In an industry where Marvel releases a new film or television series nearly every month, one where theater-to-home-screen turnaround times are now often infinitesimal, the decade-plus wait for an Avatar sequel should have killed off James Cameron’s film franchise for good. The 13 years that elapsed between Avatar: The Way of Water and its predecessor worked to dampen expectations, making this sequel any unlikely box office hit. Unlike Top Gun, Avatar isn’t considered a vanguard of its epoch. Top Gun: Maverick not only brings back a popular Tom Cruise character, but ushers in the return of an era. Just how many people were out there pining away for an Avatar sequel? Probably not very many before the advertising machine started making noise for The Way of Water.
Much of Avatar’s demographic was also not cognizant to see the original in the cinema back in 2009. Very few movies make good use of 3D. Most are retrofitted films that look dim, as if existing to protest the cheap marketing ploy used to lure people back to theaters. Avatar, on the other hand, looked stunning back in 2013. Despite a theatrical re-release, most young folks likely experienced Avatar on a screen at home. The Way of Water offers an opportunity to rectify such a trespass.
If anything, Cameron’s sequel begs to be seen on the big screen, audiences clad in 3D glasses. Fans credit Cruise and Top Gun: Maverick for saving an American tradition that has been gutted by streaming and advancements in home viewing technology, a flailing institution kicked into the dust by the COVID-19 pandemic. If Maverick restored the love of moviegoing, seeing Cameron’s beautifully rendered vision in a cinema is an imperative.
Everything about The Way of Water improves upon the world Cameron created in the first installment. By moving his story from the forest to the ocean, he creates a new milieu on Pandora to explore, one that is superbly rendered and alive. Who cares if the story feels very similar to the first and that some of the script is cringey? Just the spectacle alone is worth the price of admission; imagine the beauty of Moana amplified into a complete world and you’ll come close to picturing what Cameron accomplishes in The Way of Water. Like the first part, the 3D isn’t one of things popping out of the screen but rather creates an immersive experience, much like Werner Herzog accomplished with Cave of Forgotten Dreams (2010). This is 3D used for a purpose and not a craven afterthought.
Cameron is going for broke here with maximalist entertainment, including a runtime that passes three hours. Once again, humans have returned to Pandora to exploit its natural riches. When we catch up with Jake Sully (Sam Worthington), it is more than a decade beyond the first film. He is now completely living as Na’vi with wife, Neytiri (Zoe Saldaña) and a brood of children. And soon enough, Sully and family must leave their forest home to keep the rest of his friends safe.
The Way of Water begins to expand the Avatar universe, a place that Cameron hopes to continually revisit in sequels, by giving Jake and Neytiri’s children an equal place in its narrative. The eldest son, Neteyam (Jamie Flatters) is being groomed by Jake to be a warrior while second son, Lo’ak (Britain Dalton) can never live up to his father’s expectations. Rounding out the family is the youngest daughter, Tuk (Trinity Jo-Li Blss) and the foundling Kiri (Sigourney Weaver) a child born under mysterious circumstances and adopted by Jake and Neytiri.
Much of the film involves Sully’s family integrating themselves with a clan of ocean Na’vi and the growing pains that each experiences as they navigate this new section of Pandora. Once again, Cameron preaches a pro-environment/anti-capitalist message. But while this sort of thing may have felt a bit too precious back in 2009, this kind of message feels important now as things haven’t improved for the planet in the past 13 years. Cynicism has been done to death. A little wide-eyed wonder isn’t a bad thing.
Like the best Cameron films, The Way of Water is blockbuster moviemaking at its finest. Cameron knows how to infuse his story with pathos and wonder. The action sequences are breathtaking and exciting. Even if the first hour feels a little slow, it’s imperative to set up where The Way of Water is heading – especially its thrilling final hour. But there is also tenderness interlaced here and this is not a movie only about explosions and shooting. The best films reach not only for awe, but the full gambit of emotions. Open your eyes and open your heart. Leave your cynical nature at the door. The Way of Water is ready for you to believe in movies again.
Photo courtesy of 20th Century Studios
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