REVIEW: Avatar: The Way of Water is a Cinematic Masterpiece But Lacks a Fleshed Out Story
The long-awaited sequel to the 2009 blockbuster hit, Avatar, is finally being released. Directed once again by James Cameron, Avatar: The Way of Water, picks up 15 years after the original film with Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) living peacefully with his mate Neytiri (Zoe Saldaña) and their family in Pandora. However, there happiness doesn’t last for too long when Miles Quaritch (Stephen Lang) returns on a quest to kill Sully. After traumatic events hit too close to home for the once human, Sully decides to move his family across the seas to the home of the Metkayina reef clan for protection. But with Quaritch out for blood, will his decision to leave truly be for the best move for his family or will it all be for nothing?
As stated above. director, James Cameron returns for the sequel and once again delivers a masterclass in cinematography. His ability to seamlessly balance CGI, 3D effects, and real life visual without effecting the look and feel of a film is truly one of a kind. So much so, that at points you forget you are watching a fictional movie and feel as though you are watching a documentary on the world of Pandora. Cameron truly found a way to expand the Pandora universe from the Omaticayan jungle to the Metkayina reef effortlessly. Every intricate and minute detail is meticulously planned out and makes Avatar: The Way of Water a truly stunning visual piece.
However, no matter how visually stunning the film maybe, the story is mediocre at best. The focus of the film is suppose to be on family, specifically the Sully family, but throughout the three hours and ten minutes, Cameron throws so many other different storylines into the mix that not a single one ever feels complete, nor do viewers, amazingly enough, have the time to develop any sort of connection with these characters. Instead, much of the time is focused on the beauty of the scenes and characters, instead of a complex and rich story. It really deters from the overall experience and makes for a very long film. It isn’t until the last half and hour of the film do you forget how long you have been sitting there and find yourself fully immersed in the story.
Worthington returns as Sully for the sequel and is even more stoic in this film than the first. His character, who was a forefront in the first film took more of a backseat in this one. The same goes for Saldana’s Neytiri. Her character takes a major backseat for the majority of the film to instead make the focus about her children, specifically two of them, no spoilers! It’s a stranger turn of a events that never fully connects with the audience, and honestly does a massive disservice to Saldana. Kate Winslet joins the cast as the Metkayina chief’s wife, and offers little to nothing to the film. How can a film have two amazing actresses and opt to use them so sparingly?
With that being said, the main focus of The Way of Water is on the children. Jamie Flatters (Neteyam), Britain Dalton (Lo’ak), Trinity Jo-Li Bliss (Tuk), and Bailey Bass (Tsireya”Reya”). Which isn’t a bad thing, but they each have their own story which doesn’t always connect with the overall story.
Avatar: The Way of Water is truly a masterpiece when it comes to the cinematography, but when those scenes are removed, you are left with a subpar hour and a half film. For those who love the first one, you will not be disappointed. For everyone else, you will most likely feel the same way. If you have never seen the first one and want to see this one, google the synopsis or watch the first one before venturing out to see this sequel. Personally, I had not seen the first one in years, and even I was left confused at times.
Grade: B