Avatar: The Way of Water rises to exceed expectations

Avatar: The Way of Water. // Courtesy 20th Century Studios

Never bet against James Cameron. When the chips are down, the odds against the wall and all looks dire, his ability to provide awe-inspiring and invigorating filmmaking is second to none. Avatar: The Way of Water, the long-awaited sequel to 2009’s Avatar, Cameron proves once again that he’s king of the world when it comes to rousing blockbusters.

Picking up roughly 14 years after the events of the first film, The Way of Water finds former marine-tuned-Na’vi Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) living on Pandora with Na’vi warrior Neytiri (Zoe Saldaña) and their four children, including adopted daughter Kiri (Sigourney Weaver). Of course, bliss can only last so long on a planet Earthlings want to mine for its resources. Without warning, humans return to Pandora, and for the sake of survival, their family must flee. Sully and his clan seek refuge on the other side of the planet with the sea-dwelling Metkayina clan.

The Way of Water has a lot of expectations to live up to. For years Cameron put off talk about the sequel, save for confirming that it would be made once the technology caught up. The excruciating wait been worth it, with Cameron once again ushering in a new era of digital filmmaking. That may sound hyperbolic, but that doesn’t make it any less true. This stands side-by-side with Cameron’s other great sequels like Aliens and T2: Judgement Day in terms of expanding the world and its mythology, introducing new characters and existing on a fantastical plane that fills the audience with exuberant glee.

There are still a few narrative problems here—like the first Avatar, the dialogue is still stiff in parts, and the baddies are still one note. Still, Cameron’s stunning effects work blows the doors off other contemporary blockbusters. Put this next to Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’s undersea effects, and it’s clear The Way of Water is at least a decade ahead of the game.

Avatar: The Way of Water. // Courtesy 20th Century Studios

None of that would matter if the story didn’t rise to the level of the technology setting it all in motion. Thankfully, a decade of tinkering and a lengthy 3 hour plus run time give The Way of Water the necessary room to breathe. The film’s many new characters have defined arcs and personalities. The Sully family each has unique traits, from number one son Neteyam to rebel Lo’ak (Britain Dalton) and adorable Tuk (Trinity Bliss). The same goes for the Metkayina royal family of Ronal (Kate Winslet), Tonowari (Cliff Curtis), and daughter Tsireya (Bailey Bass). Spending more time exploring Pandora’s detailed underwater ecosystem is equally thrilling.

In many ways Avatar: The Way of Water feels like an exclamation point for Cameron’s career. With The Abyss he built an exorbitantly expensive set to film scenes underwater. The submersible opening of Titanic let him further his obsession with water, leading him to eventually make three documentaries scouring the ocean’s depths. This film required a $90 million spend on a state-of-the-art motion capture system. The result is one of the most immersive moviegoing experiences yet.