Avatar: The Way of Water is the sequel to the highest grossing film of all time- Avatar. James Cameron blew people’s minds in 2009 when he displayed his technical might. There is hardly a visionary like Cameron working in the film industry, Nolan comes very close because of his use of practical effects. Cameron had made no film after Avatar took over the world and became the highest grossing film of all time beating another Cameron film- Titanic. The first Avatar packed in a lot of heart and emotion with its insane, never seen before visuals. The screenplay of the film while bloated was supremely heartfelt. It has been a lot of time since we heard from Pandora. Cameron had an unknowing habit of reinventing cinema or creating some new technology every time he touches a camera.
I was absolutely taken aback by the first Avatar, not by the effects, I mean I was but I expected that but along with the effects the way Cameron had weaved in an extremely emotional and heartfelt story of Pandora and its people was brilliant. Also, the protagonist of a film like Avatar has a threat of becoming one dimensional or stereotypical but Cameron managed to make him unique and fresh. Really, Avatar was a cinematic achievement like no other and so when Cameron spawned a sequel for it I was ready to be blown away once again. After 13 years years, finally I got to see the continuation of Pandora’s story. Let’s see if Avatar 2r lives up to the ridiculously high expectations set by its predecessor or does it surpass it?
Rating – ★★★1/2
Avatar 2: The Way of Water Review – Visuals Like No Other!
Avatar: The Way of Water starts right where Avatar left. It catches up on all the things that have happened since we last paid a visit to this world. Jake and Neytiri have had many children and their family is very happy, however, not for long. The sky people return once again and ruin their happiness. Then one year passes and we see how humans and Na’vi are now existing. The sequel is similar to the original in more than one ways. Way of Water introduces a lot of new characters and the entire film focuses on the theme of family.
Jake and Neytiri’s family is being hunted by the Avatar of Colonel Quaritch which makes them leave the forest and go to the sea clans, however that only results in them dragging the war to the seas. Structurally, the sequel is very similar to the first one as it starts with giving us an exposition and then Cameron goes out of his way to make you fall in love with this planet. The entire 1st half of the film is dedicated for all the characters to explore the planet and learn the ways of the seas, just like Jake did in the first one.
However, unlike the first one this one feels like the first half almost doesn’t have a plot. In the first one, the exploration was extremely important to the entire narrative so it didn’t feel like Cameron is wasting our time with beautiful visuals. Unfortunately, the sequel isn’t able to do the same. There seems no reason why we’re seeing an hour long of ocean exploration because we don’t know how does this relates to the plot. I’m not saying that I was bored because the visuals definitely keep you hooked.
Although, I constantly had this feeling in the back of my head, when is the plot going to kick-in. Cameron introduces needless subplots to give us the illusion that the story is actually moving but I saw right through it. Also, I have no clue who is the protagonist in this film. I mean you’d think it will easily be Jake but we hardly see him. He comes between scenes and reminds us that he is in the film but most of the film is Lo’ak and Kiri’s story. The film’s script is extremely fragmented and it only seems cohesive because of the unreal visuals.
The villain of the film which is still Quaritch is also not as dangerous as Quaritch in the first film. His motives in the first film were clear but here it just seems like a revenge tale which is too costly. He is not as threatening or evil as he was in the first movie. I believe there are too many characters in the film which makes it bloated and needlessly long. That being said, it seems like I’m grilling the movie but these are the negatives for the most part. However, if you simply ask this question- Does the film work?
Then I’d say – Yes. The film definitely works for the most part and there are only two reason for it. One is of of course the visuals which I just can’t get enough of. Cameron has somehow managed to make this film look better than the original. There is not a single frame in the movie where, “I’ll say oh see that is clearly VFX, it is so obvious”. Not a single frame. Despite almost being completely VFX, Cameron manages to keep the look realistic and at the same time unrealistically beautiful. If this doesn’t win the Best VFX awards at the Oscars next year then they have no meaning.
Verdict
All things considered because of the two elements: Emotions and Visuals, Avatar: The Way of Water is one of the best films of the year because the technical brilliance of it is simply unparalleled. There is not a single film ever made that is so technically advanced. Its a treat for you eyes and once again despite having a weaker script, Cameron gets the emotions right which makes up for the long run time and needless subplots. The film just like the original pulls your heart strings at the end.
It is not the best film of the year, that is still Top Gun: Maverick but this film will be loved by the masses and it is going to be a box office sensation. It is definitely going to cross Maverick’s numbers and this might feels far fetched but I think the sequel has a shot of crossing its predecessor. I’m not even kidding about that. The way I saw the audience resonate with the movie was unreal and I really think this is going to work with the masses and it is going absolutely smash box office records.
The sequel concentrates on protecting our oceans like the original was about protecting our forests. Despite being very similar to the original, the film works as it is coming after 13 years. I’m really excited about what Cameron has next in store with Avatar 3 and so on. I love the world of Pandora and I want to experience unreal visuals with a better story from next time. However, I think we have to accept what Avatar movies are about. They’re massive productions with better visuals than any other film, that tell an extremely simple story which resonates with audiences throughout the world.
Despite coming in an era where every movie is so VFX heavy, Avatar 2 is the most beautiful movie I’ve seen since the last Avatar. You can notice the precision in the visuals that you won’t see in any other Marvel or DC film. Avatar: The Way of Water is not a sequel that was necessary but it is a sequel that I appreciate. It is not better than the original, maybe in the visual department but not as a whole. I’d say $400 Million well spent, however, from next time I’d want Cameron to pay more attention to the screenplay. Avatar: The Way of Water is a great movie to watch with your family and dissolve yourself in the immersive world that Cameron has created, I’ll rate it 3.5 out of 5 stars.
Avatar: The Way of Water is currently playing in theatres near you.
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