The
year was 2009, Avatar was a massive hit, and I had no idea
why. How was this good-but-not-great Pocahontas riff doing so
well, breaking box office records left and right? I didn’t have to ask this
question too many times before I realized my mistake—I had seen James Cameron's
sci-fi epic in 2D, when the spectacle of the 3D was half the experience. I
didn’t love the story, but the story was not the point. This is a sentiment
that also perfectly encapsulates the long-awaited sequel, Avatar: The Way
of Water, which has a serviceable enough plot that is greatly overshadowed
by its technical achievements, stunning 3D, and gorgeous visuals.
Having learned my lesson, I coughed
up the extra few dollars to see Way of Water in 3D, and I am
very glad I did. The world of Pandora is stunning and vibrant, and this time we
even get to go along with James Cameron to his happy place—the ocean. A lot of
the self-indulgent “look how cool we can make stuff look!” moments could have
been cut, true, and Way of Water might have had better pacing
and a more reasonable run time because of it, but things just looked so cool
that I really didn’t mind.
The story and characters themselves
are by no means bad in and of themselves, of course. There is as nice message
about family at the core of the proceedings, and I would be lying if I said I
wasn’t completely invested in Jake Sully and his blue kitty cat family by the
time the exciting climax (which features the most badass space whale of all
time) came along. The other messages are more of the same—humans are terrible
to nature, nature always wins in the end, etc.—but that's fine. Once again, it
is not the point. I’m just glad that Way of Water not once
mentioned “Unobtanium,” because it turns out I can take the world of Pandora
much more seriously without that silly word floating around in the back of my
head.
I would be remiss if I didn’t also
give a shout out to the excellent acting, particularly by Zoe Saldana and her
ever-haunting and sorrowful wails and Sigourney Weaver, who plays a teenage
Smurf so convincingly that I had no idea it was her until the end credits. The
entire cast, both returning and new, help bring Pandora to life just as much as
the special effects. I’m looking at you, badass space whale.
Avatar: The Way of Water is
not so much a film as it is an experience. You would be doing yourself a
disservice if you saw it in theaters in 2D, a disservice only dwarfed by
waiting to see it on the small screen. If the inevitable third movie finally
hits that sweet spot of having a plot equal to the visual feast, the Avatar franchise
might just become unstoppable.
Avatar: The Way of Water is
now available in theaters.
This review was first published in The Keizertimes on
December 23rd, 2022. Visit at http://keizertimes.com/
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