Avatar: The Way of Water - Review

Is it even possible to critique a movie like this? Love it or hate it, the original “Avatar” has had a bizarrely massive impact on the landscape of cinema, ushering in the era of mainstream 3D, the visual effects heavy blockbuster, and somehow becoming the highest grossing film of all time. Yet, it feels like every day there are new articles, tweets, and think pieces put out about how little overall impact it’s had since. “How could a movie with so much money be remembered by so few people?” the internet asks itself virtually every week, not recognizing the irony its these statements repetition. Despite James Cameron (“Terminator 2: Judgment Day,” “Titanic”) announcing a litany of sequels way back in 2009, its only now in 2022 that we’re seeing the first of those released: “Avatar: The Way of Water.” And once again the film proves the age-old adage; “Never bet against James Cameron.”

Set fourteen years after the events of the first film, “The Way of Water”, the film follows Jake Sully, played by Sam Worthington (“Hacksaw Ridge,” “Under the Banner of Heaven”), and Neytiri, played by Zoë Saldaña (“Crossroads,” “Guardians of the Galaxy”), attempting to raise a family while also fighting back the Humans who continue to try and colonize Pandora. After an attack and attempted kidnapping of their children; Lo'ak, played by Britain Dalton (“Goliath”), Tuk, played by Trinity Jo-Li Bliss (“The Garcias”), Neteyam, played by Jamie Flatters (“The School for Good and Evil,” “The Forgotten Battle”), and Kiri, played by Sigourney Weaver (“Working Girl,” “Alien”), as well as human child Spider, played by Jack Champion, by an Avatar clone of Colonel Miles Quaritch, played by Stephen Lang (“Don’t Breathe,” “Public Enemies”), the family decides to leave their forest home for the Metkayina ocean clan lead by Tonowari, played by Cliff Curtis (“Fear the Walking Dead,” “Training Day”) and Ronal, played by Kate Winslet (“Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind,” “Mare of Easttown”).

At three hours and twelve minutes, this is no small trek back to the world of Pandora. On paper, it can easily seem like a smaller scale adventure compared to the first film’s. But in practice, Cameron and his co-writers Rick Jaffa (“Dawn of the Planet of the Apes,” “Jurassic World”), Amanda Silver (“Dawn of the Planet of the Apes,” “Jurassic World”), Josh Friedman (“War of the Worlds (2005),” “Terminator: Dark Fate”), and Shane Salerno (“Savages,” “Salinger”) have crafted a film that is the textbook example of something that works far better in motion than on paper. While the story may be fairly routine, it’s a tale of a family going on the run and hiding out to protect themselves from a dangerous threat, it's in the characters that everything truly shines. It at times could even draw comparisons to films like “Running on Empty” in how it portrays its family on the run dynamic.

That doesn’t mean its flawless by any means, and the biggest negative against the writing is the fact that it feels as though elements are simply introduced just to be brought up again in future sequels. It’s understandable enough given that this is one of four sequels to come out, but it could still have been established more gracefully than it is here. That being said, the film’s atmosphere is the clear reason to see something like this. Vistas are breathtaking, and the film feels all-encompassing, like its reaching out and wrapping the viewer in a blanket made of celluloid to transport you to the world of Pandora. An IMAX screen and a pair of 3D glasses are a must for at least one viewing.

While the characterizations have improved from a writing perspective, a lot of credit also has to go to the actors. Worthington is excellent as Sully, now having slotted himself into a fatherly role. He’s clearly juggling a lot and he comes off as earnest and protective in a great way. Saldaña plays off him well, and the pair have great chemistry, while she balances Neytiri’s threatening protective nature and her calmer motherly instincts well. The familial chemistry is just great, with Dalton, Bliss, Flatters and Weaver seeming all too realistic in their sibling dynamic. Lang is appropriately threatening, but also allows for a large amount of conflict and confusion in his role. He isn’t simply a carbon copy of Quaritch, and the difference between his Avatar clone and his human personality clash in really interesting ways.

Lang’s interplay with Champion represents the film’s most complicated relationship and Champion might be one of the film’s most vita assets, even if he doesn’t immediately seem so. Curtis and Winslet are also charming in their back and forth, representing a differing parenting and leadership style for Sully and Neytiri, with Curtis in particular being him usually endlessly charming self. However, the film’s standout is Weaver, without a doubt. Somehow the 73-year-old actress has turned in her best performance in years as an achingly sincere portrait of a teenage girl searching for her place in the world. She’s both extremely easy to empathize with and also fiercely independent, delivering the film’s best performance and most lovable character.

It should be no surprise given the long development of the film and who Cameron is, but the film’s visual effects are breathtaking. Separate from the atmosphere of the world, there are entire sequences that feel like nothing else you’ve seen before, regardless of if you actually have or not. It simply takes you away into this other world. While it is gorgeous on a technical level, enough can’t be said about the film’s production design and art direction; the visuals might be detailed, but if those aren’t also good, then none of that matters. The gorgeous oceans and forests spring to life, from the largest tree to the tiniest sea creature. It feels truly like a masterclass in worldbuilding, as if you’re watching a documentary set on another planet.

The cinematography, shot by Russell Carpenter (“True Lies,” “Titanic”), in particular feels excellent given the effects heavy production of the film. That it somehow turned out a film this cohesive and gorgeously shot, given the myriad of underwater and technical elements on display, is an achievement. And it bears repeating, when you see a fully live action human character like Spider interacting with the all-digital world and characters flawlessly, with nary a seam or green screen flicker to be seen, that’s when it truly blows you away. Not in the wide vistas and gorgeous landscapes, but in the effort to make sure even this one character still feels like he really belongs there.

A lot has been made of the success of “The Way of Water,” from the box office to the polarizing audience reception. Most on “film twitter” seem baffled by the film’s success and at the time of writing it has just barely crossed 500K logs on Letterbox’d, a number nearly doubled by “Glass Onion.” So how is it making so much money when so few “film” people are seeing it? Quite simply, Cameron knows how to make a four-quadrant crowd pleaser, and “The Way of Water” is an easy example of how to make that film and still make it excellent. With characters that are easy to get invested in, a gorgeous visual style, and an all-encompassing world to get lost in, “The Way of Water” is the kind of film that simply washes over you. 4.5/5