Avatar: The Way of Water
Year: 2022
Rating: PG-13
Length: 192 minutes / 3.20 hours
It’s weird to me to see so many “science fiction” fans bash the Avatar franchise and then in the next breath complain that there aren’t any new intellectual properties in the genre. Considering how recently these movies came out when compared to franchises like Star Wars, the Avatar films are the new intellectual properties in the genre. That there seems to be an overarching plan for the franchise gives me hope that James Cameron knows what he’s doing. If Avatar: The Way of Water (2022) is any indication, he’s done his homework with its world-building.
I know people complain about the weak plot of these movies; but maybe with the state of the world, we need to reiterate stories about the harmful effects of colonialism and capitalism. As always, the visual spectacle of The Way of Water is on par with—if not significantly better than—Avatar (2009). A lot of what you see on the big screen has been difficult to accomplish with CGI—until now, apparently. And sure, it’s a bit hard to tell all the different Na’vi apart at times, but it doesn’t detract from the experience.
What strikes me most about The Way of Water is the world-building that continues to bring the planet of Pandora to life. Things like an eclipse providing moments of darkness and distinctly different Na’vi based on their environment of upbringing are excellent examples of the depth of thought that went into creating this sci-fi universe. And while this movie falls into the conundrum of being a sequel that requires another sequel despite the first movie being a strong standalone entry, I’m interested to see where this franchise goes from here.
Another visually stunning sci-fi film that’s burdened with laying the groundwork for future entries, I give Avatar: The Way of Water 4.0 stars out of 5.
