Amazing Visuals can’t save Avatar, The Way of Water

by Kathia Woods

James Cameron is an accomplished filmmaker. He has pushed the boundaries of futuristic filmmaking to their limits and broadened the discussion of special effects. The first Avatar was a film that changed what could be done on screen. It also had a strong box office performance.

While the original Avatar story was whimsical, it was at least entertaining, and the visuals more then made up for it. Fast forward to the present day, and we have a new Avatar who takes us out of the forest and into the water.

The advantage of having technical advancement allows Cameron to reach even higher stature of effects than previously. Everything is tantalizing and made to immerse the viewer in the film experience, but for a film to be successful, it must have a strong story to back up the effects. After all, it's not a video game.
Understandable Cameron needed to age his main characters who now are parents and have a family. Avatar, The Way of Water takes place seven years after the events of 2009.

Marine turned Na'vi savior Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) and his wife Neytiri (Zoe Saldaña) are joined by their four children. Being a resident of Pandora's fruitful forest.

Their children Neteyam (Jamie Flatters), spirited Lo'ak (Britain Dalton) and youngest daughter Tuktirey (Trinity Jo-Li) adore their father. They are aware that his life began on Earth and that he was once fully human. They are, for lack of a better term, bi-species as a result of him, and this sets them apart from their peers. Their adopted daughter Kiri (Sigourney Weaver) is the fourth member of their family, and she has a special spiritual connection to Pandora's wildlife. Spider (Jack Champion), a human boy who was left behind when the Earthlings were evicted from Pandora, is Kiri's best friend.

The groundwork is laid for an interesting story by having an intra-species family and how Sully left his human life behind and has immersed himself in Na’vi culture to be with the woman he loves. The children are aware of their Navi ancestry but are unaware of their human side. Sully also has risen to become the tribe’s leader.

Unfortunately, none of this is explored, and the focus is instead on another tale of humans versus natives. The strength of The Way of Water lies in the audience's ability to experience Pandora's beauty, from the ocean to the landscape and everything in between. But those wonders can't fully be appreciated due to the fact that we are drawn back continuously into this battle of man vs natives and world domination.

The visuals, while undeniably stunning can also become overwhelming especially when watching the film in 3D. 

Avatar, The Way of Water is out in theaters on December the 16th.