Avatar: The Way of Water Review

Avatar: The Way of Water is a stunningly beautiful film. The visuals and CGI are at their peak, with every scene being breathtaking. The film introduces us to new plants and animals and we get to dive in a whole new world. The story and characters are rich with depth and you can’t help but wonder what comes next.

I recall watching the first Avatar movies several years ago. The plot was refreshingly unique and the cinematography was incredible. At the time, I was relatively new to CGI and couldn’t fully grasp how they were able to create such magical moments. I eagerly awaited the release of the next movie and, about ten years later, it has finally arrived.

⚠️ Some spoilers ahead…

Synopsis

Jake and Neytiri now have a family of their own, with two daughters and two sons who are each unique in their own way. Their first son, Neteyam, is responsible but sometimes gets dragged into trouble by the mischievous second son, Lo’ak. Despite his antics, Lo’ak has a big heart and feels like an outcast in the family. The oldest daughter, Kiri, the most unique of the bunch, has a special connection to Eywa, the deity of the Na’vi. The youngest daughter, Tuk, is funny and cute as can be.

Jake is now the clan leader, Olo’eyktan, and leads a happy life with his family until the sky people return. This time, they are even more prepared than before and plan to establish a colony on Pandora. A certain colonel, who has been resurrected and bluish-ly upgraded is out for blood and targets Jake and his family.

Jake and his family leave their clan and seek refuge with the Metkayina clan, an oceanic group of Na’vi who reluctantly welcome the Sullys and teach them their ways. Hiding seems to work for the Sullys, but it is only temporary as trouble finds them again.

What I like about it

  • The visuals are amazing! I can’t accurately explain how realistic and mystical it all looked. 
  • The Tulkuns! I honestly never thought I’d watch a movie and have a fish as one of my favourite characters. Tulkuns are massive and highly intelligent marine creatures that live in the oceans of Pandora. 
  • The characters are well developed. I was able to figure out their personalities and individual motivations about half way through the film. 
  • Jake and Neytiri, the lovebirds, still work well together and rely on each other as much as before. I’m happy they kept that going in this new movie.
  • The children are shown to be unique and strong, exactly the kind of children I would expect a pair like Jake and Neytiri to bring up.
  • And finally, the VISUALS! This needs to be repeated time and time again. The CGI budget must be sky-high, but it is completely worth it. The creativity and design of the entire movie is praiseworthy.

What I don’t like about it

  • This was a longgggg movie! Although I understand that every scene was important and necessary, it was a bit of a marathon to sit through. The first hour of the movie dragged on for a while. I saw it in the theater and was captivated the whole time, so I couldn’t even take a short break. If you plan on seeing it in the cinema, I recommend a quick bathroom break beforehand.
  • It was difficult to distinguish between the sons, Lo’ak and Neteyam, at the beginning of the movie. The Na’vi have similar facial features and body structures, and the sons are very close in age and height. For a while, I couldn’t figure out which one was which, even when I tried using their outfits to differentiate them. Thankfully, as the movie progressed, I was able to differentiate between them.

Favourite Character

Neytiri! Of course. I love her fighting spirit and her fight scenes in this movie are top notch. One scene in particular would even give Hawkeye a run for his money.

Re-watchability

I’ll definitely see this movie again, but not in the cinema.The runtime is a bit too long for me to experience again without breaks. A good TV should hopefully be enough to show the amazing graphics.

Final Rating

I give this a 9.2 out of 10. It’s a really good movie.

Overall, I really liked the movie and I was happy about how everything came together. I hope everyone can check it out and support them so they make more.

Seen the movie already? Leave a comment and let me know what you think!