Avatar: The Way of Water Proves Some Things Are Worth the Wait

(SPOT.ph) When discussing the ever-intangible “Greatest Sequels of All-Time,” two substantial points normally brought up in conversation are whether the sequel builds off its predecessor in terms of either scale or themes and whether the new film introduces a different dimension to the world of the original. Close to the heart of this age-old discourse is none other than American filmmaker James Cameron, director of two action films regularly brought up in conversation: Terminator 2: Judgement Day and Aliens.

With Judgement Day, Cameron reinvented the sci-fi neo-noir time-travel slasher world of the original Terminator into a rip-roaring ‘90s action flick filled with quotable one-liners and wholesome family dynamics. With Aliens, well, he literally wrote the word “Alien” on a whiteboard, added an S at the end, then put two lines through it to make a dollar sign. (We’re not joking.) And now, after devoting over a decade to refining the world (his world) of Pandora, Cameron unveils his mighty work of Avatar: The Way of Water, and subsequently adds another of his movies to the conversation of “Greatest Sequels of All-Time.”

Also read: Kate Winslet Tells Us About Free Diving and Underwater Filming for Avatar: The Way of Water

Here's why Avatar: The Way of Water is worth the wait

The Way of Water wastes no time in introducing us to the sequel’s (and possibly the rest of the franchise’s) new ensemble: the Sully family unit. Even while adjusting to the you-wouldn’t-believe-that’s-not-real world, you become instantly invested in Jake (Sam Worthington) and Neytiri’s (Zoe Saldana) family of misfits, precisely due to how colorfully odd they are.

We’ve got the two bickering older brothers Neteyam (Jamie Flatters) and Lo'ak (Britain Dalton), both trying to win the approval of their chief-slash-father, and the feisty youngest child, Tuk (Trinity Bliss). Oh, and not to mention you’ve got Sigourney Weaver portraying the teenage daughter of her character’s deceased avatar from the previous film. Do they explain this? Certainly not, but just know she has a budding relationship with the Sullys’ other adopted child, a human kid named Spider (Jack Champion) who was left behind by the humans from the last movie.

This ragtag family unit anchors the entire film and gives the sequel an emotional weight to the worldbuilding that the original was lacking to an extent. Every aspect of Pandora, the new Metkayina reef tribe, and other underwater cultures explored in The Way of Water are presented through the perspective of the Sully family. Sometimes, the family members don’t see eye to eye on certain traditions and viewpoints, thereby inciting conflict. Other times, the characters share bonds over new aspects of the world introduced in the film, which subsequently allows for the audience to likewise share an emotional attachment to the worldbuilding that goes far deeper than “Whoa, that looked cool!” (even if it did, in fact, whoa, look cool).

The whole middle section of the film is essentially just discovery; discovery, of course, of this new side of Pandora that Cameron and company now have the technology to fully bring forth to the big screen, but also discovery of who these characters are. All of the kids are unsurprisingly trying to figure out who they are and what their place in the world is and the change of scenery from the familiar forests to the perpetually changing oceans is a rather fitting narrative avenue for them to explore that. The new environment allows for the story to pull the characters apart and put them (as individuals and as a family) back together in interesting ways.

This focus on characters even extends to the antagonists of the picture. It surprisingly works in favor of the film that the main villain gives up trying to find the Sully family halfway through the movie and instead decides to just hang out with his son while waiting for Sully to pop up again.

All these character threads come colliding by the film’s climax, which—on top of some of the gnarliest kills put to screen this year—doesn’t miss a beat to service the characters’ ongoing stories or pay off the pent-up emotions of investing nearly three hours into our new children—er, we mean these new characters.

More than just spectacle—although the visuals are top-notch and will have you turning to the random stranger beside you to say, “Do you see how good that water looks?!”—the film’s climax additionally feels like Cameron’s most personal outing as a blockbuster director yet. On top of the family angle, you could also feel Cameron’s palpable love for the ocean, his heartbreak over the atrocities committed by illegal marine life hunters, and his—dare we say it—maniacal glee over getting to put these criminals in their place (even if justice and retribution are only achieved in the fictional world of this billion-dollar franchise).

The Way of Water is a bold 2022 sci-fi action flick that completely moves away from an overcomplicated plot and noisy spectacle. Instead, it focuses on exploring humanity within and the world we live in; in other words, just how cool science and exploration truly are. Cameron goes mad genius mode and introduces concepts like immaculate conceptions, data-transferring memories, and anti-aging blood, but decides not to remotely delve into any of that and, instead, focus on underwater spirit trees and whales that understand music and philosophy. Pure cinema from a guy who just really loves the ocean.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 Spots.

P.S. We saw the film in both 2D and IMAX 3D showings and both offer excellent yet wholly unique viewing experiences. We’d recommend 2D for those who want to see more of the colors pop and the finer details of the avatars, the creatures, the environment, etc. On the other hand, the IMAX 3D option provides a more immersive experience, especially during the underwater sequences. The latter is also rendered at HFR (high frame rate), meaning a lot of the visuals may appear smoother, which could add to how realistic the images look.

Avatar: The Way of Water is now showing in cinemas.

Also read: Here's Everything We Know About Avatar 2...and 3, 4, 5

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