AVATAR: THE WAY OF WATER

US, 2022, 192 minutes, Colour.

Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, Sigourney Weaver, Stephen Lang, Kate Winslet, Cliff Curtis, Joel David Moore, CCH Pounder, Edie Falco, Brendan Cowell, Jemaine Clement, Jamie Flatters, Britton Dalton, Jack Champion, Giovanni Ribisi.

Directed by James Cameron.

Many of us will remember seeing the original Avatar in 2009, swept away by its story, themes, strange characters, a visit to another world, the Pandora moon.

And, for years, James Cameron has promised us a sequel, indeed a pledge of many sequels. And, at last, Avatar The Way of Water. From December 15, 2022, there is simultaneous release of this film all around the world, from the US to China, and beyond, a kind of multi-verse of screens everywhere showing The Way of Water.

For those who relish Avatar and remember its details, they will be eager to see the characters again, visit Pandora, experience new adventures (and continuation of the old adventures). For those who cannot quite remember the details of the original, probably best to do some revision before venturing here.

Early in the film, there are some reminders of characters and of situations, especially the story of Jake Sully (Sam Worthington), in the first expedition to Pandora, his injuries, his falling in love, marrying (Zoe Kravitz) his being transformed into a Na’vi. There Is a glimpse of the scientist played by Sigourney Weaver (who now provides voice and performance for her daughter, Kiri). And those who thought the belligerent Colonel Quaritch, Stephen Lang, had died, the power of the inventive imagination has now revived him, but in the form of a Na’vi, bent on resentful revenge on Jake Sully.

James Cameron knows a lot about spectacle, think Titanic and the real-life dives to find the Titanic, his action spectacles like Terminator 2: Judgement Day, and his command of creative photography and computer-generated effects. This is particularly true of “performance capture”, used in the original film as here, the actors performing but technology able to transform their performance into the appearance of strange, unusual, blue creatures. And there are the effects as the Na’vi swoop through the air on giant flying creatures, or dive into the depths of the ocean with extraordinary sea creatures.

There are three distinct parts of this film (running for 192 minutes).

First, there is the establishing of the continuity of stories, the audience able to revisit Pandora and its characters, but also a new expedition from earth, seeking to exploit Pandora for minerals, setting up industry, building up a huge town and factories, with military support for protection. And the return of Quaritch. There is something of an uprising against the new colonial exploiting invaders, some guerrilla warfare on the part of Jake Sully. Action adventure.

Second, the mood changes, there is a focus on the families, Jake and his children, seeking refuge with another tribe (Cliff Curtis and Kate Winslet), interactions with the younger generation, some rivalries, a focus on one particular son, Lo’ak, taunted, left stranded in the wild ocean, discovering what seems to be a sea monster but finding it is friendly, able to communicate. This is a lyrical, Blue Lagoon, kind of storytelling.

Third, grand climax, the newcomers dominating and persecuting the locals, Quaritch and his continued quest, huge sea vehicles, building up to an enormous – and long – battle to end all battles, special effects, a pounding score, all that an audience wanting action and adventure could desire.

Which means then that Avatar, The Way of Water, achieves what it set out to do (although some audiences and reviewers are critical of James Cameron’s sometimes pedestrian dialogue). This kind of action adventure is different from the Marvel universe DC comics (Aquaman probably the closest). Rather, the Avatar films could appeal to those who relish the Narnia stories or have the Lord of The Rings.

1. A sequel after 13 years? The popularity of the original film, breaking all box office records? Story, characters, ecological message, industrial and colonialisation messages? Special effects? The techniques of “performance capture”, characters, appearances, action, voices?
2. The title, the explanations throughout of the continuous way of water? The amount of water in the film? Water sequences, underwater sequences, water creatures, Wales? Swimming, action, drama?
3. The cast, from the first film, the next generation, the actors, their performance capture appearances, their voices? The musical score, the pounding score during the final battle?
4. Audience memories of the original film, of Pandora, of the military and colonial coming to the moon, mining, conflicts, humans versus the people from Pandora? The beauty of Pandora, lyrical flights, the flying creatures, gravity?
5. Jake Sully, his role, the clash with Quaritch? Siding with the people of Pandora? His transformation? The death of Quaritch? The memories of the human characters, Sigourney Weaver as the doctor? Giovanni Ribisi as the manager? Their return in this film? And Sigourney Weaver playing her daughter?
6. The first part of the film, recapitulating the past, the role of Jake and his wife, their children, both human and local? The developers returning, the building of the town and the industry? Elaborate? Jake and the attacks, guerrilla warfare? The effect on Quaritch? Quaritch, his previous death, resurrected as Na’vi, his memories? His being determined to have vengeance on Jake? Is capturing the children, challenge to Jake? The rescue? Spider remaining, spider as’s Quaritch’s son, yet his loyalty to Jake and the family? Captured, interrogated, his silence? The commander, the fierceness in the interrogation, relentless?
7. The second part of the film, lyrical? The family, the parents, the relationship, Jake and his memories, the dangers, the pursuit by Quaritch? The children, their activities, bonding? The presence of Kiri? Her mother, her powers, communing with the spirit mother? Her collapse, her being healed? Her magical powers? The way of water, the children, swimming, underwater, adventures? The bonding and the attractions? Loyalties? Lo’ak, the clash with the son of the other chief, told to reconcile, the boys taking him out into the open seas, abandoning him, his encounter with the sea beast, the dangers, the pursuit, the crunching of the coral, but the rescue, the beast able to communicate? The return? The story of the beast, isolated, the past, the whale pursuers?
8. The third part, Jake and the family taking refuge with the other tribe, the bonding? Yet Quaritch, the attack, the weapons, the threats, being persecuted to give information about Jake? The buildup to the attack, Quaritch and his troops, Spider present, Scoresby, the scientist, the boat, Quaritch and his huge sea vehicle? The pursuit of the whales? The emergence of the whales from the water?
9. The buildup to the confrontation, lengthy, the pounding musical score, everybody involved, the special effects, the fighting, the destruction? The troops, Jake and the family, support, the capture of the children, freeing them, the buildup to the confrontation with Quaritch, Quaritch and his holding the daughter, the mother and her holding Spider, Quaritch relenting, letting him go?
10. The fight between Quaritch and Jake, the choreography of the fighting, the dangers, Jake choking Quaritch, yet trapped in the water, the urge to breathe, the rescue, the family?
11. The future, the family settling, Quaritch alive, Avatar 3?