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It’s been a little over a decade since the first Avatar movie was released, and the initial film captivated us with its world, the characters, the special bond they share with the world, the visuals, and technology that was largely ahead of its time. All of this made the first film so popular, and these were the primary reasons I decided to check this one out.
So for me, Avatar: The Way of Water had some pretty big shoes to fill but did it live up to my expectations, or was it dead in the water? All of this and more will be explained in this review.
What Is Avatar 2: The Way Of Water
The Way of Water follows a very similar format to the first film, but this time around the story primarily focuses on Jake and Neytiri’s newly formed family, and their struggles to survive when an old threat returns.
That’s right, the RDA is back and they are up to their usual business of taking resources from Pandora, without regard for who or what gets in their way. This time they are a much greater threat as they plan to set up a much more permanent residence on the planet, and they have learned from their initial defeat.
They come back prepared with more firepower and new tactics to catch Jake and his family by surprise. Jake and Neytiri are on a mission to survive and keep their family and others safe from the upcoming invasion.
How Was Avatar 2: The Way Of Water
Avatar 2 does a good job at showing you just how careless the RDA can be when it comes to destroying anything in their way to accomplish their mission. I’d dare to say that they are slightly more careless in this film than they were in the first.
The Na’vi are prepared as well, but their tactics really haven’t changed much from the first film, which I was honestly surprised to see. Wouldn’t you think that the RDA would come back, and when they did they’d have a greater army, weapons, gear and tactics? This brings me to my first criticism of this film, which would be the leader of the Na’vi, Corporal Jake Sully.
Jake Sully
This isn’t to say that Jake Sully is the epitome of movie character development, but he was likable and had a journey that was interesting. My first thought upon hearing that this film was released is what Jake would do when the RDA returns. How would he defend his family, what type of man would Jake have become over this decade?
As you’d expect he’s still the soldier, but this time around he’s much more cautious. So much so, that he chooses to flee rather than fight. It’s a good thing that Jake really took a back seat in this film, because I don’t know if I could’ve taken this character on screen for the entire movie. I will say that Jake does get some really cool moments towards the end of the film, but I won’t go into those as I don’t want to spoil it for you.
It’s About Family
This film primarily focuses on Jake and Neytiri’s children. They are the main protagonist and are in the midst of much of the conflict and battles that happen. They follow a similar path to Jake in the first film, as they still have much to learn about the world and the overall cruelty of war and these new invaders.
I did enjoy this aspect of the film. I enjoyed seeing them all interact with one another, and seeing the world through a new set of eyes. This also helped to increase the stakes as you knew that the impending conflict was simply too much for them.
Each one of the kids has their own very interesting journey, and some details are left unexplained and are sure to be explored in future installments I truly can’t wait to see it.
This Movie Is Predictable
One of the biggest criticisms I have about this film is that much of what happened seemed rather predictable, but that’s primarily due to this film following the first one’s format so closely.
While watching this film, I could easily predict what was going to happen next, but oddly enough this didn’t hurt the movie experience for me. Even though it had it’s predictable moments, Avatar 2 gives us a much more tight-nit story this time around that I truly enjoyed.
Even though the conflict is still one that eventually every tribe will have to join in, we primarily only see the Na’vi, and the Southern Water Tribe. In typical Na’vi fashion, the Water Tribe chooses not to get involved but offers refuge for Jake’s family. This leads to Jake and his family learning their ways, training, and the viewer getting to see much more of the world in grand set pieces… So is this all starting to sound familiar?
You see what I mean by predictable, but this doesn’t mean that the characters are not interesting. Avatar 2’s characters are strong and interesting enough that you do want to learn more about them, but honestly, this format will need to change if they want to keep moviegoers entertained when more of Pandora is explored.
The Rating
Avatar 2 is a solid film. It isn’t a cinematic spectacle in terms of its story, but it’s enjoyable and one that I would still recommend everyone see. I’ve decided to give this movie a rating of 7 out of 10. And as for my title do I think this movie was worth the 11-year wait, honestly I’d say no.
I hate to say it, but I have to be honest with you guys on this channel so please do not beat me up too badly in the comments if you loved this movie!
