It’s been 13 years since the first Avatar film arrived and broke every record in the book, grossing over 2 billion dollars at the box office and changing the landscape of cinema as we knew it.
A sequel was inevitable, but with this long of a hiatus it led many to question whether the hype was still there? Legendary filmmaker James Cameron said the wait has taken this long in order for him “to get it right”.
He wanted to perfect the underwater CGI and the underwater motion capture technique used in Avatar 2’s numerous underwater sequences was developed by Cameron and his business Lightstorm Entertainment.
Thankfully, I am happy to report that Avatar: The Way of Water was well and truly worth the wait. This is a visually stunning epic that is beautiful, bold and essential viewing on the big screen. This is truly spectacle of the highest order and you will be in awe from start to finish at what you’re seeing in front of your eyes.
We return to the angelic world of Pandora as we follow Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) and his newfound family. But once a familiar threat returns to finish what was previously started, Jake must work with Neytiri (Zoe Saldana) and the army of the Na’vi race to protect their home.
The first hour is thrilling. Cameron throws us right in to the action early and immediately you need to strap in for the ride. We get to know our new characters well enough, however it’s the middle hour where things do slow down but the set up (for both the finale and future Avatar instalments) is warranted. It’s here where the visuals go up a notch and the film becomes a true visual feast. It then concludes with an exhilarating final hour that proves that no one quite does action like Mr. Cameron.
Almost every character is in motion cap, but there is no denying the actors behind them all bring their A-Game. Sam Worthington is excellent as Jake, a warrior turned family man who wants to protect his family at all costs. After being the star of the first film, Saldana is mostly sidelined, but her character’s raw emotion remains. Jake’s children are all great, particularly the two sons, and Kate Winslet & Cliff Curtis are welcome additions as the leaders of the reef people.
I have always been a fan of the first Avatar, never understanding the hate that some seem to have towards it, but I do find the writing to be a bit wooden and the runtime excessive. These are criticisms that do repeat themselves in the sequel, beginning with the film clocking in at a whopping 190 minutes. Though never bored, I do feel the film would’ve worked better with a tighter runtime, as you’re almost exhausted by the time the credits roll. Cameron has added two co-writers this time around in Rick Jaffa & Amanda Silver (the duo behind the recent Planet of the Apes trilogy, excellent films) but the film remains predictable, and the writing is iffy in places. Thankfully, the central focus on family certainly hits home and leads to an emotional and powerful film.
Between Way of Water and Top Gun: Maverick, I am beginning to get a feel again for the old school blockbusters we are seeing much less of these days. It’s a real treasure to see Cameron put his heart and soul into these films and it undoubtedly shows with this final product. Between this, Aliens & Terminator 2, it cements James Cameron as the king of sequels and gives me great confidence in what he has in store for us in Avatar 3.
Verdict: A mesmerising and breathtaking return to Pandora with an action blockbuster that needs to be seen to be believed. A superior sequel.
Best Moment: A beautiful sequence involving Jake’s son and a whale.
Rating: 8.5/10
