By Ben Wright (@iamzavagno | www.xgeeks.co.uk)
This review is spoiler-free.
Even with the huge financial successor Avatar, eyebrows were raised when it was announced that there would be a further four sequels. Twelve years later on from that announcement and here we are, Avatar: The Way of Water.
Personally, I still enjoy Avatar, even watching it in 2D and despite the obvious faults, my viewing experience is never an unpleasant one. While I do believe that Avatar: The Way of Water is even better than the first movie, there are still some obvious downsides. Once again there are some story elements that could have done with a bit more attention, but nothing that hurts to movie or makes it a struggle to watch.
In terms of the performances, Sam Worthington (Jake Sully) and Zoe Saldana (Neytiri) are once again two extremely capable leads on which to focus your blockbuster movie, and franchise, around. I will never tire of Worthington’s monologues or the heartbreak of Saldana’s emotional response to the ‘big-moment’ events. Sigourney Weaver (Kiri) returns to the franchise but in a very different role, but this is explained very early on in the movie and I had no problems accepting what they did with her character. The same goes for Stephen Lang (Miles Quaritch) who, like Weaver, died in the first movie. The explanation and way they circumvent this were very nicely done and I think having him return and remain as the franchise’s main antagonist is a positive move. In terms of the new additions to the cast, the pick of the bunch is Kate Winslet (Ronal) who brought her award-winning qualities to the role she really became a standout character in the movie and I am hoping that she sticks around for future sequels!
A lot has been said about Avatar’s story, and it is a ‘nothing movie’ without the 3D elements. I don’t agree, and while I think Avatar: The Way of Water does re-tread on familiar ground from the first movie, I still felt that, in isolation, it was a very engaging and emotional story. The fact I had anger towards the human characters multiple times and that in one scene I had all-over chills, is evidence enough that I made an emotional connection to the movie and this heightened my enjoyment and satisfaction as the credits rolled.
From a production standpoint, James Cameron’s vision was clearly well executed. Whether or not that goes down well with cinema-goers, remains to be seen. Much has been said about the runtime and while I was okay with it, I think you could have shaved about twenty to thirty minutes off and still achieved the same effect. The underwater filming and performance capture elements were breathtaking and whatever the film’s shortcomings, you will find Avatar: The Way of Water technically faultless. Simon Franglen’s score was stunning and was a seamless transition from the late James Horner, who scored Avatar.
Visually stunning and emotionally engaging, Avatar: The Way of Water takes the Avatar franchise to greater heights! With the narrative elements improved upon and more engaging characters, there are plenty of new layers added that make the movie an incredibly enjoyable viewing experience.
X-Geeks 