 It's difficult for me to really gauge how I feel about the 'Avatar' saga so far. While I do find these films entertaining in their own right, I still believe that had James Cameron managed his time a bit better, this could have been the new 'Star Wars,' at least as far as sci-fi films go. The sad fact is, however, it just took too damn long for 'The Way of Water' to finally release, and by then the heat from 2009's 'Avatar' had become lukewarm at best, as it often does with many delayed productions.
Don't get the wrong idea here. I vastly admire the guts of James Cameron and his work in undersea exploration, going to the deepest depths to make discoveries perhaps hitherto unknown to science, and that probably does more for humanity than a movie. I'm not here to complain about him spending too much time exploring the ocean and living his life his way. As a movie-going fan of Cameron's, though, I still think he could have cranked out something to keep us excited for the future 'Avatar' titles he promised would one day arrive. Once 'The Way of Water' was finally released, it did extremely well at the box office and carried on the series' legacy of raking in the dough, so evidently, people were ready to see if 12-plus years of waiting had paid off. Luckily, it was still quite enjoyable, and manages to establish more of the world of Pandora in a big way, and introduces us to a whole new family of Na'vi, headed by Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) and Neytiri (Zoe Saldaña), and if you need to know more, refer to the review, because there's a LOT to cover. Following the events of 'The Way of Water,' Neytiri has understandably developed a deep scorn for humankind and its destructive ways. It is decided that one such human who has lived among them, Spider (Jack Champion), the rebellious son of series "baddie" Col. Miles Quaritch (Stephen Lang), should be returned to the human scientist camp, which may alleviate the tension between the human marines and their Na'vi tribe, the Metkayina. He'd also be safer there with the appropriate resources for humans, namely breathing apparatuses that the Sully family can't keep providing. As the human merchant ship convoy awaits, however, they are ambushed by the Mangkwan, a Na'vi tribe led by matriarch Varang (Oona Chaplin) that denounces the Na'vi goddess, Eywa. The Mangkwan dwell in volcanic landscapes and are altogether aggressive, believing that Eywa destroyed their families after a violent volcanic eruption. Capturing Spider and naturally luring Quaritch to them, the tribe soon finds themselves aligned with the humans, who teach them how to use more powerful weaponry, and Quaritch naturally uses his newfound friends in his revenge tactics against the Sully family, as he's still out for Jake's blood. While a lot of this feels like more of the same, it should be noted that the magic that we've come to expect from these films is still very much present, and generally revolves around Kiri (Sigourney Weaver), who, much like with 'The Way of Water,' keeps discovering talents and abilities that seem to be beyond the comprehention of other Na'vi, as though she can fully commuicate with the planet of Pandora, itself, but she does have a hell of a time trying to get in touch with Eywa, as she searches for answers as to what makes her so special. I have become altogether lukewarm to this series, at best. For as impressive as these films are visually, the storytelling and characters don't seem to be enough to make me want to run back and watch them again. They all seem to imply the necessity of seeing them on the big screen to get the full effect, which, again, mostly lies in visual stimulation. I'll certainly keep watching them as they continue from this point, as they do still provide a fun time at the theatre, but it's not a series I feel I will continue to follow with any sort of real awe. 3/5
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