Film: Avatar: The Way of Water

GENRE: Action Fantasy
RATING: PG-13 for language, violence and partial blue nudity
RUNTIME: 3 hours and 12 minutes
PLATFORM: Movie Theatre (3D)
STARRING: Sam Worthington (Terminator Salvation, Hacksaw Ridge)
Sigourney Weaver (Alien franchise); Stephen Lang (The Lost City)
DIRECTOR: James Cameron (Titanic, T2, Aliens, True Lies)
WRITERS: Cameron (Titanic, True Lies, Terminator, Avatar) and
Amanda Silver & Rick Jaffa (Mulan, Rise of the Planet of the Apes)
PLOT: Jake and his Na’vi family hide from a familiar threat

FULL DISCLOSURE: My expectations were really low.        

STORY STUFF: “The way of water has no beginning and no end.” Well, they got the last part right. What a long movie that felt long. While the first film was practically Ferngully with its environmental warning and cartoonish villainy, this one is more of a revenge film. The bad guys seem to want to take over Pandora but it becomes a hunt for Jake instead. There is way too much getting to know the water people and adapting to a new environment. As a teacher, I found their laughing at kids trying things for the first time and calling them morons not the best pedagogy. Also, allowing someone to get killed because they punched you seems disproportionate. The big attack sequence at the end also goes on forever. There’s a child who complains they are in the same predicament again ten minutes later. Sounds like boring writing to me. At one point, the ship sinking looks Titanic-ish with climbing over the edge of the railing. The family also forgets it can swim. Just so many bloated parts. Ironic as water usually helps prevent bloating.

ACTING STUFF: Wasn’t too impressed with anyone. The kids are okay. Trinity Jo-Li Bliss as Tuk is adorable. Britain Dalton as middle problem child Lo’ak also does good work. Worthington just gives advice while Zoe Saldana screams a bunch instead of using her words. Lang is still cartoonish but this time he’s blue so I guess he’s allowed to be.   

ARTISTIC STUFF: The visuals are the only reason to watch this film. There are beautiful shots throughout. The water world is inviting. I’m guessing that CGing water is tricky. The Na’vi look too computer generated though. Watching it in 3D didn’t distract me like it sometimes does. If you have 4K TV, just wait to watch it on a streamer even though it will make James Cameron cry if you don’t watch it in the theatre.

VERDICT: One and half stars out of five
SEE IT IF: You like water?
UPCOMING REVIEW:  Knives Out: Glass Onion