Film: Avatar: The Way Of Water

Cast: Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldaña, Sigourney Weaver, Stephen Lang, Cliff Curtis, Kate Winslet, Britain Dalton, Jamie Flatters, Trinity Jo-Li Bliss, Jack Champion, Bailey Bass, Edie Falco, CCH Pounder, Jemaine Clement, Brendan Cowell, Joel David Moore, Filip Geljo, Duane Evans Jr., Giovanni Ribisi, Dileep Rao

Director: James Cameron

Rating: 4 Moons

With the underlying theme of, "the way of water connects all things, before your birth, and after your death," James Cameron's highly anticipated film Avatar: The Way Of Water is a bigger, better and emotionally deeper sequel to 2009's mega-hit Avatar. The film, like its predecessor, is rich in terms of visuals, but this time, the storytelling, emotions and fight sequences get additional depth, value and go a notch above on the scale of spectacle. Rightly so, it is as deep as water and as intensely dense as Pandora's forest.  

Years after the events of Avatar, Pandora has recovered from the destruction caused by the Sky People. In fact, they are welcoming new members into the forest. Jake Sully (Sam Worthington), who was adapting to the Na’vi ways in the prequel, has now become one of them and has children with Neytiri (Zoe Saldaña). Their sons are Neteyam (Jamie Flatters) and Lo'ak (Britain Dalton). Jake and Neytiri's youngest child is their daughter Tuk (Trinity Jo-Li). They have adopted Kiri, born from Grace's avatar which has been kept in hibernation since her death in the previous film. The Sully children find a friend in human child Spider, a kid who is just "like a stray cat" stick close to the family and accompanies them everywhere. 

As the kids grow up, the Sky People return for not just mining purposes but also to colonise the entire moon of Pandora. The Sullys along with others have to safeguard themselves. Some of the Sky People are on the moon of Pandora for a personal vendetta against Jake. Amid attacks on their home, Jake has to protect his wife and children from further harm. He then decides to migrate to the land of the Metkayina clan. They are ocean-loving Reef People who are reluctant to accept the Forest People. However, the heads of the clan, Ronal (Kate Winslet) and Tonowari (Cliff Curtis) allow them a space in their world. Gradually, Jake, Neytiri, Neteyam, Lo'ak, Kiri and Tuk learn the ways of water and begin to adapt to their surroundings. 

The Avatar franchise has always been meant to be a high-concept extravaganza. While the prequel lacked an emotional depth, Cameron fixes it right this time. Seducing you with breathtaking visuals and rousing action sequences, including the underwater drama, the director sucks you into his world from the first frame. This time, the focus adequately shifts from Jake and Neytiri to their children who would possibly headline the sequels in the future. 

Avatar: The Way Of Water, as mentioned before, has levelled itself above the prequel and there's no complaining and denial. It can be said that the prequel set the tone for the sequel and it has lived up to the expectation. While back in 2009, the film lacked a strong and core emotional depth and not many could relate to Jake and Sully, Cameron corrects it in the best possible way. Avatar: The Way Of Water sheds ample light on the Sullys' struggle of migration, adapting to the laws of a new land, and making friends with the members of the marine life. It gives the audience enough time and multiple reasons to resonate with the characters, especially the children who steal the cake this time.  

Cameron goes full throttle when it comes to injecting emotions into an already-loved franchise. Reintroducing his characters and giving them a different arc, he will leave you in tears much before you get the chance to realise it. Through the characters of Lo'ak and Kiri, the story written by James, Rick Jaffa, Amanda Silver, Josh Friedman and Shane Salerno explores the depths of loneliness, sense of belonging, unity, the insecurity and hopelessness felt by the 'undisciplined' second-born.

The bond Lo'ak establishes with a whale-like Tulkun is heartwarming and speaks a lot about the character's helplessness and loneliness that he experiences at home as his elder brother is considered to be the golden child of the clan and he, the useless one. Being one of the driving forces of Avatar: The Way Of Water, he creates an instant connection with the audience. In the last 1 and a half hours, when Neytiri comes in her true fierce warrior queen form, there's nothing better and spectacular than that. 

As expected, Avatar: The Way Of Water is visually arresting. Since most of the events unfold underwater, the audience gets to see Pandora briefly. Cameron plays around with shades of blue, quite literally driving away the boredom blues. Giving sheer cinematic joy and thrill through the visuals, he captivates attention with mesmerising shots. Sometimes, all we want is to revisit our childhood. With shots of glowing butterflies, the beauty of the marine life, the highs and lows of waves, injured whale-like Tulkuns, underwater action stunts and fight sequences are simply out of the world.  

Speaking of the Sully kids, Lo'ak and Kiri are indicated to be the drivers of future sequels. Their backstories and present traumas are deep, rock solid and heartbreaking. The focus, equally, shifts from Jake and Neytiri to their children and one just cannot complain. Out of them all, the most loved character over a period of time could be Tuk, the little girl who wins hearts with her innocence and hilarious one-liners. 

Avatar: The Way Of Water is 192 minutes long. Yes, on paper it could feel too long but when you are in the world of Na'vis, there's no scope for boredom. It can be agreed that the duration could have been trimmed down but Cameron's environmentalist sentiment needed some extra time to shine. Avatar: The Way Of Water partly raises its voice against animal cruelty and leaves behind an indelible impact. The way we view marine life could change completely now. 

As promised by Cameron, the sequel of Avatar: The Way Of Water is on the way and we cannot wait to see Lo'ak, Kiri and Tuk take over the responsibilities of their parents. There's a lot of time for the next part to release and in the meantime, you've got to watch Avatar: The Way Of Water over and over again. The rewatch and recall value is certainly high. 

PeepingMoon gives Avatar: The Way Of Water 4 Moons