“Avatar” took a very basic premise and embellished it with eye-popping splendour in such a way that it made the film a must-see commodity, and in the process, it became a record-breaking smash. The director James Cameron has done it again with “Avatar: The Way of Water,” a state-of-the-art exercise that rekindles that sense of wonder and demands to be seen by anyone who has any lingering interest in watching movies in theaters. Cameron had to deal with very different theatrical tides this time.
Although James Cameron (who shares script credit with Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver) has already announced plans for multiple “Avatar” sequels, the director has packed so much technical wizardry, scope, and scale into this 190-minute epic that it gives the impression that he approached directing it as if there might never be another, leaving everything out on the field—or rather, the waves.
The original is married to Cameron’s well-documented love of the ocean and its exploration, an impulse he’s been indulging since “Titanic” a quarter of a century ago. In addition, “The Way of Water” introduces an entirely new Na’vi subculture of reef people, complete with their own evolutionary adaptations and remarkable fauna with which they bond.
As was the case with the film that came out in 2009, the storyline of “The Way of Water” isn’t exactly ground-breaking. Instead, it’s a cleverly assembled treatise on the evils of imperialism, an environmental message, and, in the main twist, family dynamics. These elements are woven together in a way that affords each of the children their own problems while largely avoiding the Disney Channel-style missteps that could have resulted.
The events of the sequel take place many years later, with Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) and Neytiri (Zoe Saldana) now being the proud parents of four children. Despite this, they still find time for “date evenings,” which consist of euphorically flying above the beauty of Pandora.
Jake explains in a voiceover that “happiness is simple” until the “sky people” return to once again lay siege to their paradise. This time, they are motivated by a “WALL-E”-type dilemma in which they have polluted Earth to the point where it is no longer habitable, which causes the commander of this mission (played by Edie Falco) to speak of the imperative to “pacify the hostiles.”
Jake emphasizes time and again that the fundamental responsibility of a father is to look out for the welfare of his children, thus he makes the decision to seek safety with the Metkayina, the water clan that was previously mentioned. He receives a warmer welcome from their monarch, played by Cliff Curtis, than he does from their queen, played by Kate Winslet, in what is, in more ways than one, a “Titanic” reunion.
The act of fleeing will, of course, just postpone the confrontation that appears to be unavoidable; nonetheless, this is an opportunity to expose both the parents and their offspring to the challenges of adjusting to their new environment, which can be enriching for all involved. When they become the new kids on the reef, the children, in particular, have to learn how to navigate the various personalities and petty competitions that arise.
Cameron does not avoid the granular details that come along with all of that; rather, he luxuriates in them and encourages the audience to do the same. From the very first striking 3D pictures that virtually burst off the screen, “The Way of Water” basks in speed and energy. It gives the impression that this was all an audition for the expected upgrades to Disney World’s theme park attractions.
Even though there are fewer human characters this time around, the performance-capture techniques prove authentic enough that it almost never feels as if you’re watching an animated film. This is due to the simplicity of the story, which provides licence to indulge in the dazzling visuals and state-of-the-art performance-capture techniques.
In a similar manner, Cameron elongates sequences for considerable amounts of time but rarely creates a dull moment. The obvious exception to this rule is during the climactic battle, which keeps piling on threats and escapes that easily could have been shortened or tighter.
However, this criticism amounts to little more than a nitpick in the context of a movie that brings a full-throated roar to the celebration of traveling to the theater to watch a movie as a one-of-a-kind event, almost daring the audience to resist the film’s muscularity and strength.
As was mentioned, a lot has happened in the time since Cameron first introduced the Na’vi, and this includes the corporate ownership of the IP itself. Whereas the film was initially produced by Fox, it is now owned by Disney.
In the end, however, “The Way of Water” dispels any remaining doubts that the expedition might have arrived on Pandora either too late or too long after it had been planned. For a series that helped make the phrase “I see you” famous, the director of the latest installment in the franchise has crafted a film that should be viewed not from the coziness of your living room couch, but rather on the largest screen possible.
On December 16, “Avatar: The Way of Water” will have its debut in theatres across the United States. It has a rating of PG-13.