Avatar 2: The Way of Water
by Paulette Reynolds * February 1, 2023
by Paulette Reynolds * February 1, 2023
AVATAR 2: The Way of Water
2022
Director: James Cameron
Screenplay: James Cameron, Rick Jaffa, Amanda Silver
Starring Sam Worthington/Jake Sully, Zoe Saldana/Neytiri, Sigourney Weaver/Kiri, Stephen Lang/Col. Quaritch, Kate Winslet/Ronal, Cliff Curtis/Tonowari, CCH Pounder/Mo’at, Edie Falco/Gen. Frances Ardmore, Jamie Flatters/Neteyam, Britain Dalton/Lo’ak, Trinity Jo-Li Bliss/Tuk, Jack Champion/Spider, Bailey Bass/Tsireya.
2022
Director: James Cameron
Screenplay: James Cameron, Rick Jaffa, Amanda Silver
Starring Sam Worthington/Jake Sully, Zoe Saldana/Neytiri, Sigourney Weaver/Kiri, Stephen Lang/Col. Quaritch, Kate Winslet/Ronal, Cliff Curtis/Tonowari, CCH Pounder/Mo’at, Edie Falco/Gen. Frances Ardmore, Jamie Flatters/Neteyam, Britain Dalton/Lo’ak, Trinity Jo-Li Bliss/Tuk, Jack Champion/Spider, Bailey Bass/Tsireya.
There is always a risk involved when trying to make a perfect film even better the second time around. Sequels are notorious for tanking and sadly, I have to add Avatar 2: The Way of Water to this list.
James Cameron’s bloated blockbuster is little more than a hymn to the John Ford school of Manifest Destiny filmmaking, thanks to a barrage of technological eye candy. Cameron prefers to take the easy way out with this sequel, floating on a sea of special effects that do nothing to enhance the thin story line. Avatar 2 plays like an old school western, where simple country folk down on the farm are besieged on all sides by the bad guys, constantly banging at their door. Now in the 1940s it would have taken only 90 minutes to tell, but with James Cameron and his ego behind the lens it clocks in at a little over three hour long.
There’s an old saying that while watching a film you have to suspend your disbelief – or is it your belief? Either way, very little makes sense in this story: Cameron, now a slave to the film franchise mentality, must tease his slim story along, extending it to guarantee future films (for more profit – or to maintain a dwindling level of profit?). Either way, he brings back the bad guy (you know - the cowboy in the black hat) to fight the good cowboy (who is now the town sheriff). Unfortunately Quaritch is still the same one dimensional villain, set on the default mode of KILL.
Are you still with me? But to really ramp up the stupid it was decided to bring back Sigourney Weaver as an adopted child, Kiri, who’s the late Dr. Grace’s daughter. As convoluted as that idea is, she still gets a free pass from me, because she talks to the Great Mother AND has spiritual powers to slow the bad guys down.
(Oh yeah, sorry - mini spoiler alert).
(Oh yeah, sorry - mini spoiler alert).
Speaking of adopted kids, Sully also takes in a human child who was left behind, and turns out to be - you got it - Quaritch’s son (Surprised, right?). This has very little effect on our villain because after all - you can’t have the Bad Guy changing - it might challenge the male emotional landscape, but I digress.
Much of the film is taken up with scenes of the children bonding with animals and their surroundings, and Sully gazing into the horizon vowing to protect his family – you know like father on the farm, his one job is to protect his family. If the refrain sounds familiar it’s because this is the current song of Male Hollywood characters. More film and television shows now feature men grimly holding onto the this last shred of ego identification with the Traditional Male role model, because - you know, what else is there?
Well, there’s a never ending supply of testosterone on display via military water battles, Na’vi boys squabbling in the water, and marine avatars flying, shooting, and constantly taking children hostage. But if you think Cameron’s new world holds no place for equality in the military, think again: Edie Falco as General Frances Ardmore is only too happy to play butch marine, snapping out orders, because - you know, the conservative deep thinkers in the Hollywood front office are certain this is what “empowered women in the military” look like on the big screen.
If it sounds like I have contempt for the creators of Avatar 2: The Way of Water, it lies in the reason(s) given for invading Pandora a second time. The General notifies our Quaritch that Earth is dying and they want a new home for Earthlings. BUT then a minor villain states that the reason they’re invading is to get the newest goodie Amrita (obtained from the large sea mammal, Tulkuns), which stops the aging process.
Sigh. So which is it? We’re left to ponder another sloppy bit of creative overreach, until Team Cameron again assaults our senses - and our patience - with his saga of modern imperialism.
Until then, I’m going to need a large dose of that Amrita - otherwise I’ll never live long enough to sit through Round Three.
Until then, I’m going to need a large dose of that Amrita - otherwise I’ll never live long enough to sit through Round Three.
COPYRIGHT 2012/2023. Paulette Reynolds. All CineMata Movie Madness blog articles, reviews, faux interviews, commentary, and the Cine Mata character are under the sole ownership of Paulette Reynolds. All intellectual and creative rights reserved.
