Verdict:
One’s ability to enjoy this film will be tied to one’s expectations. What did you think of the first film? It was a visual spectacle, with fairly good performances and a simple, at times silly, script. And that is what this movie delivers as well – over 3 hours of excellent visual candy surrounded by Cameron’s environmentalist misanthropist propaganda. The primary complaint I hear about Avatar 2 is that it has a weak underdeveloped story, but what artistic depth did you exactly expect going in?
The story is simple, but its primary function is to drive us to new cool-looking environments. As the subtitle of the movie suggests, most of the story plays out in a water world (can’t wait for Avatar 3: The Fire Nation), which brings with it a new canvas for visual artists to show off their creativity.
While the story isn’t noteworthy, there is something noteworthy about the anti-human theme. In the first film, the humans were unequivocally portrayed as the bad guys, exploiting and destroying the indigenous population, all because of some exotic mineral. In the sequel, however, the story makes it clear that humans are fighting for survival. That, coupled with a few other events, made me increasingly side with the humans, but the film still very clearly wants to tell you that the white man is evil and shows the humans being slaughtered in large numbers, even when they are just going about their business, not attacking anyone.
You know, Mr. Cameron, it is a little strange to expect your audience to pay to see your movie but then also tell them how much they suck. Of course, Avatar is just a silly action-adventure cartoon, but I thought I’d point out the contradiction.
A few characters who died in the first movie are brought back from the dead through awkwardly shoed in sci-fi magic. The acting in the first film was good, so it makes sense to bring those actors back, but the method of their return feels so forced.
Avatar: The Way of Water is meant to be seen in 3D on a large screen, just like its predecessor. Unfortunately, this fact greatly diminishes the movie’s value once that thing arrives to your TV, unless you have some massive 3D home cinema installation. If you see this movie the way it was meant to be seen and you don’t go in expecting anything more than cool visuals, you won’t be disappointed.