Avatar: The Way of Water – A Mesmerizing Blockbuster (Early Review)

Thirteen years ago, James Cameron became king of the world when he beat his own record and dethroned Titanic as the highest grossing film of all time with Avatar, a near three-hour technically game-changing passion project. In 2009, motion capture and CGI were not new concepts, but the way he utilized these tools to build the fictional world of Pandora was simply magical and had a major impact on the next ten years of blockbuster filmmaking. Instead of maintaining its momentum, Cameron has waited over a decade to follow up his record-breaking feature. In the years since Avatar dominated at the box office and earned countless accolades during awards season, the passion and excitement surrounding this franchise has warn off. Despite several re-releases of the film and a fairly recent expansion of Disney’s Animal Kingdom featuring a recreation of the world of Pandora, Avatar has not maintained a strong fanbase, as many believe the film has failed to hold up due to a derivative story masked by technically innovative visual effects. Many questioned Cameron for spending the most recent leg of his career working on a string of sequels to a property that had quickly lost its relevancy in pop culture.

Avatar: The Way of Water proves that no one should never doubt James Cameron as he is frankly the most talented and gutsy technical innovator working within the industry. It goes without saying that this sequel is a truly special filmgoing experience that spectacularly expands upon the world that he set up thirteen ago. Taking place over a decade after its predecessor, The Way of Water reintroduces audiences to Jake Sully (Worthington), who is now living as chief of the Omaticaya clan and raising a family with Ney’tiri. However, when a menacing presence resurfaces and threatens the safety of his entire clan, Jake must make the difficult decision to relocate his family to another section of Pandora, where the Metkayina reef people clan reside.

Avatar: The Way of Water has a massive budget that is certainly reflected in the mind-blowing visuals presented on-screen. The film is a spectacle beyond belief, on the scale that only a filmmaker like Cameron is capable of crafting. There’s a real artistry and sense of awe that the visuals evoke that sadly isn’t present in many blockbusters that have come out in recent years. Similar to its predecessor, this film feels revolutionary from a technical standpoint, and certainly will have a significant impact on the next five to ten years of blockbuster filmmaking.

Russell Carpenter’s cinematography is not only stunning, but also unique. Each frame is absolutely mesmerizing, capturing the beauty of the vast and colorful world of Pandora, in a way that feels palpable and real, despite the heavy use of CGI. The way Carpenter whips around the camera during the incredibly well choreographed action-sequences give audiences the sensation that they are along for the ride. The style is often inspired by the Disney and Universal cinematic rides that are designed to make audiences feel like they are inside a movie. The film may very well feature the most beautiful depiction of water since Finding Nemo or Life of Pi. Carpenter’s underwater cinematography is a sight to behold and will certainly inspire his contemporaries to try a hand at this cinematography style. Meanwhile, the production design is also extremely impressive, making Pandora pop off the screen, even more so than in its predecessor

The biggest complaint cinephiles have had with Avatar is the derivative nature of its storytelling. While the emphasis is still heavily on the visuals and world building, Avatar: The Way of Water features a much stronger narrative throughline with a significantly more compelling cast of characters. The film offers a more in-depth exploration of colonization and environmental issues, while also tackling the importance of family and supporting each other through thick and thin. Sully undergoes significant and much needed character development, while the new characters that are introduced are completely multi-layered. Where the film fails to consistently stay afloat, is its screenplay. Cameron has never been the strongest writer and always has a tendency of incorporating painfully on-the-nose dialogue. This is unfortunately no different here, as some of the dialogue feels strikingly out of place and hinders the full emotional impact of the film.

Regardless, Avatar: The Way of Water is a genuinely engrossing blockbuster that is an improvement on its predecessor. It’s a technical feat that joins the ranks of the most impressive films to be released this year. Cameron proves that he is still capable of delivering strong work, and this reviewer is very curious to see how he follows up the franchise.

*still courtesy of 20th Century Studios*

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Tristan French