Like everyone else, when the first Avatar film came out in 2009, I was mesmerized by the special effects and beauty of the world that James Cameron brought to the screen.
Everything was visually stunning, soaked in saturated colors and the nearly perfect view of an indigenous species fighting off alien colonizers.
It also allowed for a character’s redemption and ended on a largely positive note.
However, since I found that storyline complete, I didn’t anticipate any future sequels – even when the flick went on to landslide through several award ceremonies.
But, here we are,13 years later with “Avatar: The Way of Water” featuring the return of several cast members and a few new faces.
The storyline leaves a lot to be desired, but with more sequels planned, I’m just going to wait and see how it all flows together.
Still, this one is just as immersive as its predecessor and just as visually stunning.
The Way of Water is an epic science fiction film directed by James Cameron, who co-wrote the screenplay with Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver from a story the trio wrote with Josh Friedman and Shane Salerno.
Produced by Lightstorm Entertainment and TSG Entertainment and distributed by 20th Century Studios, it is the sequel to Avatar (2009) and the second installment in the Avatar film series.
Cast members Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldaña, Stephen Lang, Joel David Moore, CCH Pounder, Giovanni Ribisi, Dileep Rao, and Matt Gerald reprise their roles from the original film, with Sigourney Weaver returning in an additional role.
New cast members include Kate Winslet, Cliff Curtis, Edie Falco, Jamie Flatters, Britain Dalton, Trinity Bliss, Bailey Bass, Jack Champion, Filip Geljo, and Jemaine Clement.
The film is 3 hours and 12 minutes long and rated PG-13 for sequences of strong violence and intense action, partial nudity, and some strong language.
More than a decade after the Na’vi repelled the human invasion of Pandora by the Resources Development Administration (RDA), Jake Sully (Worthington) lives as chief of the Omaticaya clan, and raises a family with Neytiri (Saldana).
Their family includes sons Neteyam (Flatters) and Lo’ak (Dalton), daughter Tuk (Bliss), adopted daughter Kiri (Weaver), and a human boy named Spider (Champion).
Kiri was actually born from Grace Augustine’s inert avatar and an unknown father.
Spider is in fact the son of Colonel Miles Quaritch (Lang), who was born on Pandora and was unable to be transported to Earth in cryostasis due to his infancy.
To the Na’vi’s dismay, the RDA returns to prepare Pandora for human colonization since it’s revealed that Earth is dying.
Among the new arrivals are ‘recombinants’ - Na’vi avatars implanted with the minds and memories of deceased human soldiers, with Quaritch’s recombinant serving as their leader.
Jake stages a guerilla campaign against RDA supply lines, but Quaritch and his subordinates conduct a counterinsurgency mission against Jake and capture his children by pure accident.
Jake and Neytiri arrive and free them, but Spider is taken by Quaritch, who recognizes him as his son.
He decides to spend time with him in order to draw Spider on his side, and in turn, Spider teaches Quaritch and his team about Na’vi culture and language.
Aware of the danger Spider’s knowledge of his whereabouts poses to their safety, Jake and his family exile themselves from the Omaticaya and retreat to the Metkayina clan at Pandora’s eastern seaboard.
From there, we’re treated to stunning underwater visuals and watch the Sully family adapt to a new lifestyle while in hiding.
Overall, the film is worth experiencing on the big screen just for its graphics and settings but the storyline is just too weak for me.
