Avatar: The Way of Water (2022)
3/4
Last year, I did a fall 2022 movie preview that listed Avatar: The Way of Water as my second most anticipated movie. Well, the wait is over and my verdict is in: while it has its issues, Avatar: The Way of Water is a gorgeous visual experience that will stick in its viewers minds long after the credits roll.
Sam Worthington and Zoe Saldaña are once again dazzling as Jake and Neytiri Sully. These two actors have no trouble showing their characters’ emotions through the groundbreaking CGI suits, and they fill their characters with depth. Also, Stephen Lang is awesome as Miles Quaritch; seeing him in this villainous role never gets old.
Now let’s talk about the real star of the show, which is, of course, the groundbreaking visual effects. These are jaw-dropping amazing and do a fantastic job in sweeping the viewer into the movie. They also do some truly groundbreaking visuals with water that have never been done before, which was awesome to see. Also, Russell Carpenter’s cinematography is beyond fantastic; he was robbed out of a Oscar nomination this year.
Two other technical aspects of the movie that are flat-out mesmerizing are its art direction and musical score. The art design by Dylan Cole is spellbinding and completely absorbs the viewer into the story. Composer Simon Franglen (who also should have gotten an Oscar nomination) produces a deeply immersive score that beautifully conveys the film’s themes and leaves the audience humming.
Now, the negatives: the biggest problem is that you’ve seen this movie before. I mean, yes, James Cameron’s direction is as amazing as it was in 2009, and, yes, the visual effects are groundbreaking, like they were in 2009. And, yes, the story is a diminutive ripoff of other movies just like the first movie. You see where I’m going with this: there is very little new in this movie, which, unfortunately, does make it a little bit boring at times.
Still, Avatar: The Way of Water is a fantastic visual experience that nobody will soon forget, even though its lack of originality does bring some of the amazement down a couple of notches.