REVIEW: "Avatar: The Way of Water"

Genre: Drama / Sci-fi / Adventure
Director: James Cameron

Writers: James Cameron, Rick Jaffa & Amanda Silver

Starring: Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, Sigourney Weaver, Britain Dalton, Jamie Flatters, Trinity Jo-Li Bliss, Jack Champion, Bailey Bass, Stephen Lang, Kate Winslet & Edie Falco

Avatar: The Way of Water might have some issues (mostly due to writing, like its predecessor 2009's Avatar), but this sequel is an amazing visual spectacle you should watch on the big-screen. Yes, James Cameron did it again! The Way of Water is a sci-fi epic with some of the most beautiful shots of the last years and it is an extremely entertaining adventure film, thanks to great action sequences, but it fails to reach what it aims to be: a tale about imperfect parents and imperfect children. But what it lacks in character development (an issue we often see in James Cameron's movies) it has in visual splendor. It's style over substance, but a very entertaining (and beautiful) one.

The movie begins with the depiction of Jake Sully's life the years after he stayed in Pandora: the normal "married" life, the children and the joys of living in a "wonderland", until humans come back again. That's when the action actually begins: Sully commands a series of raids against the human activity that aims to explore Pandora's resources. In the beginning you can see clear references to actions that could take place in a western movie with the Pandora natives intercepting a train. That's the moment audiences first know the family dynamics of "house of Sully" - the role of each and everyone in the family, in the community, their dreams and their bounds. I cannot tell anything more because I would be introducing key spoilers here, but it's the moment you understand Jake Sully and Neytiri's priorities are centered in the family they built. And yes, "built" is the right word given the narrative's context. The Sully family is next forced to find a new home in order to protect themselves... and that's when you are introduced to a whole new world inside the world of Pandora. New landscapes, new creatures, new people.

In the acting department, Zoe Saldana is the MVP here, like she was back in 2009's Avatar. Hers is the spotlight everytime she's on-screen and I can never not be impressed by the emotion and layers she's able to show the audience, not through her CGI facial expressions (in fact, they all end-up a bit less expressive because of CGI) but through her voice and movement dynamics. It's a wild and ferocious performance, just like her character. Sigourney Weaver also delivers a fine performance as Kiri, but Jack Champion is the true star of the younger cast - he also benefits from not being washed out of his human form, his human flesh - which makes him a magnet in a world of blue creatures and a CGI world. A note about the adorable Trinity Jo-Li Bliss - who's always lovely and radiant. 

Of course there's no way to review Avatar: The Way of Water without praising the breathtaking visual effects: they are out of this world! The level of detail displayed is something like I've never seen before - from the more detailed textures of the Na'vi's skins to a whole new world underwater. It's the perfect balance of visual effects work, cinematography and production design work that brings you Pandora. It feels magical sometimes. James Cameron is a cinematic wizard - a director in full control of his creative mind, of the world he dreamed of and decided to put on the big screen.

As for the sound work here: it is effective, specially during the action/fight scenes and during a sinking scene, by bringing all the detailed noises. The Simon Fraglen's score is very much based in James Horner's original one for the first installment and I would also dare to say it is also less ressonant, with the exception of "The Songcord" which is used as the background of an highly emotional scene in the third act (and I am sure it will hit you).

About its runtime... well, the 1st act is well-paced and works nicely as a reintrodution to the world of Pandora and to introduce you to the main plot. The 2nd act might feel overlong since it takes a long time presenting the audience the new lands of Pandora, but the shots are so beautiful to look act that you don't mind the fact not much is happening all around. The 3rd act is the movie's best: it reaches high emotional beats, thrilling and eye-popping action and head-scratching (yet satisfying) ending. The dialogue is simple, some lines might even feel clichè, but it works considering the movie's tone.

In the end, Avatar: The Way of Water is pure visual splendor and it is cinematic joy - the kind of movie that invites entire families to a moviegoing experience. Not the best movie of the year, but a stunning movie for all audiences. A movie that entertains and that's able to ignite the joy of going to the movies.

RATING: 8 / 10

Oscar potential categories:

• Best Picture
• Best Director (James Cameron)
• Best Editing
• Best Cinematography
• Best Production Design
• Best Visual Effects
• Best Original Song ("The Songcord")
• Best Original Song ("Nothing Is List (You Give Me Strenght)")
• Best Sound