avatar 2 movie summary essay

• Cast & crew
• User reviews

Avatar: The Way of Water

• Jake Sully lives with his newfound family formed on the extrasolar moon Pandora. Once a familiar threat returns to finish what was previously started, Jake must work with Neytiri and the army of the Na'vi race to protect their home.
• Several years after the Na'vi repelled the RDA invasion Jake Sully and his family are living on Pandora. Things seem peaceful but the RDA has other plans, invading and capturing Pandora. Sully forms a guerrilla group to try to expel the invaders. — grantss
• Pandora, 2170. Having found meaning and purpose in the heart of the extrasolar Garden of Eden, formerly paraplegic Marine veteran Jake Sully and his fierce warrior princess companion Neytiri enjoy peace and prosperity after the life-altering events of Avatar (2009) . But happiness is fleeting. And when the unsightly ghosts of Sully's past emerge, sixteen years after the all-out Assault on the Tree of Souls, the human Toruk Makto and the Na'vi must fight back. Now, Jake and the Omatikaya clan have no choice but to pick up where they left off to defend their home. In the upcoming war against the unstoppable Sky People, will blind revenge destroy everything Sully holds dear? — Nick Riganas
• More than a decade after the Na'Vi repelled the human invasion of Pandora, Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) (a former human who fell in love with Neytiri and befriended the Na'Vi after becoming a member of the Avatar Program, eventually taking their side in their conflict with humans and leading them to victory. He left his human body to permanently become one of the Na'Vi) lives as chief of the Omaticaya clan and raises a family with Neytiri (Zoe Saldaña), which includes his sons, Neteyam (James Flatters) and Lo'Ak (Britain Dalton); his biological daughter, Tuk (Trinity Jo-Li Bliss); his adopted daughter; Kiri (Sigourney Weaver) (born from Grace Augustine's inert Na'Vi avatar); and a human boy named Miles Socorro "Spider" (Jack Champion), the son of Colonel Miles Quaritch (Stephen Lang) (Colonel Miles Quaritch, a human who led the security forces of the RDA, the human organization colonizing Pandora, in their conflict with the Na'Vi) who was born on Pandora and was unable to be transported to Earth in Cryostasis due to his young age. the Na'Vi sent all the humans back home, but kept the scientists like Norm and Max, to help continue their study of the Na'Vi ecology and biology. To the Na'Vi's dismay, humans return to Pandora to prepare it for colonization, as Earth is dying. They erect a new main operating base named "Bridgehead City". Among the new arrivals are "Recombinants", Na'Vi avatars with the memories of deceased RDA marines, with Quaritch's Recombinant as their leader. General Frances Ardmore (Edie Falco) is the commander in charge of the planet. Jake initiates a guerrilla campaign against the RDA supply lines by attacking a Maglev train carrying weapons. Quaritch and his Recombinants conduct a counterinsurgency mission against Jake (they are dropped close to the magnetic mountains in the hope that the Na'Vi DNA will not trigger the immune response from the local ecosystem), capturing his children (The children come across Miles's team looking for footage of their last encounter with Jake and Neytiri, when they are cut off and captured by Miles. Spider learns that Miles is his father and that he was killed by Neytiri). Jake and Neytiri arrive and free most of them, but Spider is taken by Quaritch, who recognizes him as his son. He decides to spend time with him in order to draw Spider on his side, and in turn, Spider teaches Quaritch about Na'Vi culture and language. Aware of the danger Spider's knowledge (he knew their entire base and tactics of operations) of his whereabouts poses to their safety, Jake and his family exile themselves from the Omaticaya and retreat to the Metkayina reef people clan at Pandora's eastern seaboard, where they are given shelter, even though some tribesmen consider them to have "demon blood" for their genetic human heritage. The family learns the ways of the reef people, Kiri develops a spiritual bond with the sea and its creatures (she gets the ability to summon and command them), and Lo'Ak befriends Tsireya (Bailey Bass) (a graceful and strong free diver of the Metkayina), the daughter of clan chief Tonowari (Cliff Curtis) and his wife Ronal (Kate Winslet) (a free diver of the Metkayina and Tonowari's wife, who is pregnant). Jake tells Tonowari that he has left the war behind him and only seeks safety of his family. He is allowed to stay, and Jake is very keen to ensure that his family respect the ways of the Metkayina Lo'Ak gets into a fight with Tsireya's brother Aonung (Filip Geljo). When he returns to apologize at Jake's insistence, Aonung and his friends entice him to a trip into the territory of a dangerous sea predator and leave him stranded on purpose and far away from their village. Lo'Ak is attacked by the predator and is about to be killed, when it is saved by and befriends Payakan, a Tulkun, an intelligent and pacifistic cetacean species whom the Metkayina consider their spiritual family. Payakan is a loner and sees Lo'Ak also as a loner and hence saves him. Upon his return, Lo'Ak takes the blame on himself, winning Aonung's friendship, but is told that Payakan is an outcast among his species. On a trip to the Metkayina's Tree of Souls, Kiri links with it to meet her mother, but suffers a violent seizure. She is healed by Ronal, but when Jake calls Norm Spellman (Joel David Moore) and Max Patel (Dileep Rao) for help, Quaritch is able to track them to the archipelago where the reef people live. Bringing Spider with him, he commandeers a whaling vessel (led by Captain Mick Scoresby (Brendan Cowell), the head of a private sector marine hunting vessel on the planet of Pandora & Dr. Ian Garvin (Jemaine Clement), a marine biologist) which is hunting Tulkuns to harvest their brain enzymes for creating anti-aging remedies named Amrita. Quaritch begins to brutally question the indigenous tribes about Jake's location; failing that, he orders the whaling crew to wantonly kill the Tulkuns in order to draw Jake out. Lo'Ak mentally links with Payakan and learns that the Tulkun was cast out because he went against the ways of his species and attacked the whalers who killed his mother. In the attack, many Tulkun were killed and Payakan was blamed for using violence and violating the ways of their species. When the Metkayina learn of the Tulkun killings, Lo'Ak takes off to warn Payakan, followed by his siblings, Tsireya, Aonung and Rotxo (Duane Evans, Jr.). They find Payakan being chased by the whalers, and Lo'Ak, Tsireya, and Tuk are captured by Quaritch. With their children in danger, Jake, Neytiri, and the Metkayina set out to confront the humans. Quaritch forces Jake to surrender, but seeing his soul brother imperiled, Payakan attacks the whalers, triggering a fight that kills most of the crew and critically damages the vessel, causing it to sink. Neteyam rescues Lo'Ak, Tsireya and Spider, but is fatally shot and killed. Jake faces Quaritch, who uses Kiri as a hostage. When Neytiri does the same with Spider, Quaritch at first denies his relationship with him but desists when Neytiri cuts Spider across the chest. A fight ensues between Jake and Miles as the vessel continues to sink. Jake, Quaritch, Neytiri, and Tuk end up trapped inside the sinking vessel. Jake strangles Quaritch into unconsciousness and is rescued by Lo'Ak and Payakan, and Kiri summons sea creatures to help her save Neytiri and Tuk. Spider finds and rescues Quaritch, but renounces him for his cruelty and rejoins Jake's family. After Neteyam's funeral, Jake informs Tonowari and Ronal of his decision to leave the Metkayina. Tonowari, however, respectfully identifies him as part of the clan and welcomes his family to stay. Jake and his family accept and forge a new life at sea, with Jake vowing to keep fighting the human invaders.

Contribute to this page

• IMDb Answers: Help fill gaps in our data
• Learn more about contributing

More from this title

More to explore, recently viewed.

• Diving Travel
• The Top Dive Sites Of The World
• The Ultimate Guide To Liveaboard Diving
• The Beginners Guide To Freediving
• The Beginners Guide to Scuba Diving
• The Beginners Guide To Spearfishing
• Photo Of The Week
• Video Of The Week
• Competitions
• Underwater Imaging
• Spearfishing
• Blue Wild Expo
• DEMA Show Coverage
• Site Announcements

• Submit Your Content

Review: Avatar 2 – The Way of Water

Avatar: The Way of Water is a science fiction movie directed by James Cameron and produced by 20th Century Fox. It is the sequel to the 2009 movie Avatar and is the second installment in the Avatar franchise. It stars Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, Stephen Lang, Sigourney Weaver, and Kate Winslet, as well as several newcomers.

It is the first movie to be shot entirely in 3D and has been hailed as a technological marvel.

I picked up on small moments that reminded me of Terminator, Aliens, and The Abyss. Let’s not doubt for one moment that James Cameron is a master of his craft and a fantastic storyteller. The Abyss played a massive part in encouraging me to be a water person.

I will discuss the technological advancements used in the movie, the environmental message it conveys, the characters and their storylines, the visuals and effects, the music and soundtrack, and whether or not it is worth watching. So, let’s dive right in!

Introduction to Avatar: The Way of Water

The movie takes us on a journey to the wondrous world of Pandora. It is a visually stunning movie filled with breathtaking landscapes and awe-inspiring creatures. It tells the story of a group of Na’vi warriors on a quest to save the planet from a destructive force (humans).

The movie centers around the idea of balance and how the Na’vi’s connection to the planet and its energy can be used to restore harmony.

The movie was released a few days ago and has since become one of the most successful movies. It has grossed over $2 billion at the box office and received critical acclaim from critics and audiences alike. It is a must-watch for all science fiction and fantasy fans.

It is important to remember this “science fiction and fantasy” as I will touch on this in my conclusion.

I entered the cinema in the shadow of James Cameron´s publicity appearance at a Japanese Dolphinarium to promote the movie in Japan . I decided and tried to ignore this when watching the movie.

I am sure this story will continue, and more explanations will be made. Hopefully, something positive will come from James Cameron and his powerful voice in righting the wrongs of dolphins in captivity.  

Technology and Effects Used in the Movie

Avatar: The Way of Water is a technological marvel. It is the first movie to be shot entirely in 3D, a process that took two years to perfect. The 3D visuals allow for a more immersive viewing experience, with the viewer feeling like they are actually in the world of Pandora.

The movie also utilizes motion capture technology, which allows the actors to portray their characters more authentically. The motion capture technology gives the characters a more realistic look and feels and allows the audience to connect with them deeper.

The movie also uses CGI (computer-generated imagery) to create stunning visuals. CGI has been used to create the breathtaking landscapes and creatures of Pandora, as well as the Na’vi’s signature look. The CGI also helps to make the action scenes more dynamic and exciting.  

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Jon Landau (@jonplandau)

The Eco-Friendly Message of the Movie

The film carries an important message about the environment and our responsibility to protect it. The movie depicts the Na’vi’s connection to nature and how they rely on it for survival.

The movie also highlights the importance of respecting the planet and its resources. It encourages the audience to be more mindful of their actions impact on the environment and to think about the consequences of their decisions.

The movie’s message is timely and relevant, reminding us that we must take action to protect our planet and its resources. It is an important reminder that we all have a responsibility to do our part to help protect the environment.

But I got uncomfortable here… this is what the marketing people at the studio want you to think… and I am sure that is the vision in James Cameron’s story… I found it a little contrite, simplistic and patronizing, but perhaps I am not in the demographic that needs a modern-day environmental parable.

An Environmental Parable for the 21st Century – maybe if the blue people existed, but it is just fantastic science fiction and fantasy movie

Avatar: The Way of Water is more than just a movie; it is an environmental parable for the 21st century. It is a story about respecting and protecting the environment and how we can make a difference.

The movie serves as a reminder that we must be mindful of our actions’ impact on the environment and work together to protect it. It is a powerful reminder that we all must do our part to help protect the planet.

The Characters and Storyline

It features a stunning cast of characters, each bringing something unique to the movie. The main characters of the movie are Jake Sully, a paralyzed former Marine who becomes a Na’vi warrior and embarks on a quest to save Pandora; Neytiri, an experienced Na’vi warrior and the love interest of Jake; and Colonel Miles Quaritch, the leader of the human military force on Pandora and the main antagonist of the movie.

The storyline of the movie is engaging and well-paced. It follows Jake as he learns the ways of the Na’vi and discovers their connection to the planet. He also learns about his connection to the planet and how he can use it to save Pandora. The movie is filled with thrilling action scenes and heart-stopping moments.

The Visuals and Effects

It’s hard to ignore that it is a visual feast. The 3D visuals allow for a more immersive viewing experience, with the viewer feeling like they are actually in the world of Pandora. The CGI and motion capture technology used in the movie help to create stunning visuals that draw the viewer in.

The movie also features some of the most stunning and awe-inspiring creatures on the big screen. The creatures of Pandora are unique and lifelike, and they help to create a sense of wonder and awe. The movie’s visuals are genuinely breathtaking, and they help to make the movie an unforgettable experience.

The Music and Soundtrack

The music and soundtrack of Avatar: The Way of Water are as stunning as their visuals. The movie features an original score composed by James Horner and produced by Stephen Lang, as well as several songs from the Na’vi language. The score helps to enhance the movie’s emotion and create a sense of wonder and awe.

The Final Verdict: Is it Worth Watching?

The film is a must-watch for all science fiction and fantasy fans. The movie features incredible visuals, an engaging storyline, and a stellar cast of characters with an important message about the environment. The music and soundtrack are also impressive and help to enhance the viewing experience.

It is a movie that will stay with you long after watching it, and it is definitely worth watching.

Avatar: The Way of Water is a beautiful movie with an important message about the environment.

There were parts where the ocean and forest living fantasy beings’ interactions involved the touching of coral, shells, and riding of air-breathing marine mammal-like creatures. Is that a good message for sustainable interactions on our planet? In a fantasy world, it is ok.

It is a movie that is visually stunning and meaningful, and it is definitely worth watching. So, if you haven’t seen it yet, check it out and experience the magic of Avatar: The Way of Water!

• scuba diving

RELATED ARTICLES

Applications for wdhof scholarships now open, seacure offer first pro deal with free mouthpiece, poseidon memorial reef underwater cemetery under construction, connect with us, recent articles, new study shows rain’s impact on baby turtle sizes, us voters want more ocean protections, sea of change foundation aids turtle conservation in mexico, new theory surfaces about the cause of scarface’s scars, who is deeperblue.com.

DeeperBlue.com is the World’s Largest Community dedicated to  Freediving ,  Scuba Diving , Ocean Advocacy , and  Diving Travel .

We’ve been dedicated to bringing you the freshest news, features, and discussions from around the underwater world since 1996.

POPULAR POSTS THIS WEEK

Contact us: [email protected]

• User Agreement
• Writing for Us

• Newsletters
• Account Activating this button will toggle the display of additional content Account Sign out

Avatar 2 Is History’s Most Costly Nature Documentary

The sequel’s drama may not be as compelling as its fictional marine wildlife, but wait till you get a load of these space whales..

In late 2009, when James Cameron’s record-breaking blockbuster Avatar was released, the relationship of the average movie viewer to digital technology was subtly but profoundly different than it would be 13 years later. Smartphones had existed for a few years, but they were nowhere near as ubiquitous nor as powerful in shaping everyday behavior as they have since become. (Like many people I knew, I bought my first one that year.) Social media, too, was a relatively new cultural force: 2009 was the year that Facebook’s user count first began to surpass that of MySpace, and also the year Twitter became a key organizing tool in the Iran uprising known as the “Green Revolution” (or, sometimes, the “Twitter revolution”). When the first Avatar came out, the notion of virtual reality still seemed cool and somehow philosophical, a Matrix -style upending of dull everyday reality, rather than the banal product it has become in the age of Mark Zuckerberg’s metaverse, a joyless zone where, Zuck promises, one day we will get to go to work meetings in the guise of our bland cartoon selves, maybe even with legs .

Avatar: The Way of Water is the first of four projected Avatar sequels, and the first film of any kind Cameron has directed since the original came out. All that time he has been immersed in Pandora, the utopian planet he invented, not only planning and shooting the first two sequels at once but consulting on the creation of Avatar -related attractions and rides for Disney theme parks. In the nonfictional realm, Cameron also became a deep-sea explorer, using some of his massive profits from the first Avatar to construct a single-person submarine in which he became the first person to descend alone to the bottom of the Mariana Trench, the deepest part of the earth’s ocean floor.

When it comes to water, in short, the director of Titanic and The Abyss has a well-established penchant for going hard, which is why the most satisfying stretches of his new 3-hour-plus epic about the imperiled Na’vi people are those that take place in and around the oceanic home of the Metkayina people, a Na’vi tribe that lives in close contact with the sea and has evolved to survive for long periods underwater. The design of the teal-green Metkayina characters is beautifully differentiated from the familiar giant-blue-cat look of the Omaticayas, the forest-dwelling tribe that was the focus of the first film, and there are some transporting sequences in which members of both tribes explore the marvels of Pandora marine life: sentient whale-like creatures called tulkun, shimmering schools of bioluminescent fish, and a wonderfully imagined pink stingray that, attached to the shoulders of a swimmer like fairy wings, enables the user to breathe underwater. Rendered in crisp 3D with details to discover in every corner of the frame, these sequences are thrilling to watch, even if—or maybe because—they bring the film’s mostly pedestrian story to a halt.

If this review, too, seems to have taken its time to get around the actual plot of Avatar: The Way of Water , that’s because the experience of viewing the movie often seems only tangentially connected to the story of Jake Sully (a motion-captured Sam Worthington), the human hero who at the end of the first film had his consciousness uploaded into a genetically engineered Na’vi body, and his Na’vi family. He and his wife Neytiri (Zoe Saldaña) have three biological children: golden-boy eldest son Neteyam (Jamie Flatters), perpetual screwup Lo’ak (Britain Dalton), and adorable tween Tuk (Trinity Jo-Li Bliss). They also have an adopted teenage daughter, the daydream-prone Kiri (played, in a clever bit of age-blind casting, by 73-year-old Sigourney Weaver, who played the character’s mother in the first film). To round out the cute-kid ensemble there is Spider (Jack Champion), a human boy who was abandoned by the colonizing forces that left Pandora at the end of the first film and who has grown up as a kind of self-sufficient wild child.

This azure Brady Bunch has lived in peaceful harmony with their forest surroundings for what looks to be, from the children’s ages, around 15 years when Pandora is once again invaded by the marauding Earthlings the Na’vi call “Sky People.” The leader of the new colonizing forces, bent on extracting value from Pandora’s ecosystem and, most particularly, on tracking down and killing Jake Sully, is an upgraded version of the first movie’s villain. Colonel Miles Quaritch (Stephen Lang), who was killed at the end of Avatar , has sneakily uploaded his own consciousness to some sort of futuristic hard drive and had it reimplanted in a genetically engineered Na’vi body. (All this is somewhat hastily clarified in a data dump as the movie begins, and you don’t need to grasp all the specifics in order to understand that big blue bad guy wants to kill big blue good guy and, if possible, his big blue family as well.)

To hide out from the murderous invaders, the Sullys trek across Pandora to the Metkayina’s watery kingdom, where they are at first greeted with mistrust by the tribal leader Tonowari (Cliff Curtis) and his pregnant shaman wife Ronal (Kate Winslet) but are gradually accepted into the community and taught the eponymous “way of water,” including spiritual pilgrimages to a sacred underwater tree and psychic bonding with the hyper-intelligent tulkun. (One character informs us that these whale-like beasts have not only their own music and mathematics but their own philosophy, creating in this viewer at least the desire for a future spinoff set at a tulkun university.) The mid-film sequences that familiarize both the Sullys and the audience with the biodiversity of Pandoran marine life are gorgeous, imaginative, and placid. When the movie cuts back to the doings of the earthly bad guys, including Edie Falco as a no-nonsense commander in an Alien -style mech exoskeleton, it’s a jarring reminder that this dreamy utopian planet does indeed contain conflict beyond the bullying of teens daring each other to swim farther out than their parents allow.

In the final third of the film, the battle between the earthlings and the Na’vi takes over the story, with a series of exciting if not always logical action set pieces that includes a heart-pounding chase on a whaling vessel and an extended sinking-ship sequence that may bring to mind another movie about a certain doomed ocean liner. Neither dialogue nor character development are the strong points of this visually dazzling plunge, but you don’t need fine shadings of meaning to grasp the stakes of these scenes. Not unlike Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings trilogy—which, like The Way of Water , was filmed mainly in New Zealand with the help of the WETA visual-effects workshop— Cameron’s Avatar movies are grand-scale event pictures that are still somehow as simple as storytelling gets.

“The most dangerous thing about Pandora is that you may grow to love her too much,” Jake Sully tells us in voiceover near the film’s beginning, and even if not every viewer runs the risk of falling as far down the Mariana Trench of Na’vi lore as James Cameron has, The Way of Water is nothing if not a triumph of world-building. Fans of fantasy, speculative sci-fi, and YA romance are sure to be drawn in by the flying-crocodile-riding adventures of the squabbling teens who are for all practical purposes the movie’s main characters. A stickler for logic might question why, while their parents are heard speaking with a Na’vi accent, the next generation are all shown addressing one another in the frat-boy slang of American suburban teenagers, with lots of “bro,” “dude,” and “This is sick!” And I would be interested to read the thoughts of a critic of color, especially someone of indigenous origin, on the racialized traits of various Pandoran characters, including the Na’vi women’s cornrow braids and, in an unfortunate styling choice, the blond dreadlocks of the feral white boy Spider. Cameron’s loving gaze upon the world of his own creation is complicated by his exoticized idealization of what he clearly sees as the Na’vi’s spiritual superiority to humans and their role as preservers of their world’s ecological balance. His passion is infectious and his enthusiasm for environmental causes commendable, but the movie’s metaphysical and sociological aspirations sometimes come off as cringe-inducingly similar to those that might be expressed by a white lady running a healing-crystal shop in a seaside town.

At times—as with the intermittent high-frame-rate scenes that unexpectedly drop us into a hyperreal visual world that I for one found distracting—Cameron seems almost to have overspent, like a host laying out a football-field-length table with more food than his guests can even visually take in all at once, let alone eat. But the beauty of the world he creates, evoked in lush detail by cinematographer Russell Carpenter, is enough, most of the time, to make you forgive the hokiness of the screenplay by Cameron, Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver. This 3-hour-and-10-minute movie cost something in the realm of $350 million, much of it poured into special effects. As Cameron has been boasting in press interviews, it will need to be one of the top-grossing movies of all time merely to earn its budget back. Given that this seems sure to be one of the few must-see-it-in-a-theater movie releases of the year, and that the tickets will be sold at a higher price point than those for your average 2D blockbuster, it seems like a safe bet that Avatar: The Way of Water will set another box-office record. What that will mean for the future of moviegoing is a lot less clear than the pristine oceans of Pandora, but if you want to get a peek at what might be coming next, you might as well dive in.

Advertisement

Supported by

‘Avatar: The Way of Water’ Review: Big Blue Marvel

James Cameron returns to Pandora, and to the ecological themes and visual bedazzlements of his 2009 blockbuster.

• Share full article

By A.O. Scott

Way back in 2009, “Avatar” arrived on screens as a plausible and exciting vision of the movie future. Thirteen years later, “Avatar: The Way of Water” — the first of several long-awaited sequels directed by James Cameron — brings with it a ripple of nostalgia.

The throwback sensation may hit you even before the picture starts, as you unfold your 3-D glasses. When was the last time you put on a pair of those? Even the anticipation of seeing something genuinely new at the multiplex feels like an artifact of an earlier time, before streaming and the Marvel Universe took over.

The first “Avatar” fused Cameron’s faith in technological progress with his commitments to the primal pleasures of old-fashioned storytelling and the visceral delights of big-screen action. The 3-D effects and intricately rendered digital landscapes — the trees and flowers of the moon Pandora and the way creatures and machines swooped and barreled through them — felt like the beginning of something, the opening of a fresh horizon of imaginative possibility.

At the same time, the visual novelty was built on a sturdy foundation of familiar themes and genre tropes. “Avatar” was set on a fantastical world populated by soulful blue bipeds, but it wasn’t exactly (or only) science fiction. It was a revisionist western, an ecological fable, a post-Vietnam political allegory — a tale of romance, valor and revenge with traces of Homer, James Fenimore Cooper and “Star Trek” in its DNA.

All of that is also true of “The Way of Water,” which picks up the story and carries it from Pandora’s forests to its reefs and wetlands — an environment that inspires some new and dazzling effects. Where “Avatar” found inspiration in lizard-birds, airborne spores and jungle flowers, the sequel revels in aquatic wonders, above all a kind of armored whale called the tulkun.

We are having trouble retrieving the article content.

Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.

Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and  log into  your Times account, or  subscribe  for all of The Times.

Thank you for your patience while we verify access.

Already a subscriber?  Log in .

Want all of The Times?  Subscribe .

Find anything you save across the site in your account

“Avatar: The Way of Water,” Reviewed: An Island Fit for the King of the World

Fifteen years separated “The Godfather Part II” from “Part III,” and the years showed. The series’ director, Francis Ford Coppola , enriched the latter film with both the life experience (much of it painful) and the experience of his work on other, often daring and distinctive films with which he filled the intervening span of time. By contrast, James Cameron , who delivered the original “ Avatar ” in 2009, has delivered its sequel, “ Avatar: The Way of Water ,” thirteen years later, in which time he has directed no other feature films—and, though he doubtless has lived, the sole experience that the new movie suggests is a vacation on an island resort so remote that few outside visitors have found it. For all its sententious grandiosity and metaphorical politics, “The Way of Water” is a regimented and formalized excursion to an exclusive natural paradise that its select guests fight tooth and nail to keep for themselves. The movie’s bland aesthetics and banal emotions turn it into the Club Med of effects-driven extravaganzas.

The action begins about a decade after the end of the first installment: the American-born Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) has cast his lot with the extraterrestrial Na’vis, having kept his blue Na’vi form, taken up residence with them on the lush moon of Pandora, and married the Na’vi seer Neytiri (Zoe Saldaña), with whom he has had several children. The couple’s foster son, Spider (Jack Champion), a full-blooded human, is the biological child of Jake’s archenemy, Colonel Miles Quaritch, who was killed in the earlier film. Now Miles has returned, sort of, in the form of a Na’vi whose mind is infused with the late colonel’s memories. (He’s still a colonel and still played by Stephen Lang.) Miles and his platoon of Na’vified humans launch a raid to capture Jake, who, with his family, fights back and gets away—all but Spider, whom Miles captures. The Sully clan flees the forests of Pandora and reaches a remote island, where most of the movie’s action takes place.

The island is the home of the Metkayina, the so-called reef people, who—befitting their nearly amphibian lives—have a greenish cast to contrast with Na’vi blue; they also have flipper-like arms and tails. They are an insular people, who have remained undisturbed by “sky people”—humans. The Metkayina queen, Ronal (Kate Winslet), is wary of the newcomers, fearing that the arrival of Na’vis seeking refuge from the marauders will make the islands a target, but the king, Tonowari (Cliff Curtis), welcomes the Sullys nonetheless. Unsurprisingly, the foreordained incursion takes place. An expedition of predatory human scientists arrive on a quest to harvest the precious bodily fluid—the sequel’s version of unobtainium—of giant sea creatures that are sacred to the Metkayina. The invading scientists join the colonel and his troops in the hunt for Jake, resulting in a colossal sequence that combines the two adversaries’ long-awaited hand-to-hand showdown with “ Titanic ”-style catastrophe.

The interstellar military conflict is the mainspring of the story, and a link in what is intended to be an ongoing series. (The next installment is scheduled for release in 2024.) But it’s the oceanic setting of the Metkayina that provides the sequel with its essence. Cameron’s display of the enticements and wonders of the Metkayina way of life is at once the dramatic and the moral center of the movie. The Sullys find welcoming refuge in the island community, but they also must undergo initiations, ones that are centered on the children and teen-agers of both the Sullys and the Metkayina ruling family. This comes complete with the macho posturing that’s inseparable from the cinematic land of Cameronia. Two boys, a Na’vi and a Metkayina, fight after one demands, “I need you to respect my sister”; afterward, Jake, getting a glimpse at his bruised and bloodied son, is delighted to learn that the other boy got the worst of it. Later, when, during combat, trouble befalls one of the Na’vi children, it’s Neytiri, not Jake, who loses control, and Jake who gives her the old locker-room pep talk about bucking up and keeping focus on the battle at hand. The film is filled with Jake’s mantras, one of which goes, “A father protects; it’s what gives him meaning.”

What a mother does, beside fighting under a father’s command, is still in doubt. Despite the martial exploits of Neytiri, a sharpshooter with a bow and arrow, and of Ronal, who goes into battle while very pregnant, the superficial badassery is merely a gestural feminism that does little to counteract the patriarchal order of the Sullys and their allies. Jake’s statement of paternal purpose is emblematic of the thudding dialogue; compared to this, the average Marvel film evokes an Algonquin Round Table of wit and vigor. But there’s more to the screenplay of “The Way of Water” than its dialogue; the script (by Cameron, Rick Jaffa, and Amanda Silver) is nonetheless constructed in an unusual way, and this is by far the most interesting thing about the movie. The screenplay builds the action anecdotally, with a variety of sidebars and digressions that don’t develop characters or evoke psychology but, rather, emphasize what the movie is selling as its strong point—its visual enticements and the technical innovations that make them possible.

The extended scenes of the Sullys getting acquainted with the life aquatic are largely decorative, to display the water-world that Cameron has devised, as when the young members of the family learn to ride the bird-fish that serve as the Metkayina’s mode of conveyance; when one of them dives to retrieve a shell from the deep; and when the Sullys’ adopted Na’vi daughter, Kiri (played, surprisingly, by Sigourney Weaver, both because she’s playing a teen-ager and because it’s a different role from the one she played in the 2009 film), discovers a passionate connection to the underwater realm, a function of her separate heritage. The watery light and its undulations are attractions in themselves, but the spotlight is on the flora and fauna with which Cameron populates the sea—most prominently, luminescent ones, such as anemone-like fish that light the way for deep-sea swimmers who have a spiritual connection to them, and tendril-like plants that grow from the seafloor and serve as a final resting place for deceased reef people.

Putting the movie’s design in the forefront does “The Way of Water” no favors. Cameron’s aesthetic vision is reminiscent, above all, of electric giftwares in a nineteen-eighties shopping mall, with their wavery seascapes expanded and detailed and dramatized, with the kitschy color schemes and glowing settings trading homey disposability for an overblown triumphalist grandeur. It was a big surprise to learn, after seeing the film, that its aquatic settings aren’t entirely C.G.I. conjurings—much of the film was shot underwater, for which the cast underwent rigorous training. (To prepare, Winslet held her breath for over seven minutes; to film, a deep-sea cameraman worked with a custom-made hundred-and-eighty-pound rig.) For all the difficulty and complexity of underwater filming, however, the movie is undistinguished by its cinematographic compositions, which merely record the action and dispense the design.

Yet Cameron’s frictionless, unchallenging aesthetic is more than decorative; it embodies a world view, and it’s one with the insubstantiality of the movie’s heroes, Na’vi and Metkayina alike. They, too, are works of design—and are similarly stylized to the point of uniform banality. Both are elongated like taffy to the slenderized proportions of Barbies and Kens, and they have all the diversity of shapes and sizes seen in swimsuit issues of generations past. The characters’ computer-imposed uniformity pushes the movie out of Uncanny Valley but into a more disturbing realm, one featuring an underlying, drone-like inner homogeneity. The near-absence of characters’ substance and inner lives isn’t a bug but a feature of both “Avatar” films, and, with the expanded array of characters in “The Way of Water,” that psychological uniformity is pushed into the foreground, along with the visual styles. On Cameron’s Edenic Pandora, neither the blues nor the greens have any culture but cult, religion, collective ritual. Though endowed with great skill in crafts, athletics, and martial arts, they don’t have anything to offer themselves or one another in the way of non-martial arts; they don’t print or record, sculpt or draw, and they have no audiovisual realm like the one of the movie itself. The main distinctions of character involve family affinity (as in Jake’s second mantra, “Sullys stick together”) and the dictates of biological inheritance (as in the differences imposed on Spider and Kiri by their different origins).

Cameron’s new island realm is a land without creativity, without personalized ideas, inspirations, imaginings, desires. His aesthetic of such unbroken unanimity is the apotheosis of throwaway commercialism, in which mystery and wonder are replaced by an infinitely reproducible formula, with visual pleasures microdosed. Cameron fetishizes this hermetic world without culture because, with his cast and crew under his command, he can create it with no extra knowledge, experience, or curiosity needed—no ideas or ideologies to puncture or pressure the bubble of sheer technical prowess or criticize his own self-satisfied and self-sufficient sensibility from within. He has crafted his own perfect cinematic permanent vacation, a world apart, from which, undisturbed by thoughts of the world at large, he can sell an exclusive trip to an island paradise where he’s the king. ♦

New Yorker Favorites

They thought that they’d found the perfect apartment. They weren’t alone .

The world’s oldest temple and the dawn of civilization .

What happened to the whale from “Free Willy.”

It was one of the oldest buildings left downtown. Why not try to save it ?

The religious right’s leading ghostwriter .

After high-school football stars were accused of rape, online vigilantes demanded that justice be served .

A comic strip by Alison Bechdel: the seven-minute semi-sadistic workout .

Sign up for our daily newsletter to receive the best stories from The New Yorker .

Thanks For Rating

Reminder successfully set, select a city.

• Nashik Times
• Aurangabad Times
• Badlapur Times

You can change your city from here. We serve personalized stories based on the selected city

• Edit Profile
• Briefs Movies TV Web Series Lifestyle Trending Visual Stories Music Events Videos Theatre Photos Gaming

Deepika Padukone and Ranveer Singh's fans flood the internet with cute names for their baby girl; Check out here!

Sidharth Malhotra pays a tribute to the real ‘Shershaah’, Captain Vikram Batra, on his birth anniversary

Akshay Kumar turns 57: Kareena Kapoor shares a priceless picture wishing her ‘Good Newwz’ co-star; Vaani Kapoor calls him ‘the one who brings joy’

Ranveer Singh and Deepika Padukone’s love story is straight out of a fairytale

Throwback: When Raveena Tandon criticized gender disparity in Bollywood

Riteish Deshmukh shares heartwarming video of his kids crafting eco-friendly Ganesha idols

• Movie Reviews

Movie Listings

Thalapathy Is The G.O....

Pad Gaye Pange

A Wedding Story

The Diary Of West Beng...

Aho Vikramaarka

Khel Khel Mein

Check out the fabulous pictures of actress Vani Bhojan

Anjali Arora welcomes Ganpati Bappa home - Pics

Genelia D'Souza wins heart in traditional Maharashtrian look

Madhuri Dixit Nene's Gorgeous Saree Looks

Charming pics of Mamitha Baiju

​Ruhani Sharma’s love for maroon shades

Sakshi Aggarwal showcases her impeccable sense of style

​Neeru Bajwa stuns in elegant lehenga cholis​

Ganpati 2024: Take cues from Sonam Bajwa's ethnic closet for this festive season

Helly Shah's vibrant pics

Thalapathy Is The G.O.A...

The Diary Of West Benga...

Hocus Focus

The Greatest Of All Tim...

Adharma Kadhaigal

Pogumidam Vegu Thoorami...

Kottukkaali

Demonte Colony 2

Raghu Thatha

35-Chinna Katha Kaadu

Mr.Bachchan

Purushothamudu

Sarangadhariya

Prabuthwa Junior Kalash...

Music Shop Murthy

Bharathanatyam

Palum Pazhavum

Adios Amigo

Level Cross

Agathokakological

Nadanna Sambavam

Krishnam Pranaya Sakhi

Roopanthara

Family Drama

Back Bencherz

Manikbabur Megh: The Cl...

Rajnandini Paul and Ama...

Chaalchitra Ekhon

Nayan Rahasya

Teriya Meriya Hera Pher...

Kudi Haryane Val Di

Shinda Shinda No Papa

Sarabha: Cry For Freedo...

Zindagi Zindabaad

Maujaan Hi Maujaan

Chidiyan Da Chamba

White Punjab

Any How Mitti Pao

Gharat Ganpati

Ek Don Teen Chaar

Danka Hari Namacha

Aamhi Jarange

Vishay Hard

Swargandharva Sudhir Ph...

Naach Ga Ghuma

Juna Furniture

Devra Pe Manva Dole

Dil Ta Pagal Hola

Ittaa Kittaa

Jaishree Krishh

Bushirt T-shirt

Shubh Yatra

Avatar: The Way Of Water

Your rating, write a review (optional).

• Movie Reviews /

Avatar: The Way Of Water UA

Would you like to review this movie?

Cast & Crew

Avatar: The Way Of Water Movie Review : A worthy sequel that’s dazzlingly immersive and hypnotic

• Times Of India

Avatar: The Way Of Water - Official Trailer

Avatar: The Way Of Water - Official Teaser

Avatar: The Way Of Water - Official Teaser (H...

Avatar: The Way Of Water - Official Teaser (T...

Avatar: The Way Of Water - Official Teaser (K...

Avatar: The Way Of Water - Official Teaser (M...

Avatar: The Way Of Water - Dialogue English P...

Users' Reviews

Refrain from posting comments that are obscene, defamatory or inflammatory, and do not indulge in personal attacks, name calling or inciting hatred against any community. Help us delete comments that do not follow these guidelines by marking them offensive . Let's work together to keep the conversation civil.

Saddam Ali 179 days ago

Akash 319 days ago

very nice movie

Guest 377 days ago

Samanvitha g 522 days ago, ranadip madhu 529 days ago, visual stories.

Entertainment

Hansika Motwani looks spectacular in her latest photoshoot

How to make a healthy cake with overripe bananas in a pan

Ganesh Chaturthi 2024: 10 South Indian dishes to make for Lord Ganesha

Kareena Kapoor Khan to Rekha: Best celebrity makeup looks from Ganesh Chaturthi 2024

8 effective ways to strengthen your social skills

Sumona Chakraborty inspired glamorous looks

7 national parks in India to spot black panther

7 home remedies to remove yellow stains from teeth

News - Avatar: The Way Of Water

Shraddha Kapoor’s Stree 2 beats Hollywood giants like A...

Disneyland to unveil new pandora-themed land inspired b...

'Deadpool and Wolverine' shoots past Half-Billion mark ...

Oppenheimer and Avatar: The Way of Water most watched f...

'Avatar: The Way of Water' (Telugu) to make its OTT str...

'Avatar: The Way of Water' finds home in OTT release

Popular Movie Reviews

Rebel Ridge

It Ends With Us

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice

Deadpool & Wolverine

Kinds Of Kindness

In The Land Of Saints And Sinn...

Alien: Romulus

Borderlands

• Skip to main content
• Keyboard shortcuts for audio player

Movie Reviews

Movie review: 'avatar: the way of water'.

Bob Mondello

Filmmaker James Cameron's sequel to the biggest worldwide box office hit of all time, "Avatar: The Way of Water," has been in the works for more than a decade.

Copyright © 2022 NPR. All rights reserved. Visit our website terms of use and permissions pages at www.npr.org for further information.

NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record.

The “Avatar” (2009) Film Analysis Essay

• To find inspiration for your paper and overcome writer’s block
• As a source of information (ensure proper referencing)
• As a template for you assignment

I have rewatched James Cameron’s Avatar (2009) several times, and I am amazed by the quality of the footage each time. Considering that most of the picture is graphics, this makes me admire it even more. I started watching the movie with high expectations, which I think were met, so the initial impression didn’t change much after watching the movie. Most of all, as I said, I liked the unattainable graphical power of Avatar. As you know, the production used the techniques of camera shooting, editing, capturing faces, and visual effects, which amaze almost any viewer. I liked that the film has a deep meaning, not just an excellent visual component. The director touched on the resounding theme of human cruelty, showing what people are ready to do for profit.

Given the deep plot, the eternal love line between the main characters seemed inappropriate, so I would say that the only thing I did not like was this moment in the plot. I think a strong attachment, or becoming part of a clan, would be enough. However, this, in turn, gives the film its brilliance and richness when everything, including emotions, is at its maximum. I also didn’t like the cruelty of the earthlings, which, unfortunately, is not cinematic fiction. Most likely, the fact that people are cruel upset me the most. However, justice always wins, as happened in the movie, so overall, I enjoyed the movie.

There is a direct relationship between people’s perception of each other and their relationships. How people perceive and evaluate each other depends on the images that they form about each other. Based on these images, people relate to each other and build interpersonal communication. If one person perceives another positively, he will have a positive attitude towards this person and act accordingly. If a person perceives another person negatively, then negative actions should be expected from him in relation to this person.

The protagonist, a former military man, perceived him as a strong personality who could be trusted as an experienced commander at first contact with the Colonel. It eventually led Sally to side with ‘evil’ as he agreed to help Miles Quaritch (Cameron, 2009). The leader understood that the main character is an essential link between scientists and the military, so he decided to use him. In turn, the Colonel’s perception of Sully as a former military man allowed him to manipulate Sully (Cameron, 2009). He knew the trauma the hero received earlier weighed too much on him, a man who still wanted to ‘fight for a good future.’ Thus, the background of both characters determines their perception of each other, ultimately influencing the plot’s development. It is noteworthy that the manifested human psychology acts not only on the screen but in life too.

Interestingly, the film does not represent ‘standard’ stereotypes, such as a precise distribution of responsibilities, that is, the preservation of gender roles. The film shows that excellent fighters can be women and military pilots. In addition, the scientific group is headed by a woman who treats the military with disdain (Cameron, 2009). The film’s director develops more specific themes, such as the Aboriginal stereotype, precisely the behavioral stereotype. People who have arrived from Earth consider themselves more developed, which has advantages. It also happens with developed and third-world countries: post-industrial states consider themselves in the right to carry out global changes in lagging states. Just like the people who arrived from Earth to Pandora, they ignore that they are surrounded by ‘people’ who do not differ in their common moral values.

The actors repeatedly use gestures and facial expressions throughout the film to show how they feel. But what is most surprising is the same gestures and facial expressions the animated characters did. We see that these creatures have the same feelings as us, and they correctly display them using non-verbal behavior; this film is filled with action. It means that they had to ensure that facial expressions and actions were correct. One can see that the movements of the characters look realistic: there is running and jumping. All this was done to reflect the actions of the person. Posture is essential here. These people from another world are scared and fighting for their lives. Their postures portray many basic emotions: fear, sadness, love, and others.

The indigenous population of Pandora is one with nature, so the inhabitants of Na’vi adopt a lot from it: gestures, facial expressions, and more. Residents often make many different sounds to establish contact with the world around them: they communicate with animals and trees and may also communicate with each other. The most important thing for them is to establish contact, which, in turn, is also connected with nature: they connect minds and the world around them. For this reason, Sully’s act when he established a connection with Toruk, a dragon-like predator feared and honored by the Na’vi, can be attributed to non-verbal communication to inspire trust and respect from the natives (Cameron, 2009). He knew this animal was considered an essential part of their culture, and its subjugation equated with great power. Thus, the protagonist, non-verbally, asks the inhabitants to trust him and follow him.

I think the realization of the mistake comes to him gradually and begins with the first meeting with Neytiri. The hero is struck by the beauty and harmony of Pandora’s world and its connection. The more the hero learns about the peculiarities of the life of the indigenous people, the more he is imbued with their position and becomes part of them. As he learns from the Na’vi, Jake respects the Omaticaya people and their customs more and more (Cameron, 2009). He passes the test to tame the ikran, a flying pterodactyl-like predator, and at the end of the training, Jake is initiated into the clan. Even though the realization of Jake’s mistake did not come to him in full immediately, he did not make a sufficient attempt to prevent it in time. In this regard, I believe that he realized the magnitude of the disaster too late. By the time Jake began to act, the Colonel and his army had already begun to destroy the Na’vi. Although the protagonist sided with the people of Omaticaya during the battle, this did not bring an effective result.

I would like to press pause at the moment when Jake began to enjoy life on Pandora. He could talk about his deal with Colonel Grace so that she could help him talk to the Na’vi people because she had spent much more time among them, and they trusted her. Perhaps this would have avoided the victims that occurred in the film. I don’t think Omaticaya’s warning would have stopped Selfridge, the plan’s administrator, from his idea, but it would have given him more time to develop an effective defense plan. That is what I would do, given the main character’s background and the events in his life that took place on Pandora.

Cameron, J. (2009). Avatar [Film]. 20th Century Fox.

• "Aeneid" by Virgil and "The Godfather" by Coppola
• The "My Neighbor Totoro" Film Analysis
• Film Studies: “Avatar” by James Cameron
• Personal Review of Avatar
• “Avatar” Movie by James Cameron
• The "Hacksaw Ridge" Movie Analysis
• "The Blackfish" Film: Summary of the Film
• The Science of Hollywood: "NCIS" Analysis
• Scene of Troy’s Madness in "Fences" Play and Film
• Analysis of the Film "La La Land" Poster
• Chicago (A-D)
• Chicago (N-B)

IvyPanda. (2023, May 21). The "Avatar" (2009) Film Analysis. https://ivypanda.com/essays/the-avatar-2009-film-analysis/

"The "Avatar" (2009) Film Analysis." IvyPanda , 21 May 2023, ivypanda.com/essays/the-avatar-2009-film-analysis/.

IvyPanda . (2023) 'The "Avatar" (2009) Film Analysis'. 21 May.

IvyPanda . 2023. "The "Avatar" (2009) Film Analysis." May 21, 2023. https://ivypanda.com/essays/the-avatar-2009-film-analysis/.

1. IvyPanda . "The "Avatar" (2009) Film Analysis." May 21, 2023. https://ivypanda.com/essays/the-avatar-2009-film-analysis/.

Bibliography

IvyPanda . "The "Avatar" (2009) Film Analysis." May 21, 2023. https://ivypanda.com/essays/the-avatar-2009-film-analysis/.

Screen Rant

Avatar 2's real meaning explains way of water's 2 most confusing twists.

Your changes have been saved

Email is sent

Email has already been sent

Please verify your email address.

You’ve reached your account maximum for followed topics.

19 Years Later, George Lucas' Best Sith Retcon Made A Classic Empire Strikes Back Scene Even Better

Kevin costner addresses cancelled horizon chapter 2 release following chapter 1's poor box office, beetlejuice beetlejuice: why michael keaton's betelgeuse only appears for 17 minutes explained by co-writer, key release date.

Warning: This post contains major spoilers for Avatar: The Way Of Water.

Like its predecessor, Avatar: The Way Of Water is a political movie, but its meaning goes deeper than James Cameron’s ecological activism. For all the pointed warning about treating nature as a mere commodity, Avatar 2 is also about a far more intimate story, whose meaning actually explains the sequel’s most controversial moments.

Though unwavering in his depiction of the urgent need to treat nature differently, Cameron uses Avatar: The Way of Water ’s new family dynamic to introduce more complexity. For a movie that is otherwise completely on target with its message, having the portrait of family be more complicated is as surprising as it is challenging. Just as Jake Sully’s paradise is under threat, so too is the dream of his family. Because for James Cameron, family is an even bigger challenge in Avatar 2 .

Related: Everything We Know About Avatar 3

Avatar’s Real Meaning Reveals Family Can Be A Dangerous Idea

In Avatar: The Way Of Water , Cameron challenges the idea that family unity and strength is a miracle cure to all problems. At first, the director plays to conventional family imagery, of protective parents and obedient children providing all solutions. Jake Sully makes the impossible but noble decision to uproot his family for their own safety, frequent urging and sometimes threatening his sons to follow every instruction. He imagines order and unity, and a normal hierarchy of family power will be the key to them surviving.

But Avatar 2 ’s idea of family is actually way more complex than that. It’s only by defying their father that the junior Sully tribe save the day, and the conventional image of the protective mother is destroyed by Neytiri’s apparent hatred of Spider. In Avatar: The Way of Water ’s ending the fluidity of family and rules of hierarchy replaces convention with the Sully kids introducing their own powers but also honouring their parents.

Kiri’s links to Pandora are suppressed at first (and even “punished” by the assumption that they cause seizures) and Lo’Ak’s rebellious spirit - as nurtured further by his link to Payakan the Tulkun. But crucially, both play key roles in defeating Quaritch and the whalers. And it’s only by both accepting the “rebellions” of his children and also accepting help from them - challenging his fiercely protected hierarchy - that Sully survives. The idea of family evolving and incorporating supposedly rogue elements is the true meaning of Avatar 2 .

Spider & Neytiri’s Avatar 2 Mistakes Are Explained In The Way Of Water

On the other side of the complex idea of family is the danger that reinforcing old conventions can be. Unfortunately, Avatar: The Way Of Water uses Neytiri as a scapegoat in that idea, and putting her at the heart of 2 very confusing decisions. She is almost reinvented in the sequel, in fact, turned more animalistic and volatile by her desperate love and need to protect her family.

Related: Avatar: The Way Of Water Ignored 1 Important Neytiri Storyline

Neytiri is portrayed as a tragic hangover of old family systems. First, it’s revealed that she is suspicious of Spider and refuses to consider him true family, in direct contradiction of the message of Avatar and her love of Jake. She then refuses to leave the sky caves at first, despite how easily the family would be found and killed, out of fear. She is stoic but stagnant, reluctant to allow anything other than what she seems to think of as the real way family should be.

In the darkest but most confusing Avatar: The Way Of Water moment , Neytiri turns on Spider, threatening to kill him if Quaritch doesn’t free her “real” child. It’s not something we’d expect of the original Avatar ’s Neytiri, but it fits with how she struggles with her family, mortally weakened by her love for them. Ultimately, it’s also her rejection of Spider that leads to him feeling contradictory affinity with Quaritch and saving his life when he’s about to drown.

Why Spider Really Saves Quaritch

Pushed out by his Pandora family and always reminded of his difference - reinforced tragically by Neytiri’s coldness to him - Spider perversely finds the value of his bond with his estranged father’s clone. Quaritch’s kindness, which the villain legitimately offered despite himself, made sure Spider realised that blood is thicker than water. His rescue of Quaritch is done almost under duress; his internal conflict playing out obviously on screen and without Neytiri’s rejection of him, is it really certain he would have saved him?

Even that isn’t a straight-forward enough answer for Avatar: The Way Of Water , because Cameron also plays with the idea of essential love. The Tulkun/ Metkayina clan bonds exist to reinforce the idea that some ties cannot be resisted and breaking them come at greater cost. The same is true of Neytiri’s bond to her kind at the expense of Spider (even if her family aren’t really her kind either), and also of Quaritch’s clone seeking a relationship with the child her never met nor known.

Fundamentally, while Neytiri could be blamed for Spider saving Quaritch, and Spider’s actions could be criticized for their inevitable outcome, but the key point for Avatar 2 is that family is almost too complex to classify. But Cameron refuses to judge either for their mistakes, because family is both a joy and a burden. So unnatural is the effort to challenge family “rules” that it only happens in Avatar: The Way Of Water when death is a very real threat.

More: Will Spider Become A Na’vi in Avatar 3?

• SR Originals

• Entertainment
• Life & Style

To enjoy additional benefits

CONNECT WITH US

‘Avatar: The Way of Water’ movie review: James Cameron’s film is immersive, but with a basic storyline

James cameron’s ‘avatar’ sequel has stunning visuals that get elevated on a big imax screen. however, the plot is less than engaging, the dialogues are clunky, and you wish it was shorter.

Updated - December 20, 2022 11:56 am IST

Published - December 16, 2022 03:48 pm IST

A still from ‘Avatar: The Way of Water’ | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

Apart from the stunning visuals (blue-green is the warmest colour) and the standard plot, what runs through one’s mind while watching James Cameron’s Avatar: The Way of Water is the story of stories. While The Way of Water does not boast of intricate, mind-bending Neil Gaiman’s The Sandman- style storytelling, (perish that thought), it does remind one of the whirlpool of stories swirling around in our collective subconscious that bubbles up as myths, legends, novels, plays, comic books, and movies.

Avatar: The Way of Water

Not a particularly revolutionary thought, but it still crosses one’s mind when watching the avatar of wicked Colonel Miles Quaritch (Stephen Lang) consider his skull. One is reminded of the long conversation a certain gloomy Dane had with poor Yorick, and when the skull is crushed (not underfoot), one remembers Cameron’s own Terminator series.

‘ Jonah and The Whale ’ comes to mind when Lo’ak (Britain Dalton) goes into the mouth of the rogue cetacean, Payakan, and though the greedy Scoresby (Brendan Cowell) is hunting the tulkun (whale-like creatures) for filthy lucre, there is a whiff of Ahab in his chase. The process of getting the anti-ageing amrit — it does not get more legendary than that — is reminiscent of 19th whalers. Ahab also finds echoes in Quaritch’s pursuit of Jake Sully (Sam Worthington).

The great, big vessel turning turtle with the lights going off and people clambering over chairs on the ground that has suddenly become the roof is reminiscent of... My heart can surely go on and on...

As mentioned before, Way of the Water has a basic plot with the necessary lashings of revenge, family, love, acceptance and healing thrown in. More than ten years after the events of 2009’s Avatar , Jake is living in Pandora with his Na’vi mate, Neytiri (Zoe Saldaña). They have two sons, Neteyam (Jamie Flatters) and Lo’ak, and a daughter, Tuk (Trinity Jo-Li Bliss).

They have adopted Kiri (Sigourney Weaver), a miracle baby born of Dr Grace Augustine’s (Weaver) avatar and Spider (Jack Champion), Quaritch’s son who was too young to be put in cryo-stasis to be transported back to earth. Incidentally, what is with Weaver and alien babies? In Alien 3, her Sgt Ripley sensibly chooses death to delivering the Alien Queen and in Alien Resurrection she is a clone carrying an alien embryo.

Back to The Way of Water , as the earth is dying, ravenous corporates turn their eyes once more to fertile Pandora for resettlement. With Jake leading the Na’vi attempts at disrupting the supply chain, Quaritch fronts a team of equally dreadful soldiers to neutralise the threat and get his revenge.

Jake and his family flee to the sea where they are given refuge by the reef people led by Tonowari (Cliff Curtis) and Ronal (Kate Winslet). After initial skirmishes, the youngsters settle down. The Sully island paradise is not safe for long as Quaritch and company are hot on their heels setting up for the mandatory big battle.

While the marine world of the Metkayina is eye-popping and one can easily lose oneself in the tulkun’s expressive eyes and the gossamer wings of the sea creatures, it is the military vehicles that are truly mind-boggling. The brutal lines of the industrial designs in the choppers, trains and marine vessels are oddly seductive. Watching The Way of Water in 3D IMAX gives a new meaning to the term immersive.

And yes, Cameron will be back, hopefully with a shorter film — three hours plus seems a tad long especially when you have dragged yourself out of bed for a 7 AM show on a cold December morning — less clunky dialogue, and a slightly more engaging plot.

Avatar: The Way of Water is currently running in theatres

Related Topics

The Hindu MetroPlus / English cinema / World cinema

Top News Today

• Access 10 free stories every month
• Save stories to read later
• Access to comment on every story
• Sign-up/manage your newsletter subscriptions with a single click
• Get notified by email for early access to discounts & offers on our products

Terms & conditions   |   Institutional Subscriber

Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide by our community guidelines for posting your comments.

We have migrated to a new commenting platform. If you are already a registered user of The Hindu and logged in, you may continue to engage with our articles. If you do not have an account please register and login to post comments. Users can access their older comments by logging into their accounts on Vuukle.

Home / Essay Samples / Entertainment / Movie Summary / The Avatar Movie Summary and Review

The Avatar Movie Summary and Review

• Category: Entertainment
• Topic: Movie Summary

Pages: 2 (1079 words)

Views: 2733

• Downloads: -->

--> ⚠️ Remember: This essay was written and uploaded by an--> click here.

Found a great essay sample but want a unique one?

are ready to help you with your essay

You won’t be charged yet!

Do The Right Thing Essays

Fences Essays

Fast Fashion Essays

Good Will Hunting Essays

In Pursuit of Happiness Essays

Related Essays

We are glad that you like it, but you cannot copy from our website. Just insert your email and this sample will be sent to you.

By clicking “Send”, you agree to our Terms of service  and  Privacy statement . We will occasionally send you account related emails.

Your essay sample has been sent.

In fact, there is a way to get an original essay! Turn to our writers and order a plagiarism-free paper.

samplius.com uses cookies to offer you the best service possible.By continuing we’ll assume you board with our cookie policy .--> -->