Spectacle amplified in ‘Avatar’ sequel
This image released by 20th Century Studios shows Britain Dalton, as Lo'ak, in a scene from "Avatar: The Way of Water."
20th Century Studios via AP
This image released by 20th Century Studios shows Zoe Saldana, as Neytiri, left, and Sam Worthington, as Jake Sully, in a scene from "Avatar: The Way of Water."
This image released by 20th Century Studios shows Sam Worthington, as Jake Sully, in a scene from "Avatar: The Way of Water."
This image released by 20th Century Studios shows Trinity Bliss, as Tuk, in a scene from "Avatar: The Way of Water."
This image released by 20th Century Studios shows Kate Winslet, as Ronal, left, and Cliff Curtis, as Tonowari, in a scene from "Avatar: The Way of Water."
Bloated and spectacular in equal measure, “Avatar: The Way of Water” is an exhausting, ultimately rewarding experience. Just expect to need a good long nap after its 3+ hour runtime.
James Cameron spent more than a decade developing future adventures of the Na’vi in the alien world of Pandora (another sequel arrives in 2024). The original “Avatar” in 2009 broke box office records and made the best case for the power of big screen spectacle, with 3-D-enhanced visuals that justified the format’s premium ticket cost.
Tickets for 3-D showings are even more expensive now, and so Cameron obviously decided to up the technological ante. “The Way of Water” is an incredible looking movie, particularly when it shifts to the vibrant underwater world of Pandora populated by creatures big and small… and really big.
Cameron makes movies for a worldwide audience, so his stories tend to use broadly-drawn characters and plot elements that are apparently easy to translate into multiple languages. Despite the visual creativity operating at full blast, his storytelling often feels too familiar and unexciting.
That’s the case again with “The Way of Water,” which essentially rehashes many of the same plot elements from the first movie. Instead of jarhead Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) learning how to live among the Na’vi forest people, Jake, life mate Neytiri (Zoe Saldana) and their four kids learn how to live among the Na’vi water people. Instead of being terrorized by ruthless Colonel Quaritch (Stephen Lang), the heroes are terrorized by a reincarnated, big blue version of Quaritch (because people liked Lang in the first movie).
Even the first hour or so of “The Way of Water” replays the action beats of the first film until the Sully clan must take refuge with one of Pandora’s ocean tribes (led by new Na’vi characters played by Cliff Curtis and Kate Winslet, reuniting with her “Titanic” director).
The breakout character of “Avatar” — Saldana’s Neytiri — remains a riveting presence. Unfortunately, the character becomes too often sidelined as “worried mother” to “The Way of Water’s” true leads — the four Sully kids: Oldest son Neteyam (Jamie Flatters), rebellious Lo’ak (Britain Dalton), youngest daughter Tuk (Trinity Jo-Li Bliss), and adopted daughter Kiri, who was born from the Na’vi Avatar of Grace, played in that movie by Sigourney Weaver.
Weaver returns here as Kiri, and she delivers an impressive performance (aided by state-of-the-art motion capture tech) as the teenaged Na’vi who carries a mysterious connection to the planet’s Tree of Souls. Look, you’re either into this sci-fi tomfoolery or you aren’t.
The four kids turn out to be interesting-enough characters to watch splash around the water, particularly when Lo’ak befriends an outcast whale creature that the other Na’vi villagers banished. However, too much of the movie’s plot points turn on the kids not listening to the very good advice of their parents. Kids do that sort of thing, obviously, but the number of mistakes these kids make could populate the next 14 installments of the “Halloween” franchise.
Ultimately the kids’ poor decisions lead to some relentless and expertly crafted action sequences, and Cameron proves once again he’s the best action director working today, if not ever. The movie uses a high-frame rate that can be occasionally distracting while on land, but the hyper-detail pays off in the extended water sequences (which honestly takes up more than half the film).
While 3D visuals are misused in 90 percent of the movies that attempt it, “The Way of Water” is enhanced by the format. If you’re going to spend three hours on Pandora, better to do so in 3D on the biggest screen possible. Just expect your eyes to be tired by the end.
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Tyler Wilson is film critic and member of the International Press Academy. He has been writing about movies since 2000, including a regular column in The Press since 2006. He can be reached at twilson@cdapress.com.
