In 2009, the movie Avatar came out as a great version of the movie future and now following 13 years, Avatar: The Way of Water – one of the most long-waited sequels directed by James Cameron, is here with a ripple of nostalgia. TechTrends wrote the Avatar: The Way of Water review for you to read and add it to your watch list.
The first movie was James Cameron’s faith in the progress of technology and he stayed committed to the primal pleasures of old-fashioned storytelling and the big-screen action delights. There were 3-D effects, with trees and flowers of Pandora, or the creatures barreling through them appeared like the start of something new, the beginning of a new horizon of imagination. The sequel, Avatar the Way of Water was quite astonishing as well.
James Cameron is eager to make the audience believe that aliens are killing machines, humanity is able to destroy cyborgs, and a movie can take you to a significant historical disaster. The planet of Pandora is Cameron’s most ambitious manner in sharing his thoughts regarding the power of cinema. With the advancement in technology, the director pushed his limits as he played with 3D, High Frame Rate, and other things that were not available when he began his career. One of the most fascinating things about Avatar: The Way of Water is how the director manifests his beliefs in the themes he explored many times before.
Avatar: The Way of Water Review
The movie kicked off more than a decade following the first one. It struggles to find its foot at the beginning as it throws the audience back into Pandora in a clunky way. However, it is obvious that James Cameron is interested in building the world mid-section of the film, which is known as one of his best accomplishments. Therefore, he gets through some of the set-ups pretty quickly. Keep reading to find out more about Avatar: The Way of Water review.
Avatar: The Way of Water Cast
Sam Worthington as Jake Sully
Sam Worthington became a well-known actor following his role in the movie Avatar back in 2009. He portrayed the role of Jake Sully in the franchise and is the main protagonist. His character is a disabled marine that was brought in to replace his brother who was killed in a robbery gone wrong. His brother was working in a program in the Resources Development Administrations’ expedition of Pandora, which were tasked with integrating humans with the Na’Vi, the local aliens, through splicing the DNA of humans with that of Na’Vi’s. Jake meets Neytiri, the local tribe chieftain’s daughter and falls for her. Following the events of Avatar 2009, the two raise a family of their own in the sequel.
They have three children named Neteyem, Lo’ak, and Tuktirey as well as two adopted human outcasts Spider and Grace’s off spring Kiri. They were living peacefully when things took a turn and with the threats coming, he and his family had to go against the Sky People.
Zoe Saldana as Neytiri
Zoe Saldana is quite well-known in the world of science-fiction as she appeared in the Star Trek and Guardians of the Galax franchises. Her role in the Avatar movies is definitely one of her most sympathetic ones. Neytiri is the daughter of Chief Eytukanand Spiritual Leader Mo’at. She comes across Jake Sully in the jungle in the events of the first movie and despite being determined to kill him, the seeds of the great tree stop her as those are quite important in their religion. Neytiri teaches Jake her people’s methods and falls for him while doing that.
In the events of Avatar: The Way of Water, her like has changed just like Jake’s as she became a mother of five kids. Despite that, she is still a great warrior and when her children are threatened, she is more than capable of fighting them.
Sigourney Weaver as Kiri
It might be unbelievable that Sigourney Weaver returned to the world of Avatar notwithstanding her character being killed in the first movie. However, it appears like her character in the movie was pregnant and now Grace has a child named Kiri, one of the adopted kids of Jake and Neytiri. Grace’s avatar is not harmed in the second movie and Kiri refers to her as mother. The movie does not provide a definitive answer as to how she was conceived and how her existence is possible but there is a theory that she is the byproduct of Eywa, their goddess, considering the fact that Kiri has a special connection to Pandora’s wildlife.
Stephen Lang as Miles Quaritch
There is one more character making appearance who died in the events of the first movie. He is no other than Stephen Lang, Colonel Miles Quaritch, the main antagonist of the movie. As the head of the security in RDA operation on Pandora, he wanted to have a tactical advantage over the natives. Despite his many attempts to lure Jake and get the upper hand, he failed at the end and was killed or we thought. He came back to the sequel courtesy of a DNA backup. Despite the other characters that have returned, Miles is not an offspring or a relative of colonel, but it is actually he himself in a new Avatar body. It is actually a clone of Quaritch and has all the memories in order to villain up and go after Jake and his family.
Jamie Flatters as Neteyem
Jake and Neytiri’s oldest child is Neteyem, who is next in line to become the leader of Omaticaya tribe. Therefore, he has to be the role model for his brother and sisters. His father tries to teach him the basics of becoming a great leader if he wants to follow their steps. Since he is the oldest, he has to be a good example for his siblings, especially his brother Lo’ak. However, his aspirations of becoming a great leader were both destroyed and fulfilled as he was killed by Quaritch when trying to save his siblings. While mourning their child, they have at least the peace that he died a hero and is with Eywa.
Britain Dalton as Lo’ak
Lo’ak is the middle child and considers himself an outcast among his family. Being a rebellious kid, he finds himself exploring Pandora. He then becomes friends with a creature named Tulkun, which may mean that he is better with animals than with his own people. In addition, he becomes close with Tsireya, the daughter of the chief of the Metkaynina tribe.
Trinity Jo-Li Bliss as Tuktirey Sully
Tuk is the youngest member of the Sully family and we do not know much about her. She is always keen to match the strength and skills of her siblings, notwithstanding the dangers around them.
Jack Champion as Miles Spider Socorro
Just like Kiri, Spider is another of the adopted kids of the Sully family, despite Neytiri not ever accepting him as her own as he is 100% human. There is a shocking revelation in the introduction of Jack Champion’s character. It turns out that he is Miles Quaritch’s son. When Quaritch died in the first movie, Miles Junior was left by the colony of human and was not old enough to be sent back to Earth. Therefore, the Sully family accepted him. although he tries to save his biological father at the end of the movie, the two are estranged still.
Kate Winslet as Ronal
A completely new tribe of Na’Vi is introduced in Avatar: The Way of Water. The Metkayina Clan are not only different from other Na’Vi natives in skin color and shape of their tales and hands but they are also different when it comes to the way they live. Ronal is the matriarch of the tribe and Kate Winslet plays her character. She is Tsireya’s mother and the wife of Tonowari. Moreover, she appears to be pregnant with their third child. Despite being pregnant, she is a great warrior and does not hesitate to go to war for saving her family.
Cliff Curtiss as Tonowari
Cliff Curtiss plays the role of Tonowari, who is the chief of the Metkayina Clan and the husband of Ronal. He has the control of the reefs of Pandora and is the king of the seas. His face has a lot of tattoos that show him as the leader and warrior.
Avatar: The Way of Water Plot
Reintroduction to Pandora
Jake sully provides a very quick narration regarding what happened during the last ten years. In his opening monologue, Jake explains that he is considered a permanent Na’Vi member and leads the Omaticaya Clan. Moreover, he is a dedicated husband and father. Following the introduction of his family in the narrative (check Jake Sully in the cast), we realize that they have been enjoying a peaceful life on Pandora. However, things will not stay peaceful forever, as the Sky People start to fall and return to Pandora.
Quaritch in his Avatar Body
Just like when Jake Sully was transformed into his Avatar body in the first movie, there is a new Avatar coming to life at the being of the second movie. However, it is not something to celebrate as it is Colonel Miles Quaritch, the genocidal antagonist from the original story. Jake and Neytiri killed Miles in a climatic battle but the RDA decided to use his DNA and his memories in the new Avatar clone. He then starts his journey of revenge by going after Jake and his family.
Human Seeking Valuables on Pandora
Human were on a quest to find valuable mineral found on Pandora in the first movie. Now, on the other hand, they aim to control the whole planet of Pandora as the Earth is dying. They become interested in another miraculous material which is located in the oceans of Pandora, in the brain of Tulkun.
Jake Seeks Refuge with a New Clan
In order to save his family from the Sky People and Miles Quaritch, Jake takes his family far away from their tribe and ask another clan to give them refuge. Despite the initial refusal, the chief Eytukan agrees to led them in. Jake and his family settle in with the Metkayina
Lo’ak Tries to Follow his Father’s Footsteps
The middle child, Lo’ak, is inspired by his father being Turuk Makto, the title that is given to someone who is able to fly the massive beast, the greatest flying creature on Pandora. Then, Lo’ak befriends a Tulkun outcast as it saves him from a predator. The Tulkun helps the heroes of the story in the final scenes of the movie as it tries to earn redemption for its past actions that were not actually its fault.
Nature Destroyed Yet Again
When the Sky People killed one of the Tulkuns that was actually Ronal’s, the Na’Vi’s became enraged to go against them. Several of Jake’s kids as well as Ronal’s get captured by Quaritch and they run to the rescue.
Avatar: The Way of Water Ending
Jake and Neytiri go against Quaritch and his troops to save their children and that is when Neteyem gets killed. With their daughters captured, they don’t have enough time to mourn their lost son and must go to their rescue. More furious and heart-broken, they get into battle and Jake won once again. Lo’ak tries to save his father despite seeing himself as a disappointment, but he finally makes his father proud. They all mourn at Neteyem’sfuneral and the Metkayina Clan welcome them officially.