After the release of James Cameron's Avatar (2009), the reviews were positive and glowing. It became one of the world's highest-grossing films and we looked forward to the release of the sequel. I assumed the sequel would be out in two or three years. I didn't realise that Cameron is a meticulous writer/director who takes a longer time to produce worthwhile films. Thirteen years later, we finally have a sequel to Avatar!
I enjoyed the world building of the fictional universe, Pandora, and the interaction between the Na'vi humanoids and humans in the previous film. I had no expectations for the sequel. I was simply sure it would be spectacular considering Cameron's meticulousness and his track record with the Terminator series, Titanic and Avatar. I was proved right!
In this sequel, Cameron takes his audience deeper into the world of Pandora with the return of some members of the old cast and the inclusion of new members. Before I get carried away in my review of this piece of art, a brief synopsis should be in order at this point.
Avatar: The Way Of Water (2022)* is an American sci-fi, action-thriller that continues right from where the previous film stopped. Jake Sully (played by Sam Worthington), the Toruk Makto of the Na'vi people, becomes a full Na'vi and starts a family with his wife, Neytiri (played by Zoe Saldana). Together they have two sons: Neteyam and Lo'ak, a daughter named Tuk, and they adopted Kiri (played by Sigourney Weaver), a daughter of Dr Grace Augustine's Na'vi avatar and Spider, a human son of the late Colonel Miles Quaritch.
This young family is at peace in Pandora when their bliss is shattered by the arrival of the 'sky people'. These sky people include some Na'vi avatars who are implanted with memories of the dead soldiers from the first film.
The Na'vi avatars are led by Colonel Miles Quaritch (played by Stephen Lang). The mission of the sky people is to colonise Pandora and make it fitting for humans to inhabit as Earth is dying while the mission of Colonel Miles Quaritch and his team is to finish what they started in the first film: kill Jake Sully because he is a hindrance to their first mission.
When Jake and his family discover the return of the sky people and Colonel Miles Quaritch, he realises the Omatikaya clan are in danger. He relinquishes his title as Toruk Makto and travels deeper into Pandora with his family to the sea area to live amongst the Metkayina clan.
As Jake and his family learn the Metkayina's way of life which includes underwater adventures, the sky people come after them. Jake is faced with a hard decision: should he run and hide from his powerful enemies or turn and fight them?
Review
All I can say is, this sequel is fantastic! James Cameron makes the wait worth it by taking his viewers further into the world of Pandora, its treasures and possibilities. Exploring the rainforest of Pandora in Avatar is great. Viewers are left in astonishment as to the science and action sequences.
The cinematography is out of this world! Cameron gives us some stunning aerial and underwater acrobatics which kind of reminds me of Titanic. The submarine world of Pandora is the chief character and the whole point of this film. Viewers are taken systemically through the process of Jake Sully and his family adapting to living underwater.
The underwater sequences are spectacular. I loved the way Cameron shot the scenes, it's like the audience is a part of the action, diving and swimming along with the characters. I think this art has a lot to do with the technology used. They seem better, faster and sharpened.
This sequel stands out from the previous one and clears the way for more sequels to come. Whereas Avatar was more focused on a single story of Jake becoming a part of Na'vi, this sequel brings Jake's children into focus while tying their stories together with others.
Metkayina clan
I admire the direction of this film's story. Now we know there's more to Pandora than just the Omatikaya clan. There's the Metkayina clan, the reef people, who live in harmony with their aquatic surroundings. Cameron is artistically clever in this aspect. He makes the Metkayina look a lot like the Na’vi except that their skin colour is light teal and they have some tattoos. Their hands and tails look different to accommodate their underwater ways.
Also, the feature of supersized whales called Tulkuns is sensational. It's sci-fi so the whales have to look a bit different from Earth whales. The funny thing is the Tulkuns are large and have the faces of hammerhead sharks!
Overall, I'll say Avatar The Way of Water is worth the 13 years wait! It's spectacular and fun to watch. The cast is outstanding in their acting. I'm hoping we won't have to wait so long before the next sequel comes along.
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Other images are screenshots from the movie
