Directed By James Cameron

Starring – Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, Sigourney Weaver

The Plot – Jake Sully (Worthington) lives with his newfound family formed on the planet of Pandora. Once a familiar threat returns to finish what was previously started, Jake must work with Neytiri (Saldana) and the army of the Na’vi race to protect their planet.

Rated PG-13 for sequences of strong violence and intense action, partial nudity and some strong adult language

Avatar: The Way of Water | New Trailer – YouTube

POSITIVES

James Cameron doesn’t make movies, he makes epic spectacles that were made entirely to be seen on the big screen, and with “The Way of Water” being arguably his most ambitious project to date, the ingredients can be found in spades as to why this is the movie event of the season. First of all, the visual spectrum, with an impressive layering of 3D effects work and higher frame rates that easily immerse audiences into the environment, while conjuring a style that once again feels like the next step forward in cinematic technology. On the frame rate, a typical gauge is 24 frames per minute, but here Cameron channels 48fps, 60fps, and even 120fps, which makes the action feel like it is literally being played out in front of us with none of the cinematic fuzz that usually obscures clarity to such textures. Likewise, the three-dimensional effects work is truly out of this world, capably juggling the definition of properties as well as the gimmick side of 3D in a way that not only justifies the increasing ticket price, but also proves how pointless other 3D transfers are to films that don’t even take the time to render something palpable to the interaction. Beyond this, Cameron’s world-building is once again spectacular, but this time with the benefit of an over three hour run time to fully convey consciousness to the many colorfully rich and exotic landscapes that his cinematography takes us through. Because Cameron spends more time fleshing out these characters and environments, we get a deeper sense of gravity within the confines of its underwater enveloping, complete with bold and beautiful creatures beneath the sea level that constantly subscribe to this bigger than life feeling that Cameron supplants towards us. As for the script, it’s not without plenty of faults, but on the beneficial side of things, I loved that this chapter packed more of an emotional punch as a result of the family dynamic that its story continuously revolves around. Because the visuals are so grandeur and epic, it’s a bit surprising that Cameron’s themes are very simplistic and human, but it does prescribe a relatable quality to such alien characters that we can pull a lot from in social commentary, all the while leaving the focus of its narrative heavily dependent on Jake’s children, rather than he. It’s a bold move, but one that pays off immensely in fleshing out the unpredictability factor and corresponding stakes that constantly kept me engaged throughout such an ambitious run time. Beyond this, the action sequences were obviously shot effectively rampant and full of urgency, granting a mounting tension to the many interchanging backdrops and concepts that constantly felt fresh throughout. Because this film has so much screen time to fill, it indulges more in the action side of things, an aspect that I wish the first film remained faithful to, but one that practically must’ve been difficult to shoot, with all of its many unpredictable elements. It’s a testament to the man behind the lens, who has now worked as a commanding force for over forty remarkable years in the business. The performances are also a great improvement, especially from Saldana, whose turn in the first film I downright loathed, but here channels believability, merit, and especially ferocity in the depths of an avenging mother who will embrace a sinking ship to protect her kin. Kate Winslet is also a welcome addition as Ronal, the queen of this new water world, with a complexity to outsiders that constantly makes her a wild card to watch, while resilient to battle. And finally, while the film wasn’t able to render another masterful score from the great James Horner, who sadly passed away in 2015, it is rewarded by the work of composer Simon Franglen, who fills immense shoes effortlessly with a series of compositions that balance the intimacy of reflection with the magnitude of worlds held in tow from conflict. Franglen’s volume levels are intentionally boisterous to add to the aforementioned riveting action set pieces, and his instrumental impulses transcribe a complexity to character emotions that never feel meandering or obvious in the depiction, instead psychologically suggesting to audiences that there’s more that meets the eye with an action or feeling held in context.

NEGATIVES

While there is much about this sequel that improves it from its heavily flawed predecessor, there are still a couple of things that it doesn’t master, mainly pertaining to the screenplay. Like “Avatar”, there’s a sense of derivativeness within its creativity, but this time within its own inner circle, refusing to borrow heavily from other properties like “Fern Gully” or “Dances with Wolves”, like it did previously, and instead remaining a bit too close in structure to its initial first chapter, hindering the growth of this secondary sequel. Most people probably won’t catch this if they’re locked in the thrills of the engagement, or even care, but I couldn’t shake that this story was headed in the exact direction of its predecessor, almost minute for minute, giving it a sense of treading familiar waters that felt a bit disappointing considering this film had 13 years to work creative matters out. In addition to this, the balance in storytelling is inconsistent at least, and problematic at most, with pivotal characters disappearing for huge chunks of the three-hour run time. Jake and Quaritch are the major issues here, with the latter being the central antagonist, so his disappearance starts to dissipate some of the urgency of the conflict, and the former being the established protagonist, who doesn’t feel even remotely important throughout this installment. It’s clear to me that like life, the children are the future of Cameron’s five movie franchise, but it should never come at the cost of the figures who teach them, in turn undercutting the family element that feels like a breath of fresh air to this sequel. Another problem is in the ending, which without spoilers I will say doesn’t resolve matters in a satisfying climax. It’s easy to argue what Cameron is going for here, with the future of his franchise, but my problems pertain to ambiguous character motivations that feel dumb and even lazy by design, requiring a bit too much suspension of disbelief to fully subscribe to such directions. Last but not least, but to no surprise of anyone, the 185-minute run time is far too long for a film that is only the second of five chapters in this franchise. It’s commendable for Cameron to include as much of his efforts as possible to the experience, but it’s easy to see where as much as forty-five minutes could’ve been trimmed or altered from the finished product, especially moments that indulge more on the visuals. To be fair, I can wholeheartedly understand and even appreciate getting to experience as much of Pandora to satisfy the 13 year wait between films, however when it stunts the storytelling to a grinding halt, especially during the second act, it made me feel like I was as much as an hour ahead of schedule, when in reality I still had 70 minutes left, feeling every bit the weight of its wear that is practically unavoidable in three hour films not named “The Wolf of Wall Street” or “The Hateful Eight”.

OVERALL
“The Way of Water” is a visual siesta of stunning imagery and cutting-edge technology that proves Cameron is once again playing chess to everyone’s checkers. Though still flawed in a few aspects of creative storytelling to capture the full-fledged experience it so desperately deserves, the film is still the very definition of cinematic escapism, and one that you’ll never want to look away from.

My Grade: 7/10 or B-