Movie review : Avatar The Way of Water

Probably one of the most anticipated sequels of the year, "Avatar The Way of Water" finally hits the big screens in Malaysia. With the 2009 introductory prequel, Avatar attaining interstellar reviews and recognitions much is expected from this latest James Cameron masterpiece.

After more than a decade, the feature continues to enthrall viewers with mind-blowing visual effects coupled with a very relatable storyline.

This time Cameron plays with water (perhaps his best element) yet again in charting a new tale for the distant planet of Pandora. However, unlike the Titanic which sank due to the inimitable force of the ocean, Avatar The Way of Water glorifies the open sea and all that exists within the eco-system.

As expected, the Na’vi people of Pandora continue to thrive and prosper despite the losses they faced and this is cleverly told in the wake of the movie with Jake Sully’s voice narrating what has happened since the last battle with the earthlings.

Jake and Neytiri now have a family with four children though one of them, Kiri is adopted, born from Grace Augustine's comatose Na'vi avatar. They also look after Spider a human child raised on Pandora and considers himself part of the Na’vi family.

All seems well until new returning spaceships descend upon Pandora bringing a new fleet of militia with a new mission, to make Pandora a new home for humans since the Earth is now dying.

This unwelcomed arrival sparks the expected storyline for this edition of Avatar as Miles Quaritch who was killed by Neytiri in the prequel is cloned into a new Na'vi body (dubbed as Recombinant) and fitted with his template's memories from before his death.

His reincarnated self is assigned to eliminate Jake Sully in order to proceed with the mission of colonizing the planet.

With never-ending revenge on his mind, Quaritch forms a team to track down Sully’s family in order to lure Sully out.

Quaritch almost successfully abducts Sully’s children but is intercepted by Neytiri and Sully himself. Sully then decides that he must denounce his status as Toruk Makto (Rider of The Last Shadow) and leader of the Na’vi tribe in order to save his people and family.

Reluctantly they decide to move and seek refuge among the Metkayina reef people clan at Pandora's eastern seaboard, where they are given shelter, even though some deride Sully and his children for their genetic human heritage. The family learns the ways of the reef people, and bonds greater ties.

It is this part of the movie where viewers will get a visual feast of what Pandora’s fictional ocean has to offer.

It is also here where the plot thickens once Quaritch and his troops discover the whereabouts of Sully’s family.

The film is so cleverly crafted that it brings out every human emotion possible at various extremes. From inexplicable joy to unimaginable sadness, each scene is meticulously depicted through James Cameron’s immersive eye. Truly, Cameron lives up to his stature as an undeniable movie maestro.

However, like Titanic, the movie is rather long as it takes a whole 3 hours to complete the adventure.

Nevertheless, we assure you that every single second is worth the wait and you will probably want to watch it several times just for the amazing graphics and authentic storyline (just like the first movie).

Boasting an amazing cast led by returning stars Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldaña, and Sigourney Weaver, it also includes the participation of Kate Winslet alongside other big names such as Stephen Lang, Cliff Curtis, Edie Falco, and many more.

Avatar The Way of Water is currently showing in all Malaysian cinemas starting Dec 15, 2022.