Review 677: Avatar: The Way of Water

 

I never thought this day would come. It’s Finally Here! After a 13 years wait, James Cameron is back to take us on a return trip to Pandora with Avatar: The Way of Water and I’m happy to say, it was worth the wait.

Set more than a decade after the events of the first film, “Avatar: The Way of Water”, begins to tell the story of Jake Sully (Sam Worthington), Neytiri (Zoe Saldana) and their kids which include their sons Neteyam (Jamie Flatters) and Lo'ak (Britain Dalton), daughter Tuk (Trinity Bliss) and adopted daughter Kiri (Sigourney Weaver, born from the late Grave Augustine's inert avatar) and Spider, the Pandora-born son of the late late Miles Quaritch, the trouble that follows them, the lengths they go to keep each other safe, the battles they fight to stay safe and the tragedies they endure.

Watching The Way of Water, it's clear that James Cameron is revisiting themes from his previous work such as Aliens, The Abyss, Titanic, and his two Terminator films; Just like the later two films, this film asks the question of whether you should run and hide from a powerful enemy or fight their evil. Throughout the film, we see Jake wrestle with this decision because he knows that all Quaritch wants is him. 

Environmentalism: Whereas the first film was about saving the Na'vi's forest,

Conolialism:

There's also an underlying theme of Family throughout this film: Jake is struggling with on the one hand, his instinct to make sure children are well trained so they can protect themselves while on the other trying to give them the freedom to take risks and become their own people. Finding that balance between Authority and Cooporation  keeping your loved ones safe through control or letting them discover themselves by giving them the freedom to put themselves in harms way.

James Cameron direction is unobtrusive, utilising beautiful wide and overhead shots to covey the ever expanding world of Pandora. One of my regrets of this film is that James Horner couldn't score it. Instead, James Cameron gave Simon Franglen the task and he more than delivers, giving us from evocative and powerful vocals to powerful, blood pumping action cues. The production design is fantastic; The military athetic is back on full display. Tanks scuttle across the decks of hovercrafts like crabs. We have whale like creatures that

Sam Worthington  After 15 years, Jake has grown into his role as the trible leader of the Navi and as a family man. 

Zoe Saldana is  Neytiri

Sigourney Weaver delivers a mesmirisng performance playing Kiri. Kiri is the offspring of Grace Augustine, Weaver's character from the first movie. 

Cliff Curtis and Kate Winslet  

5/5.