Dog’s Movie House: “Avatar: The Way Of Water” Pure Spectacle In Its Finest Form!

“Avatar: The Way Of Water” takes place several years after Jake Sully and the Nav’i kicked the human invaders off of Pandora. Jake (Sam Worthington) and Neyteri (Zoe Saldana) are now mates and have a family of their own. They include brothers Neteyam (Jamie Flatters) and Lo’ak (Britain Dalton) and little sister Tuk (Trinity Jo-Li Bliss). Also included in this group is Kiri (Sigourney Weaver) adopted by Jake after being born from the slain Grace Augustine’s (also Weaver) avatar. Kiri has a special connection to Pandora that even she doesn’t fully understand. Their peace is shattered when the humans come back to Pandora, this time to colonize (Earth is dying) rather than mine. Still the enemies are quite familiar as Colonel Quaritch (Stephen Lang) returns, this time as a clone in an avatar body, leading a bunch of his soldiers in equally enhanced avatar bodies. Jake and his family escape to the island kingdoms, taking refuge with a new subspecies of Nav’i. Jake and his family will have to learn their customs in order to survive the attack that’s coming.

It’s a fairly simple chase story and a logical continuation of the first film. What makes “Avatar: The Way Of Water” so special is the incredible world building and depth that Cameron and his scenarists have put into the picture. “Avatar: The Way Of Water” is a feast for the senses and unlike anything you’ve seen on film. This is photorealism in a way I’ve never seen captured before where every environment feels authentic, almost as though we are watching a nature documentary. The effects and production are that good, folks!

Cameron’s script (co-written with Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver) is at its best when delving into the details of Nav’i culture and behavior practices, as well as exploring the flora and fauna of Pandora. This time we’re focused on the seas, which brings a whole new variety of creatures to the fore. This leads to a fairly leisurely first half that still moves despite the film’s three hour plus running time. When it picks up during the second half, though, hold on to your butts: this is where Cameron turns the wow factor up to about 11! Always terrific at moving the camera and shooting smooth, dynamic action scenes, Cameron is at the top of his game here. The final conflict, lasting almost an hour, is filled with jaw dropping moments that had my audience gasping and cheering in equal measure!

Cameron gets very good performances from his entire cast, with Weaver the standout as Kiri. Also better this time around is Lang’s enhanced Quaritch, who is much more nuanced this time around without being any less of a badass. Worthington and Saldana are more comfortable this time as the leads and newcomers Kate Winslet and Cliff Curtis all do good work here. The young cast also gets a chance to shine, with Dalton’s Lo’ak having the most compelling and emotional arc of the bunch.

Overall, “Avatar: The Way Of Water” is pure spectacle of the highest form. It’s the reason movies are made to be seen on the big screen. It may not break any new narrative ground, but the detail and jaw-dropping action more than make up for any deficiencies in the script. It’s a film that also deserves to be seen in 3D, as Cameron uses 3D cameras and a higher frame rate to make the movie really pop. “Avatar: The Way Of Water” will be huge this winter and will reward repeat viewings. One of the most mind-blowing attractions I’ve seen in a while! 4 1/2 Out Of 5 On Kendog’s Barkometer! So Sayeth The Kendog!

Pages: 1 2