It feels like we’ve waited forever for the sequel to Avatar.
As technology has advanced through the years, James Cameron has pushed the limits of his power of belief even further, playing with 3D, High Frame Rate, and other toys that weren’t available when he started his career. One thing is for sure, Cameron has opened the door wide open and invited viewers into this fully realized world with so many striking images and phenomenally rendered action scenes that everything else fades away for the three-plus hours you’re viewing this film.
One thing you will notice, “Avatar: The Way of Water” struggles to find its footing at first, throwing viewers back into the world of Pandora in a confusing/bumpy road. One can tell that Cameron really cares most about the world-building mid-section of this film, which you can’t blame him because it is one of his greatest accomplishments. But before all that, we come to find out what has come of Jake Sully (Sam Worthington), a human who is now a full-time Na’vi and partners with Neytiri (Zoe Saldana), with whom he has started a family with. They now have two sons—Neteyam (Jamie Flatters) and Lo’ak (Britain Dalton)—and a daughter named Tuk (Trinity Jo-Li Bliss), and they are guardians of Kiri (Sigourney Weaver), who is the daughter of Weaver’s character from the first film.
Their family’s happiness is threatened when the ‘sky people’ return, including an avatar Na’vi version of one Colonel Miles Quaritch (Stephen Lang), who has come to finish what he started, including vengeance on Jake for the death of his human form. He comes back with a group of former-human-now-Na’vi soldiers who are the film’s main villains. They aren’t the only villains in the film because Cameron portrays the military, planet-destroying humans of this universe as the villains as well.
Now somewhere mid-way through the film, you will get the vibe that you are watching a National Geographic film, because it takes you through a scenic ride of waterways, seas and sea life. Now do we need it? No, because a good 20-30 minutes could have been cut around this part to shorten the already LONG film. At the end of this scenic trip, Jane has moved his family to an underwater region run by Tonowari (Cliff Curtis), the leader of a clan called the Metkayina. Himself a family man—his wife is played by Kate Winslet—Tonowari is worried about the danger the new Na’vi visitors could bring but can’t turn them away.
All these issues bring up the subject of moral questions about responsibility in the face of a powerful evil. Do you do something or just stand aside and watch your home be destroyed? Do you let the beloved da red animals be poached for a prize and money?
What makes this film different from the first is that you come to know a bit more about each character and the deeper connections they have to one another and to Pandora. I will warn you, there is one character that you will say… what is your purpose? I don’t get it. Pet Gatos it’s setting it up for another film in the works. Let’s just hope it doesn’t take as long to see it!
If you’re invested into the Avatar franchise, you have to see it. If you’re not, it’s still worth a watch because it is definitely something beautiful to watch!
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