AVATAR: THE WAY OF WATER – A Review by John Strange
James Cameron has made so many huge films that made us go, “Wow”! From The Terminator (1984) to Aliens (1986), from The Abyss (1989) and Titanic (1997) to Avatar (2009) each has grabbed our attention in a good way. One film even became a franchise (Terminator). Avatar was a wonder which left us wanting more! Everyone was so excited that it was planned to be a franchise that would go through several sequels.
Avatar: The Way of Water is the first of these sequels. It has taken a lot longer to come to fruition than was originally planned (per the emails I get concerning upcoming film releases). Due to the pandemic, it took from 2009 to 2022 (13 years) for the studio to get it into theaters. The franchise has three more films planned to premiere at two-year intervals.
Avatar: The Way of Water continues the story of Marine Corporal Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) and the natives of Pandora, the Na’vi, as they continue their fight to protect the extrasolar moon from exploitation by the colonists and people of Earth. Now, over a decade later, Sully’s family must move away from their beloved forests as a new campaign to end the native rebellion, fueled by RNA clones of the original Marines (including Colonel Miles Quaritch played by Stephen Lang). Quaritch has a real need for revenge against Sully.
The family’s move to live among the ocean tribes is rough on the family. The kids are not happy about it, neither are the sea folk who are asked to shelter the family.
Sadly, the war will still find them.
I watched this film in 3D. This film is visually gorgeous, and the storyline and acting are excellent. In 3D, with the seats assisting with vibrations from each explosion, this film is wild! While I doubt this film will win any Academy Awards outside the technical arena, it should win several, especially for special effects. In my eyes, this is a 5-star release!
One quick note: the film is over three hours long with no intermissions. Plan your food and drink accordingly!
Director: James Cameron
Cast: Zoe Saldana, Sam Worthington, Kate Winslet, Sigourney Weaver, Stephen Lang, Giovanni Ribisi, Bailey Bass, Jemaine Clement, Edie Falco, Cliff Curtis, Joel David Moore, Jamie Flatters, Chloe Coleman, CCH Pounder, Jack Champion, Britain Dalton, Matt Gerald, Trinity Jo-Li Bliss
MPAA Rating: PG-13 (for sequences of strong violence and intense action, partial nudity and some strong language)
Selig Rating: 5 Stars
Runtime: 192 Min.
Release Date: 12/16/2022
Local Release Locations: Wide Release
Language: English
Movie Site: AVATAR: THE WAY OF WATER Official Website
Trailer: AVATAR: THE WAY OF WATER Trailer
The Selig Rating Scale:
5 Stars – Excellent movie, well worth the price.
4 Stars – Good movie
3 Stars – OK movie
2 Stars – No need to rush. Save it for a rainy day.
1 Star – Good that I saw it on the big screen but wish I hadn’t paid for it.
