Avatar: The Way of Water

Avatar: The Way of Water

Set more than a decade after the events of the first film, learn the story of the Sully family (Jake, Neytiri, and their kids), the trouble that follows them, the lengths they go to keep each other safe, the battles they fight to stay alive, and the tragedies they endure.

  • Released: 2022-12-14
  • Runtime: 192 minutes
  • Genre: Action, Adventure
  • Stars: Kate Winslet, Zoe Saldaña, Sigourney Weaver, Stephen Lang, Cliff Curtis, Giovanni Ribisi, CCH Pounder, Joel David Moore, Matt Gerald, Trinity Bliss, Britain Dalton, Jamie Flatters, Jack Champion, Filip Geljo, Duane Evans Jr., Chloe Coleman, Jemaine Clement, Ava Diakhaby, Edie Falco, Michelle Yeoh
  • Director: James Cameron
 Comments
  • indearalph - 9 June 2024
    Great CGI, terrible story
    I loved watching the first movie, but I can't enjoy it anymore because of the messed up sequel. Sure, the world loves James Cameron's epic CGI art and sci-fi perks, but the plot has wrecked it for me, because it's exactly the same as the first Avatar, the only difference is that Jake and his family are having fun at the beach.

    This isn't the first time Cameron's done this either. Aliens was too much like Alien too, and such a good producer should have had no trouble avoiding this kind of error, so what happened? And there are parts of the movie that aren't explained very well, for example: converting the human population to Pandora. The air's not even breathable, so how are humans supposed to survive for the rest of forever there?

    Sure, the movie is incredible, riddled with emotion, and with more to show off about the incredible planet of Pandora, and we all love a good James Cameron movie, so I have to give the movie some credit, plus, this is a huge call to action on our own world, which we're slowly killing. Cameron has successfully presented us with a beautiful world we can imagine we are inside of.
  • Obiigs - 18 May 2024
    Cinematic enigma
    « Avatar: The Way of Water" emerges as a cinematic enigma that, despite its breathtaking visuals and groundbreaking effects, falls short in narrative depth and character development. The film's ambitious attempt to transport viewers back to the lush world of Pandora is marred by a plot that seems stretched thin over its extensive runtime.

    The sequel's reliance on spectacle over substance leads to a storyline that feels recycled and predictable, lacking the originality that made its predecessor a standout. The characters, while visually stunning, fail to evoke the emotional connection necessary to drive the story forward, leaving the audience adrift in a sea of stunning imagery without a compelling anchor.

    Moreover, the dialogue often borders on the banal, with attempts at profundity coming off as trite rather than insightful. The film's antagonists, particularly the human military forces, are painted with broad strokes, their motivations unclear and their actions serving more as plot devices than as genuine threats.

    In essence, "Avatar: The Way of Water" is a testament to the power of visual effects but also a reminder that even the most beautiful of films can lack the soul needed to make a lasting impact. It's a reminder that cinema is not just about what we see, but also about what we feel, and in this regard, the film struggles to resonate on a deeper level.
  • ricardocbraga - 6 April 2024
    Disappointment Disguised as a Remake
    There's a special kind of cinematic purgatory reserved for films so utterly devoid of merit that finishing them feels like scaling a mountain blindfolded. Sadly, the recent remake falls squarely into this category.

    The film drags emphasizing whaling and animal cruelty in a way that feels exploitative rather than enlightening. It's a relentless assault on the senses, hammering home the same message with the subtlety of a sledgehammer.

    One can't help but wonder where a decade of development went. The story, a pale imitation of its predecessor, could easily be condensed into a lean and impactful hour-and-a-half. Instead, we're subjected to a bloated two-plus-hour slog that feels like a desperate attempt to justify its own existence.

    There's a sense of missed opportunity that hangs heavy in the air. The original film resonated with audiences because it explored complex themes with nuance and depth. This remake, however, offers nothing new to the conversation. It simply retreads familiar ground, all the while bombarding viewers with graphic imagery that feels more gratuitous than necessary.

    The filmmaking itself is uninspired. The visuals lack any kind of aesthetic punch, and the performances are phoned-in at best. It feels like a paint-by-numbers exercise, devoid of any genuine passion or creativity.

    Ultimately, this remake is a colossal waste of time. It offers nothing new, fails to recapture the magic of the original, and actively detracts from its legacy. Save yourself the frustration and skip this cinematic shipwreck entirely. There are countless other films out there that deserve your attention and time. Choose wisely.
  • zekostic-1 - 13 January 2023
    Good visual effects. The end.
    Good sequel to the first part when it comes to visialisation. And that's it. Basically, nothing new. 3D and other visual effects we have already seen. The plot is kind of empty. Something is missing, the movie didn't touch me. At only one point it managed to shake me a bit. At most of the movie I asked myself WHY are they doing it like this. Couldn't catch the reason for the steps characters are taking. Not because it is not expected, but because it makes no sense. To me personally it looked like someone was tasked to make script and he didn't watch first part. If I write more it will contain spoilers so I won't go further, but honestly, I should have waited for HBO to show it in 2 years, wouldn't miss a thing. I don't know if Cameron already prepares another sequel, it can goes like this for numerous repetitions, but I really doubt that, when it comes to the story, anything new can be added.
  • shimenmela-43118 - 12 January 2023
    Best movie ever!!!!!
    I am so happy that you made a second movie and I am longing for the 3 movie, it was worth waiting 13 years for! :) Everything was good in the movie.

    Thank you so much for this wonderful, amazing, breathtaking, emotional, beautiful movie from the bottom of my heart!

    I am gonna buy this movie when it comes out in Blu-ray, I can watch this movie over and over again without getting tired of it.

    I don't understand how people can give this movie a low rate, it really breaks my heart that people don't appreciate this movie, don't let them effect you because this movie is one of the greatest movies of all times! It's definitely worth watching!

    I want to thank everyone that made this movie/ sincerely you fan.
  • Birchard2 - 9 January 2023
    If a movie were a season of the Kardashians
    Vapid, plotless, awful acting, and pretty to look it, some of the time.

    Once again, this franchise has no business, like the Kardashians, in being relevant, bearing the need for a sequel, or having half the revenue it does.

    A complete waste of 3 hours of your life. It just doesn't have ANYTHING new to say. It's literally the same story, with water added. It's like the script was written by a 16 year old, as one reviewer put it before I.

    Save your money, save your time, go nap at home and watch something on Apple TV, or just watch the National Geographic channel for 3 hours while half asleep, and you will understand what I mean. I wanted this to be different, I did. It was not, to say the least.
  • DavidOrpheus - 9 January 2023
    90s Mentality with 2022 Technology
    Avatar: The Way of Water seems to confirm a particular trait about James Cameron that's been showing for a while - the director seems to be stuck in the 80s and 90s mentality and that's what this movie is - a mid to late 90s-like film with 2022 CGI.

    The characters are all really good or really evil and extremely unidimensional (which is usually the case with Cameron's work); it's ridiculous that the teenager Na'vi characters all behave like 90s american high scoolers; apparently growing up in the middle of nature, and around concepts of respect and spirituality did nothing for them - these are your typical high schoolers and behaviourally they differ nothing from the humans (which is nonsensical as the Na'vi should be way more consciously evolved than this - that's what was so forcibly established in the first film anyway). We're speaking about alien characters that use the word 'bro', 'dumbass', 'freak', etc. In fact, the whole dialogue is atrocious.

    Sigourney Weaver is a screen legend but unfortunately her casting choice as a 14 year Na'vi girl just doesn't work, voice wise at least - the character just sounds like a senior person. Winslet gives the standout performance but this shouldn't have been the film that reunited her with her Titanic maestro - she's barely given anything to do and her character isn't at all memorable; I somehow don't see Leonardo DiCaprio doing the same for Cameron for a unmemorable supporting role. The young performer that plays the Tarzan/Mowgli like character is wrongfully cast as he is just annoying and there isn't absolutely anything about him that screams that he grew up amongst these very evolved beings (his costume alone and overall look almost look like a caricature).

    Good luck watching the sleep enducing first hour; the rest is at least a bit more interesting although it's a 3h12m movie where basically nothing important or significant happens plotwise. There's barely any story at hand here and the film shifts main characters all the time: first we think its Sully, then his son (whatever his name is), then his daughter, then Sully again etc. Some things don't even make much sense - although they are living in an alien planet where the natives use their tails to communicate with other living beings, at some point the human characters assess that one of the Na'vi is experiencing some sort of psichotic episode or schizophrenia because she says that she feels she is communicating with a tree or whatever which for them for some reason sounds ludicrous. The characterisation of some of the characters can verge from good to plain ridiculous - the water tribe looks fantastic but the villains as Na'vi look stupid (one wears shades and another pops a bubblegum for example). Cameron seems to have a hard-on for these sort of 80s american war-hero like scenarios and he definitely shows it towards the ending battle with all the military vehicles and overall stereotypes.

    Even visually the movie isn't that incredible - I mean the CGI looks mostly great but it takes a while for you to accept it completely and immerse yourself in it (some backdrops look like matte paintings and the overal imagery doesn't look that more polished than AAA videogame CGI cutscenes). The 3D isn't a novelty anymore and, as such, it skips the wow factor which is what made the first movie immensely profitable anyway. There isn't anything particularly original or outstanding about the visuals and it just uses the same tricks as usual: clouds or grey skies for climatic battles, bioluminescence for spiritually, blue skies for peace and happiness, etc.

    It's a shame that after beautiful, big spetacle and envolving films like Dune: Part I, Blade Runner 2047, Gravity and the new Planet of the Apes films to name a few over the last decade, James Cameron takes 13 years to present us with this: a very long film that has nothing to say and is ridden with 90s clichés.
  • nathanstclair - 8 January 2023
    Visually magnificent and very well put together
    I'm serious for a movie that was 3 hours long it did not feel like 3 hours long at all. From the very beginning it seemed interesting every single part of the movie was completely necessary to whole plot. (SPOILERS AHEAD) Jake sully and his wife and children felt like they were actually apart of his real family and it felt real. They did a amazing job at acting when the brother died in the movie and I actually got teary eyed. I usually don't cry during movies but it was so well put together that I ended up shedding a tear. Overall I can't wait for the next avatar and I can' believe they put back some of the old crew that died in the other movie back into this movie.
  • vagus-36-465627 - 8 January 2023
    A visual monument
    There is nothing like it out there, not even close. The quality of the visuals is unimaginably outstanding, like coming from a much more capable future of cinema.

    Yet, this isn't one of the greatest movies, because of the writing and the direction. Plot holes allover, shallow acting especially from disposable "bad" characters, the exaggeration of human evilness takes away from the didactic experience, the story doesn't dive into deeper depths, which could happen in many ways. The sequence of the different scenes is problematic too. All of these are familiar, when we are talking about James Cameron.
  • ghstdragon - 8 January 2023
    A Tsunami of VFX evolution
    I've been anticipating this film for quite some time and it was worth a decade's wait! The VFX effects are phenomenal and attention to detail is beyond breathtaking. As much as the film immerses us into this amazing world like its predecessor, it has presented many character plots and arcs that avoids being overshadowed by visuals. Many of the returning actors have given outstanding performances which brings more depth to their characters with the new cast coming off just as strong. No doubt there are hiccups here and there as with any film, but with there being a lot of open questions about characters both new and old along with what awaits to be answered about the future of Pandora, it risks itself to leave potentially great character arcs behind and forgotten within the hype of future sequels.