Avatar: The Way of Water (2022) Review

THE FOLLOWING REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS OF THE DISCUSSED FILM. READERS DISCRETION IS ADVISED.

James Cameron took the world by storm when releasing the sci fi epic Avatar, which surpassed 2 billion dollars at the box office and won 3 of 9 Oscars. With such monstrous success, it did make everyone wonder what took so long for the franchise to kick into gear. But then again, Cameron would teach us that patience is the key to success.


PLOT


The first sequel, The Way of Water takes place 16 years after Jake Sully rebelled against the RDA and converted into a Na’vi of Pandora. Ever since their historic battle, the two have started their own family: Oldest son Neteyam, middle child Lo’ak and youngest daughter Tuk. They’ve also adopted Kiri, who was born out of the avatar body of the late Grace Augustine. Miles ‘Spider’ Socorro has been staying on Pandora with the likes of Norm Spellman (Joel David Moore), Max Patel (Dileep Rao) and other humans that have stayed on Pandora after his father, the villainous Colonel Miles Quaritch was slain in action. Peace for the Na’vi would only be taken from them again when the RDA gains a new leader, Frances Ardmore (Edie Flaco), who plans to resume colonization on Pandora as Earth is dying from ecocide. She hopes to even the odds by assembling Recombinants, avatar clones of deceased soldiers that include Quaritch. With a year of conflict going by, Jake would lead a guerrilla campaign against the RDA, but Quaritch would soon find his family and only capture Spider in the process. Knowing that their family is in danger, Jake and Neytiri would agree they must leave the Omatikaya clan for their own protection. So, they retreat to the eastern seaboard of Pandora, where the Metkayina clan give them refuge. The leaders of the said clan are Chief Tonowari and his wife Ronal. They have children of their own that are named Tsireya and Aonung. There, the Sullies learn to adapt to the oceanic environment, learning how to ride skimwings and ilus. It doesn’t get easy for Lo’ak due to being picked on by Aonung, thus resulting in Neteyam always defending him. The bullying goes too far to the point where the chief’s son leaves him stranded to be attacked by an akula. Luckily, he is saved by a tulkun that is called by the clan as Payakan. When he returns to the clan with his life, it surprises the kids because Payakan is said to be dangerous. When Kiri finds an underwater spirit tree, she links with it to meet the consciousness of Grace living within Pandora. But the link would give her a seizure and when Norm & Max check on her, they deem it to dangerous for her to link with the tree again. Because of the visit from Norm & Max, Quaritch is able to narrow down the location of the Sullies. As he was searching for them, he’s been using Spider to teach him of Na’vi culture & language, as an act to draw him to his side. Knowing that they’re closer, Quaritch aligns with the RDA’s marine operations led by Captain Mick Scoresby (Brendan Cowell), whose purpose of his operations is to hunt tulkuns to extract an anti aging serum inside them dubbed ‘Amrita’. Quaritch tries to lure out Sully by raiding closer tribes and killing tulkuns, but to no avail. When Lo’ak links with Payakan for the first time, he sees the memory of him going after whalers that killed his mother. Due to the incident triggering deaths on both sides, it resulted in him being casted out. Once the Metkayina learn of the tulkuns getting killed, they vow to retaliate. When Lo’ak tries to warn Payakan, he finds him captured by whalers. Upon helping him, he would quickly get captured, including Tuk and Tsireya. Due to warning his dad in advance that whalers were near, the Sully patriarch warns the Metkayina that their kids are in danger. Jake almost surrenders at the request of Quaritch, but instead chooses to fight with the Na’vi when Payakan attacks the vessel. The tulkun would even attack the isolated boat containing Scoresby. Spider would give the Na’vi a further advantage when crippling the vessel’s controls, causing it to crash. Neteyam would join the fight to rescue Lo’ak, Tuk & Tsireya, but he would die in the crossfire while rescuing Spider. As that happens, Quaritch is able to recapture Tuk while also retrieving Kiri. When the Sullys find themselves devastated over the loss of their firstborn, this would drive them to save their daughters. Despite only asking for Spider’s help, Lo’ak still follows with the intent to help his family. Not wanting to be separated again, Tuk follows as well. When Jake faces Quaritch, the enemy holds Kiri hostage, but lets her go when Neytiri threatens to kill Spider. This leads to both men having another fight as the vessel begins to sink. As the ocean floods the vessel, Tuk accidentally falls into a bulkhead, causing Neytiri to go after her. When she reaches her, they get trapped in the flood. The same would happen to Jake after knocking Quaritch unconscious. Luckily, Kiri uses her newfound connection with Eywa to summon a gill mantle and squids, to guide them out of the vessel. Jake is able to get out with the help of Lo’ak and Payakan. However, Spider would make the shocking decision to save Quaritch but still rejoins with Jake who welcomes him as a true son. Tsireya would reunite with her family as well and sometime after the funeral of Neteyam, Jake would volunteer leaving to prevent anymore trouble to come the way of the Metkayina clan. Surprisingly, Ronal and Tonowari insist him and his family to stay, identifying them as part of their clan. The film would end with the Sullys accepting their new life at sea before resuming their campaign against the RDA.


THOUGHTS


For a long time, I always gave myself a hard time for not being able to see the first film in theaters. I was onboard with the idea of a sequel not just off of knowing there is enough fictional lore to keep exploring, but because it was a chance of personal redemption for myself. I was lucky enough to attend a local drive in and to me, I gained the same satisfaction I felt the first time around. To me, Cameron delivered in making another extravagant sci fi adventure. The second we get to see the Hallelujah Mountains again at the very beginning, it felt we never left. With the first film’s visual effects aging gracefully, I didn’t think any kind of improvement would be needed, but Cameron proved there is always room for that. It’s already impressive to see the Metkayina differ from the Omatikaya and see both become real to us thanks to the motion capture acting, but it’s the underwater landscape that takes my breath away far more than what we got in the surface of this fictional moon. Seeing creatures like the Tulkun are so damn gorgeous, I wish the whole film was about them. Since sci fi provides action, you already know this sequel delivers on that end. Seeing the Na’vi take on the RDA from their gigantic vessel dubbed the ‘Sea Dragon’ was a deafening moment to occur in the climax and whether or not the future sequels top this, the sequence is great in its own right. All of this visualization pays off thanks to the glorious cinematography by Russell Carpenter. While I appreciate what James Horner did the first time around as composer, I do believe Simon Franglen picks up from there to feel the epic-ness we’re supposed to feel. The first one worked because it reminded us to take care of the life that is left of our forests. Here, we must continue providing that same care with the life that surrounds the ocean or else we'll keep damaging our planet rather than nurture it. Once you commit to that, it gives you the chance to unleash a whole new level of love to yourself and to those you care about. With the thanks of another talented ensemble, I'm grateful to have such a reminder. Whether or not you thought of Jake Sully as the first film's white savior, you know Sam Worthington has given him the chance to become more than that. He is a family man now and all that matters is to keep them safe no matter what. As a human, he had nothing left to live for until he met Neytiri. Now, they're inseparable and aren't gonna bare with loss. It was a tough call for him to surrender the mantle of Toruk Makto, but that comes to show no moniker can outweigh family love. Living with the Metkayina was another big step because he'd have to adapt all over again, but it was a 'whatever it takes' scenario for him. If he wasn't a father, he would've kept pressing on the fight until he couldn't walk again. While this isn't the case, it won't stop him to fight when danger is closer to his liking. Now with loss, it only further drives to be the protector he never thought he'd be. I always said how Neytiri is the greatest performance of Zoe Saldana's career and I'm proven right again in this welcome return. For the most part, she is on the same page on wanting to protect her children but because she's still a fighter within, running away is not her ideal path to take. She still agrees to it because she trusts him. Sadly, the fight would come to her instead and would result in the loss of her firstborn. Considering that she went through so much loss in the first film, this would easily trigger her to be the relentless warrior she grew up to be. While I got my reason to not condone threatening to kill Spider, it ain't hard to see why she does it. Humans were killing her family one by one and it's driving her mad to where she had to find a way in getting even. The only thing I'm praying for is for her to not make the same mistake again. Since she and Jake are good people within, it's logical they got the chance to raise great children as well. Like it or not, the arc is definitely transitioning to Lo'ak and I'm fine with it. Britain Dalton shows him as one who wants to make a difference like his dad does, but his stubbornness and recklessness keeps leading to him in danger and everyone has to pick up after him. Little does he realize he's only following Jake's footsteps. He wants to be independent in order to prove his worth and I believe he gains that with the relationships he builds with Payakan and Tsireya. He bonds with the tulkun so well because they relate to being outcasts. But it's really Tsireya that has the strongest blossoming because he feels the most comfortable around her. As she gives him confidence to be himself, he uses that to still have the drive to help others, which finally goes to good use when saving his dad. Jamie Flatters really put in the work as Neteyam because he did a fine job in portraying him as the natural of the family. His cautiousness makes him the most responsible of the siblings, which is where he gains his father's nobility. Even though he had a lot of pressure looking after his brother, he never let that get the best of him because that is how strong his love was for his family. That is what makes his death even sadder since he acted selflessly his whole life. However the franchise progresses, there is no doubt he will be avenged. It honestly feels impossible to hate on Tuk since Trinity Jo Bliss easiley plays her to be the most curious of the bunch since so much is going on around her. You really can't argue about her bravery either since she always followed her family no matter how dangerous things got. If we see her grow up in the sequels, I wouldn't mind seeing her kick ass with the rest of her family. If you were to tell me Sigourney Weaver were to play a teenager while in her in her 70s, I'd be laughing because it sounds impossible until realizing she'd pull it off via mo-cap. In the long run, she delivers in making Kiri a highlight for playing her as the perceptive and courageousness of the bunch. She is the ideal miracle child since no one anticipated to her to be born from the undead until it happened. With her discovering her connection to Eywa granting her power to control and influence nature is incredible because she has the chance save this moon from the apocalypse if possible. You might as well call her Jesus Christ because that is how unprecedented her presence is becoming. Jack Champion definitely had us feeling for Spider since he is the true outcast on Pandora. He's loyal to the Na'vi due to being ashamed of his father's actions and wants to do right by those that were wronged. Seeing him bond with Jake's kids was where he built his will and loyalty towards them because they're the only ones who love him for who he is. The same can't be said with Neytiri since she is a reminder of the man who brought so much pain in her life. Because of this, she wasn't hesitant to make bait out of him. There is no doubt this bothered him since he treated her with nothing but respect the whole time. Of course he's go the right to hate Quaritch, whichever version in front of him, but he chose to save him because he was the only one willing to make a man out of him. This alone will only spark the rest of future conflict that no one will be ready for. Since Pandora is it's own world, it's easy to see how friends can come from unexpected places. I honestly thought Tonowari and Ronal were a great dynamic because Cliff Curtis is able to portray the chief as the well spoken and lenient figure, whereas Kate Winslet portrays the latter has more wisdom to share behind her own set of fierceness. What they do have in common with the Sullys is how protective they tend to be and they fight together until the threat is eliminated. Ronal takes it to a whole other level by joining the action while pregnant with her third child, which is so badass. I don't think anyone is alone in hating on Aonung since he comes off pretty prejudiced towards the forest Na'vi, hence bullying Lo'ak. In a certain case, I believe this is Filip Gejio's way to show him he was intimidated of their presence and felt higher expectations were made for him as a chief's son. I don't condone his actions, but I know where he is coming from. On the other hand, Bailey Bass has us fall in love with Tsireya for being the most graceful of the bunch. She does nothing but give patience as she teaches Sully's children to adapt to the sea. She gains such an attachment towards Lo'ak throughout because she accepts what a big heart he has and ignores his flaws. This is where I start loving the song 'Nothing is Lost (You Give Me Strength)' by The Weeknd because it represents how strong people portray their love towards each other no matter what, especially the protagonists in this film. However things go from here, I know for sure everyone's love will get stronger from here. No matter how many friends you make, there is always going to be an enemy or more that'll be in your way. Stephen Lang returning as the cloned Quaritch was another thing I wasn't expecting, yet fits into the mold very well because it makes sense for this franchise to have a villain that has a hard time going away. Since he has the same memories prior to his death, he is just as callous as we remember him for, no matter who is above him. The difference the clone has from his predecessor is that once reminded he has his own son, he's got to make some kind of change to feel better about himself.He tried to keep the distance between him and Spider because he knew he wasn't his father technically. But he couldn't help getting close to him because it was the closest thing to having a family. Even though he's gaining a heart for the first time, it doesn't change his mission to get even. And since he had luck on his side, the Sullys will be ready to keep on fighting him until the RDA gets tired of cloning him. There is no doubt I’ve given this film a fair amount of love and respect, but those feelings do not excuse it’s own handful of issues that still make me prefer the predecessor. For instance, I can’t be the only one unphased of the existence of Jemaine Clement’s character, marine biologist Ian Garvin who was with Scoresby during his screen time. The whole time, he came off like a male version of Grace because he takes part of the RDA for the sake of research, but has grown to regret it. I even deem him very lucky to survive Payakan’s wrath because at this point, it’s hard to confirm whether or not he’ll help Na’vi in the future. Going into the main story, I also am sure I wasn’t the only one freaking out when Neytiri threatened to kill Spider. I know this is her choosing to be vengeful after losing her first born but since the kid was kind to her throughout and never asked for their situation, this only explains his act of defiance to rescue Quaritch and it only makes me worry if this inner conflict will get worse in later films. Also, was it ever an option to burn the remains of Pandora’s original battle? I know the Na’vi don’t want to damage the environment, but I feel like Jake should’ve done something to further put the past behind him, especially when the RDA returned. Also, is the element Unobtanium still worth a fortune after discovering Amrita? That element is the reason humans came to Pandora, so I don’t see the reason not continue mining for it. I don’t want to pick on Neteyam since he spent the whole time looking after his brother, but he messes up not being with him when he tried to apologize to Aunong. That may have prevented him from meeting Payakan, but it would’ve kept him safe which is what mattered the most in their circumstances. Since cloning is a big deal, why would the RDA not prepare for Quaritch to freak out once he goes through with it? They should know that was bound to happen. While I don't care if Norm is/is not the father, why does Kiri think it's a bad thing if he was? He's a nice guy who knew her mom and should appreciate that. If she's uncomfortable about that possibility because she has a crush on him, that should be clear. In fact, the only mistake Norm makes is not removing the tracker on the crafts he owns with the other human rebels. That should've been done the instant the RDA returned. It only feels more ridiculous that not even Jake thought of it. And why the hell would Spider not think it's a good idea to tell Jake there are Avatar clones roaming around? Forget getting in trouble, he'd be saving everyone had they not gotten caught. It was interesting to notice Quaritch's suit at the time had a camera on him, but why didn't it detect/warn him Neytiri was gonna shoot him? I refuse to believe he would ignore that. And what was the point for Aunong to call Kiri a freak when all she was doing was breathing underwater near a beach? I know he's pointing out she came from an Avatar body and most Na'vi aren't hip with that, but this was a pointless way to get tension going between the kids. And let's be honest here, I think the death of Neteyam could've been avoided if there was an actual guard watching over Jake's kids. Lastly, why the hell didn’t anyone handcuff Spider to a pole? If Quaritch knew he’d be a liability once capturing Sully’s kids, that should’ve been an instant priority to avoid a compromise. I swear I really don’t want to root for the bad guys, but a few more smarter decisions would’ve made them ahead of their enemies. Ignore this, then you’ll still be able to appreciate the film for what it is. In conclusion, Avatar: The Way of Water is one of the best films of 2022 for being a sequel living up to the hype, continuing to be a boundary pusher with technology and providing a story grounded enough to prepare for the rest of the franchise’s future. If you have deep love for the predecessor and have waited as long as I have for a follow up, see this now.