cameron has once again built a completely immersive experience with AVATAR: THE WAY OF THE WATER.
I can’t express enough how incredible the visuals are in AVATAR: THE WAY OF THE WATER. Every frame is crystal clear with vibrant colorful images coming to life as they effortlessly float off the screen. The world of Pandora is a breath-taking creation that hypnotizes the audience into believing in its attainability. And for this alone, AVATAR: THE WAY OF THE WATER demands to be seen on the big screen… despite some of the glaring, cringe-inducing flaws in storytelling.
I know, I know, I hate having any negativity toward something as big, beautiful, and visually groundbreaking as THE WAY OF THE WATER. But there are some serious inconsistencies and plot holes. Plus the whole film feels a bit of a retread of the original movie from 2009. If you can ignore these problems, you will have a better experience. It was a bit tough for me.
The story follows Jake (Sam Worthington) and Neytiri (Zoe Saldana, who is truly great in this film) and their Na’vi family. Many years have passed since the original story and the couple have four children – two older boys, an adopted daughter that was miraculously birthed by Dr. Grace’s (Sigourney Weaver) Avatar, and a little girl. Bad guy Colonel Miles Quaritch (Stephen Lang) is resurrected from the original film having his memory put into a Na’vi Avatar of his own, along with some of his other dead soldiers. They are on a mission to find Jake to eliminate him as the leader of the Na’vi and continue to utilize Pandora as a resource for earth. In order to stay protected, Jake and his family flee the wood tribe to live with a water tribe.
Screenwriters James Cameron, Rick Jaffa, and Amanda Silver seem to mostly be writing filler and generic filler at that. It’s clear the goal of the AVATAR films are mainly about the production and special effects, which, again, are amazing! But with the knowledge that multiple AVATAR films are in the works, the far too lengthy three hour film meanders with a lot of loose ends that presumably are waiting to be tied up in subsequent films. But even understanding that the story isn’t finished, AVATAR: THE WAY OF THE WATER rehashes elements we’ve seen before and feels incomplete as a stand alone, a feat handled far superior by another multi-story film in THE LORD OF THE RINGS trilogy.
THE WAY OF THE WATER is captivating. We truly care about this family, the Na’vi species, and all creatures that inhabit Pandora. Cameron clearly has a goal to tell a sympathetic look at all life and condemns any harmful use of obtaining resources. Unfortunately, some of the character motives and story inconsistencies can be a bit distracting. A revenge mission poorly disguised as a military importance is a hard sell for the duration of the film. And a family running from their threat when they seem to regularly have the upper hand on their enemy is confusing. The constant miscommunication or not listening is a tiresome family trope. But the most distracting part of the film comes toward the end when an entire water tribe is charging an enemy vessel only to mysteriously vanish for the rest of the final battle sequence. The action is terrific, and some of the creatures and machinery are creative achievements with incredible set pieces, even if sometimes it ventures a bit closely to TITANIC scenes.
I am glad that I got to see AVATAR: THE WAY OF THE WATER as it is an amazing spectacle, even if it is a bit… dumb. However, for as much as I enjoyed certain elements, I don’t plan on revisiting this film. The rating score sways drastically in one direction to the other depending on how forgiving one can be and just appreciate and immerse oneself into the visuals. I hope the next film can bring some of that emotional, visceral experience I remember having in the first AVATAR film.
