In Avatar: The Way of Water, the movie is going in the motion of the previous one quite well.
After the first movie, Jake Sully had already fought the humans, chosen the Na'vi, and found a new life with Neytiri. So who would have imagined that years later, his biggest concern would be raising children and keeping his family together?
Then the humans return.
And this time Jake isn't only thinking about himself. He knows exactly what they are capable of, so he takes his family away from their home and seeks refuge with the Metkayina, a water-dwelling Na'vi clan.
I liked that change.
Instead of simply giving us another version of the first movie, the story takes us somewhere else and allows us to see how another Na'vi community lives. Their relationship with the ocean, the creatures around them, and even the way they move through the water makes Pandora feel much larger than it did before. The children also became an important part of the story, especially Lo'ak. He spends a lot of time feeling like he doesn't quite fit in, and his relationship with Payakan gradually becomes one of the more interesting parts of the movie.
I also found myself thinking about Jake's decision to leave his home. He is trying to protect his family, which is understandable, but leaving does not really make the problem disappear. The humans eventually find them anyway.
Sometimes running from a problem only gives it more time to catch up with you. The movie also surprised me with how much it focused on family. The first Avatar felt more like Jake discovering Pandora and choosing where he belonged. The Way of Water feels more like Jake trying to make sure the people he loves survive.
And then there is the ending.
The final battle is chaotic, emotional and beautifully shot, especially the underwater sequences. I knew there would be a major confrontation eventually, but the way the characters were forced to fight through the water made it feel different from the usual action scenes.
The only thing I struggled with was the length. There are parts where the story takes its time a little too seriously, and I wondered whether every scene really needed that much breathing room. Maybe it does.
Still, I enjoyed it.
It is not simply a bigger version of the first Avatar. It is a story about what happens after the great victory, when the hero has a family, responsibilities, enemies who have not forgotten him, and much more to lose.
Rating: 100/100
