Directed by:
James CameronCinematography:
Russell CarpenterComposer:
Simon FranglenCast:
Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, Sigourney Weaver, Stephen Lang, Kate Winslet, Cliff Curtis, Joel David Moore, CCH Pounder, Edie Falco, Brendan Cowell (more)VOD (6)
Plots(1)
Set more than a decade after the events of the first film, Avatar: The Way of Water begins to tell the story of the Sully family (Jake, Neytiri, and their kids), the trouble that follows them, the lengths they go to keep each other safe, the battles they fight to stay alive, and the tragedies they endure. (20th Century Studios)
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Reviews (14)
I like how every plot shift is tied to familial relationships (as family comprises the whole ecosystem of Pandora in this case), how the film works superbly with parallels (between the characters’ relationships and the past and present – the villain goes through the same initiation as Jake in the first film, but with a different result) and how divine the water and underwater CGI looks, and I’m not offended by the simple eco-friendly plot about finding a home and saving one’s family through a connection to an ancestral heritage, but Cameron is far too enamoured with his moon/planet and his singing whales, and he revels in both of these aspects far more than is necessary for the narrative. You can imagine the middle part of the film, which is followed by the comparatively interminable final act, as a sequel to My Octopus Teacher, with big fish instead of octopuses (which I don't mean as a compliment). Whereas the first Avatar flew by quickly and, due to its focus on building a fictional world and evoking fear for its fate, you weren’t bothered by the two-dimensional characters communicating through poorly written dialogue, here I felt every minute passing by, missing the mark emotionally by several nautical miles, because when the going gets tough, you will probably have trouble even remembering the name of the character whose life is at stake. At least the protagonist’s sons are similar to each other and interchangeable in terms of character. An unbearably long three hours. P.S. Some of the action scenes in 3D and 48fps look like cut scenes from a highly advanced video game (which is not a compliment either) and the non-action scenes are reminiscent of a soap opera. 60%
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James Cameron once again shows Hollywood who is the king of blockbuster movies. Despite its three-hour running time, Avatar 2 is entertaining from beginning to end, with breathtaking audiovisual and personal stories of old and new heroes at the ideal pace. Pandora is perhaps even more beautiful than last time, the newcomers are likeable, and Cameron keeps the pace from start to finish without a single flinch. And after thirteen years, he shows that he's still a long way ahead of most Hollywood filmmakers.
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I tried to resist, but eventually, I gave in and watched the second Avatar movie. I had to break it into three sittings because of its length. As expected, it's visually stunning — leagues ahead of anything else in the film industry right now and probably for years to come. However, the visuals overshadow everything else. The acting feels almost nonexistent since it's essentially an animated film. Plus, it’s only truly impressive in a theater setting. Story-wise, the first hour is a slog, but things pick up once James introduces us to a new tribe on Pandora, adding some interest to the typical blockbuster narrative. If it weren't so long, I'd have fonder memories of it. Honestly, if James keeps churning out similar tales from Pandora, he might just end up boring the audience. We'll see.
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Avatar: The Way of Water has the screenwriting of a mediocre television series that’s not in any hurry to get anywhere. Not only can the story again be summed up in a single short sentence, but it’s the same as the last time and it looks like the next one won’t be any different. The unnatural movement of the blue lizards on dry land hasn’t changed since the “pilot”, so the first half of the film comes across like a video-game demo. Transitioning to the world under water is thus a tremendous upgrade. The lizards swim much more elegantly than they walk and jump, and James Cameron breathes extraordinary life into the fictional undersea plants and animals. It is beautiful and enchanting. Luc Besson will be pleased. The human characters are also given space on the water, thus giving the digital artifice a more physical sense of drive. All of those submarines, mecha crabs and wicked scenes of “whale” hunting are uber cool, reminiscent of the action treats in Waterworld. Overall, however, the Avatar phenomenon becomes rather more of an amusement-park attraction (with the promise of a VR future) than a cinematic work in the true sense of the word. It’s kind of like Cameron’s version of a Marvel flick, but with poor character development, which is a bit of a shame.
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The power of the family bond, the harmony between man and nature, the destruction of ecosystems for the purpose of monetisation. Cameron sends some important messages and quite clear appeals out into the world with Avatar 2, and he succeeds again, of course, and not only that. The new blues represent the visual benchmark of the modern blockbuster, and Cameron once again throws down the gauntlet to other filmmakers, blowing them out of the water for the umpteenth time in his spectacular King of the World career. Compared to the first one, the sequel is a technical evolution. It tweaks little details, upgrades the story setting, adds more imaginary "levels" and works with Stephen Lang's character in an interesting way. The second third is quite slow and the least entertaining, but the lavish and spectacular finale, like in the first, makes up for it. Apart from the technical aspects, there's nothing really groundbreaking or unique, but Cameron, as a lover of the planet, animals and especially the underwater depths, is passionate about his dream project and you can feel that he loves what he's doing and gives it his all, and that can't be said of every hitmaker in Hollywood.
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Gallery (78)
Photo © Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
![Avatar: The Way of Water - Photos](http://image.pmgstatic.com/cache/resized/w663/files/images/film/photos/166/993/166993938_81fa44.jpg)
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