by Josh Sewell
If there’s one precept about the film industry fans, critics, execs, awards prognosticators, etc. have learned over the last four decades, it’s this: never write off James Cameron. The filmmaker – blunt and egotistical as he may be – looks to prove that once again in the coming months with his latest effort, the stunning Avatar: The Way of Water.
In the 1990s, Cameron’s sequel Terminator 2: Judgment Day became the most expensive movie ever made, leading detractors to predict it would be a giant bomb. Instead, it’s now considered an action classic. Later that decade, numerous delays and cost overruns prompted naysayers to preemptively declare his labor of love Titanic dead in the water (pun fully intended) before it even hit theaters. Instead, it became a cultural phenomenon and, for a while, the highest grossing film in Hollywood history.
Cameron’s next endeavor was the environmentalist action epic Avatar, which experienced similar complications on the way to the big screen. By the time it was released in December 2009, many were expecting him to finally experience his first box office disappointment. Once again, he had the last laugh – the sci-fi flick, although derivative of “white guy learns the enlightened ways of indigenous people” stories like Dances with Wolves, revolutionized CGI and motion capture technology on its way to becoming the new global box office champion.
Exactly 14 years have passed since that film’s debut, enough time that a lot of moviegoers have grown up without an understanding Cameron’s insane track record. It doesn’t help that the filmmaker originally stated a sequel would hit in 2014, a date that met constant delays related to technological shortcomings and a global pandemic. Now, a whole new generation will experience, in astonishing detail, why you should never count him out. We’re probably going to be getting new Avatar sequels for years to come.
Set more than a decade after the events of the original film, Avatar: The Way of Water catches up with human-turned-Na’vi Jake Sully (Sam Worthington), his wife Neytiri (Zoe Saldana) and their assortment of children, both biological and adopted. They’re finally getting used to life on Pandora without the danger of external threats when humans once again show up to wreck everything. When a familiar villain reemerges, the Sully family flees their home to seek shelter with an island tribe (led by characters played by Cliff Curtis and Kate Winslet) that makes their living in the sea.
I’ll admit that time diminished my opinion of Avatar (I can neither confirm nor deny that I’ve called it Dances with Smurfs), but a recent rewatch reminded me that it’s a solid adventure, despite the wall-to-wall clichés. That’s why I went into The Way of Water with diminished expectations. What more is there to say about a lunkhead from Earth who finally realizes what’s right in front of his face, that the environment is worth saving?
Turns out, that answer depends on why you go to the movies. If it’s for narrative complexity, The Way of Water isn’t groundbreaking. The tropes and clichés continue, but they’re essentially a greatest hits of Cameron’s previous work. Terrific character actor Stephen Lang returns as the protagonists’ primary threat, albeit in a different form, reminiscent of the unstoppable villain of T2. The entire third act, set aboard a sinking ship, reminds viewers why the unrelenting tension of Titanic makes it so immensely rewatchable. Heck, he even reteams with Winslet and Sigourney Weaver, actresses who starred in his most successful films.
However, if your interest in film leans toward special effects and technological advances, this movie is going to blow your mind. Within the first few minutes, I was literally slack jawed. Between the perfectly utilized 3D (the first time I’ve watched a movie in that format in ages) and improved motion capture, I was fully invested in the world of Pandora within minutes.
Granted, Cameron’s decision to shoot the film using a higher frame rate is weird and takes some getting used to. Plus, the 192-minute running time is much too long because the filmmaker devotes large sequences to showing off the (admittedly gorgeous) underwater scenery. It’s like the story stops so we can watch an episode of Planet Earth. There are also some questionable plot choices that boil down to “we need this for the next sequel” instead of feeling like a natural part of the narrative.
Jake and Neytiri get the short narrative shrift this time around, with the screenplay devoting most of its time to the Sully kids. On the plus side, that means we get to see Weaver having a blast playing an awkward, moody teen. However, it also results in Jake – who wasn’t exactly a complex character to begin with – relegated to the role of stubborn, disapproving dad.
While those are significant miscalculations (to me, at least) the sheer beauty, scope and innovation of Avatar: The Way of Water means they don’t entirely derail the movie. It’s absolutely worth seeing, particularly if you spend the extra cash to see it in IMAX 3D. You’ll be doing yourself a profound disservice watching it any other way.
Avatar: The Way of Water is rated PG-13 for sequences of strong violence and intense action, partial nudity and some strong language. Opens in theaters on December 16.
Grade: B+
In the 1990s, Cameron’s sequel Terminator 2: Judgment Day became the most expensive movie ever made, leading detractors to predict it would be a giant bomb. Instead, it’s now considered an action classic. Later that decade, numerous delays and cost overruns prompted naysayers to preemptively declare his labor of love Titanic dead in the water (pun fully intended) before it even hit theaters. Instead, it became a cultural phenomenon and, for a while, the highest grossing film in Hollywood history.
Cameron’s next endeavor was the environmentalist action epic Avatar, which experienced similar complications on the way to the big screen. By the time it was released in December 2009, many were expecting him to finally experience his first box office disappointment. Once again, he had the last laugh – the sci-fi flick, although derivative of “white guy learns the enlightened ways of indigenous people” stories like Dances with Wolves, revolutionized CGI and motion capture technology on its way to becoming the new global box office champion.
Exactly 14 years have passed since that film’s debut, enough time that a lot of moviegoers have grown up without an understanding Cameron’s insane track record. It doesn’t help that the filmmaker originally stated a sequel would hit in 2014, a date that met constant delays related to technological shortcomings and a global pandemic. Now, a whole new generation will experience, in astonishing detail, why you should never count him out. We’re probably going to be getting new Avatar sequels for years to come.
Set more than a decade after the events of the original film, Avatar: The Way of Water catches up with human-turned-Na’vi Jake Sully (Sam Worthington), his wife Neytiri (Zoe Saldana) and their assortment of children, both biological and adopted. They’re finally getting used to life on Pandora without the danger of external threats when humans once again show up to wreck everything. When a familiar villain reemerges, the Sully family flees their home to seek shelter with an island tribe (led by characters played by Cliff Curtis and Kate Winslet) that makes their living in the sea.
I’ll admit that time diminished my opinion of Avatar (I can neither confirm nor deny that I’ve called it Dances with Smurfs), but a recent rewatch reminded me that it’s a solid adventure, despite the wall-to-wall clichés. That’s why I went into The Way of Water with diminished expectations. What more is there to say about a lunkhead from Earth who finally realizes what’s right in front of his face, that the environment is worth saving?
Turns out, that answer depends on why you go to the movies. If it’s for narrative complexity, The Way of Water isn’t groundbreaking. The tropes and clichés continue, but they’re essentially a greatest hits of Cameron’s previous work. Terrific character actor Stephen Lang returns as the protagonists’ primary threat, albeit in a different form, reminiscent of the unstoppable villain of T2. The entire third act, set aboard a sinking ship, reminds viewers why the unrelenting tension of Titanic makes it so immensely rewatchable. Heck, he even reteams with Winslet and Sigourney Weaver, actresses who starred in his most successful films.
However, if your interest in film leans toward special effects and technological advances, this movie is going to blow your mind. Within the first few minutes, I was literally slack jawed. Between the perfectly utilized 3D (the first time I’ve watched a movie in that format in ages) and improved motion capture, I was fully invested in the world of Pandora within minutes.
Granted, Cameron’s decision to shoot the film using a higher frame rate is weird and takes some getting used to. Plus, the 192-minute running time is much too long because the filmmaker devotes large sequences to showing off the (admittedly gorgeous) underwater scenery. It’s like the story stops so we can watch an episode of Planet Earth. There are also some questionable plot choices that boil down to “we need this for the next sequel” instead of feeling like a natural part of the narrative.
Jake and Neytiri get the short narrative shrift this time around, with the screenplay devoting most of its time to the Sully kids. On the plus side, that means we get to see Weaver having a blast playing an awkward, moody teen. However, it also results in Jake – who wasn’t exactly a complex character to begin with – relegated to the role of stubborn, disapproving dad.
While those are significant miscalculations (to me, at least) the sheer beauty, scope and innovation of Avatar: The Way of Water means they don’t entirely derail the movie. It’s absolutely worth seeing, particularly if you spend the extra cash to see it in IMAX 3D. You’ll be doing yourself a profound disservice watching it any other way.
Avatar: The Way of Water is rated PG-13 for sequences of strong violence and intense action, partial nudity and some strong language. Opens in theaters on December 16.
Grade: B+
Reach out to Josh Sewell on Twitter @IAmJoshSewell
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