Avatar: The Way of Water – Movie Review

The first Avatar, released in 2009, broke several box office records, became the highest-grossing movie for a long time, and won numerous awards, including the Oscars.  However, many people recognize Avatar as one of the best environmental movies with a simple story. 

Avatar was set in the mid-22nd century when Earth’s natural resources of the Earth have depleted, which propelled humans to colonize another world. This other world is Pandora, which is also rich with a valuable element. To mine this element, the humans have devised a unique plan to create avatars of the indigenous tribe of Na’vi. 

The success of Avatar has led to the Avatar franchise, which plans many sequels. So the first installment of the franchise got released in 2022, Avatar: The Way of Water.  

Directed by James Cameron, this time again, the movie has created spectacular elements of nature and the animal world; there are environmental references and, as you would have guessed, human endeavors to take over Pandora.

The movie opening shop captures stunning visuals of Pandora, which has floating rocks with waterfalls and plants, a few giant trees intermittently standing amidst a forest, and colorful birds flying over these trees. 

The film continues from the first part and shows the main protagonist of the movie Jake Sully living as chief of the Omatikaya clan along with his wife, Neytiri. In the film’s first few minutes, we are introduced to their children – sons Neteyam and Lo’ak, daughter Tuk, and adopted children Kiri (born from the character of the first film Grace) and also a human kid Spider (born from the character of the first film the late Colonel Miles Quaritch).

In the 49th minute of the movie, for the first time in the franchise, we are shown a new world with water as Jake and his family are forced to move from the Omatikaya and take refuge with the reef people, Metkayina clan, which is situated in the ocean waters. 

If the first Avatar showcased trees and terrestrial animals, James Cameroon picturizes the water kingdom in Avatar: The Way of Water. As the name suggests, water world shows gigantic mangroves, coconut trees, marine ecosystems, and unique sea animals. As the Sully family learns the skills of their new home, we are taken through a picturesque world of deep seas—diverse kinds of fish, octopus, jellyfish, corals, and other water plants.

If the bird-like Banshee became the mode of transport by the Na’vi warriors in the first part, this time, we have a new water creature, Ilu. The plesiosaur-like animal becomes the water ride for all the Sully kids. At the same time, Jake Sully gets Skimwing, which has an Aligator-like mouth and butterfly-like wings and features that allow it to travel inside and outside water.

As the story unfolds, we are shown Tulkuns, massive whale-like intelligent creatures who share a special bond with the Na’vi people but are killed by humans to extract anti-aging serum called amrita. 

As the storyline enters its last phase, where human avatars are on a killing spree of Tulkuns, with their sophisticated widgets, in the process, take hostage Jake Sully’s and Metkayina’s children. As their Na’vi parents are about to enter a war with humans, one of the Tulkuns, who was befriended by one of Jake Sully’s sons, launches the first attack on the human ship. The Na’vi warriors seize the initiative and enter into a battle.

What ensued in the battle is anyone’s guess; you can watch the movie on OTT platforms (like Disney) for 3 hours 12 minutes sci-fi drama.