Avatar: The Way of Water - Review Thread

Okay. I've been mulling this one over ever since I saw it about a month ago, and my feelings on Avatar: The Way of Water are pretty much the same as the ones I have about the first film -- visually stunning and arresting, but narratively flat. And that problem felt a little more compounded and even bothersome this time, because James Cameron not only had many years to "perfect" both the technology behind the sequels and the stories he wanted to use the former to tell them with, yet The Way of Water, at least, shows no signs of true improvement in the latter department. Credit where credit is absolutely due: the visual effects -- particularly the underwater sequences that so much of the film feels built around -- are indeed top-notch and jaw-dropping. But they can only get you so far if your story and characters lack any real sense of impact or investment. This time, Jake and Neytiri's kids take most of the narrative spotlight, and they're definitely their parents' kids, because their personalities feel so stock and bland, I probably couldn't tell you who was who while watching it -- then again, I also even forgot their names mid-movie, too. And that lack of any true emotional investment on my part hindered a lot of this movie's intended effect on me beyond marveling at all of the visual wonders. Because for a lot of this movie's (overlong) running time, my face was pretty blank while watching the various character-driven components of the film play out. Even towards the end, where consequences get very dire for a number of the characters, I didn't really feel all that much or even care who'd make it out alive, etc. Also, the environmental message of this movie -- Save The Whales this time -- feels just as shoved-down-your-throat as the first movie's message was, so...way to stay consistent, James.

On the other hand, though, Cameron's knack for creating highly impressive set-pieces and action sequences in and of themselves remains very much intact here and I can admire those parts of this film as well. And if I'm being completely honest...the first 45 minutes, which everyone has been saying is the weakest part of this movie, is actually the part of it that entertained me the most. The pacing and excitement there work well; it's just when the film gets into the bulk of its real plot where things start sagging on a story level.

Jake Sully might be one of the worst cinematic fathers ever. All he does is berate and wag his finger at the kids but never once actually teaches them a damn thing. Or keeps an eye on them. Was a sanctimonious pain in the ass the entire movie.

It's also fun to see Jake shift into the role of parent. It's neat to think how he's grown from where we first meet him from Avatar 1, as well as some of the baggage he still holds onto.

Hmmm, that is a good point to counter mine about him being a shitty father.

He really only knows how to be disciplinarian, and that's his flaw as a father. He doesn't know how to teach, just to correct.

Did it bother anyone else how absent the adults are in this movie? Zoe Saldana and Kate Winslett are given nothing to do and Jake Sully and the other chieftain hardly have any moments together. We don't really get much of a sense of the culture clashes from them at all. I'm sure Cameron is setting up the kids to have the baton passed to them in the sequels, but the four adults sure aren't doing a whole lot while the kids are out adventuring.

I couldn't tell the brothers apart. And when the older one I couldn't have cared less.

One might even say that's the basis for his character arc

But no matter his arc, we're gonna be stuck with Sam Worthington's bad voiceover for three more movies.

To each his own. I found it pretty moving. A thoughtful consideration of both growth but also how hard it is to leave behind your own ways. I'm certainly not gonna pretend it brilliant characterization, but it certainly was enough for me in the context of a movie like this, especially given Way of Water more an ensemble than its predecessor.