AVATAR: THE WAY OF WATER – Review

Along with EMPIRE OF LIGHT, this week’s film is also a bit of cinema nostalgia. No, it’s not about the beginning of Hollywood or a particular famous director, nor Like EOL a movie palace. That’s because it has something in common with this year’s (so far) biggest box office earner: it is a sequel several years after the original. Now it doesn’t come close to the 36 years between the TOP GUN flicks, but 13 is a long stretch indeed. That’s when James Cameron followed up the, then, biggest film of all time, TITANIC, with a film that surpassed it (at the time). And now after endless reports and rumors, official and unofficial announcements, the sequel to his SF-fantasy epic is finally here (supposedly the first of at least four follow-ups). So dust off those 3D stereo specs for a return to Pandora in AVATAR: THE WAY OF WATER.

The story does pick up on that said planet, as the human invaders are banished, except a few sympathetic scientists, by the native Na-vi tribes. As for the focus of the first flick, Jake Sully (Sam Worthington in voice and “mo-cap”) is still in his cloned Na-vi body and has started a family with Neytiri (Zoe Saldana), plus he’s the chief of the Omaticaya (forest) tribe. The couple has two teenage sons, Neteyam and Lo’ak along with their pre-teen daughter Tuk. Oh, and they’ve adopted two more. there’s teenager Kiri who is the avatar of late human researcher Grace Augustine (Sigourney Weaver) and an actual human teenage boy who couldn’t be part of the exile, though he’s the son of Jake’s enemy. He prefers the nickname ‘Spider’ (Jack Champion). Things are tranquil until that same enemy, Quaritch (Stephen Lang) actually returns in a Na’vi avatar complete with his still ill-tempered “brain template”., Of course, the Earthers are back with another attempt to colonize Pandora under the command of General Ardmore (Edie Falco). Quaritch is thirsting for revenge and targets Jake. When the kids, except Spider, avoid capture by his forces, Jake decides that they must leave the tribe in order to protect their forest friends. Moving quickly, they dash toward the wide ocean to join the Metkayina, the reef people. Their chief Tonowari (Cliff Curtis) and his wife Ronal (Kate Winslett) hesitantly take them in. Jake doesn’t wish to upset his hosts, but his sons soon clash with Tonowari’s aggressive sons, though daughter Tiserya seems to ‘like” Neteyama. But the underwater explorations of the Sully family may be cut short as the forces of Quartich zero in. leading to a massive battle for the fate of the entire planet.

For most films, I’d delve right into the performances, but this film is quite unique in that aspect. Since so much motion-capture technology is utilized you’d perhaps wish to consider it an animated feature. But that’s not really the case as we do have “un-augmented” performers throughout the film. Weaver and Lang are seen in flashback cameos as is Giovanni Ribisi. Champion has probably the most “live time” as Spider who’s an interesting hybrid of the feral “wild child” of ROAD WARRIOR and ERB’s Korak (son of Tarzan) and Jack Kirby’s 70’s creation for DC, Kamandi (“the last boy on Earth”). Falco’s a formidable general, while comic actor Jermaine Clement is a funny nervous scientist in the big third-act battle. Yet here’s what sets apart the use of CGI enhancements here: the acting performances still shine through. Worthington’s a glowering stern, but fair, father. Salanda’s eyes well with tears as she worries about her “clan”. And Lang’s arrogant sneer is there amidst all the blue skin and cat-like features of the Na’vi.

That’s just the tip of this film’s incredible wizardry and wonders. Pandora’s is as gorgeous as you recall, perhaps even more so in the depth and details of the floating mountains and lush jungle that sparkles with shimmering creatures that seem to float inches from our noses. But then Cameron tops that by setting so much of the second half in the new beautiful blues of the underwater vistas. The characters glide in a beautiful ballet with the astounding creatures (their “scalp tails” connect with seal-like transports) and later dance upon whale-like behemoths. But the creativity’s not limited to the new forms of wildlife. Ardmore has an “upgrade” of Ripley’s exoskeleton from ALIENS, while the other Earth weaponry resembles a rampaging metallic crab. In the oceans, the battleship-sized vessels shoot out torpedoes that are tiny one-manned subs. This just doubles the frustrations of an often trite screenplay with too many bits of clunky dialogue. The environmental themes are hammered home while those inter-family conflicts (sibling rivalries, estrangements, repressed attractions) feel “tacked on” to balance the action set-pieces. And yes, they’re truly awesome, but it wears us down after extended aquatic exploring. Still, Cameron has pushed the boundaries of special effects once more making a trek to the biggest screen available (along with enhanced sound and 3D) a real cinematic thrill ride. He makes Pandora the ultimate movie dreamscape in AVATAR: THE WAY OF WATER.

3 Out of 4

AVATAR: THE WAY OF WATER is now playing in theatres everywhere