The 2009 film Avatar, directed and produced by Canadian filmmaker James Cameron, revolutionized movie-making technology and the way the public experiences films.
Avatar went on to become the highest-grossing film of all time, amassing a whopping $2.9 billion in box office income.
As expected, Cameron began to co-write and direct four sequels that expanded on the scale and story of the epic sci-fi film.
The first sequel, Avatar: The Way of Water, was released in theaters on Dec. 16.
It takes place 15 years after the original and showcases the new family dynamic of the main protagonist Jake Sully, his wife Neytiri and their four children.
Instantly, the audience reconnects with the familiar character and attaches to new ones. With all their trials and tribulations feeling personal, harsh and heartbreaking, the film evokes a natural sense of relatability.
Early into the film, the familiar foes of the Na’Vi people force the family to flee their home, causing them to assimilate into the way of the Metkayina clan, a subgroup of water-based Na’Vi.
From then on, Avatar: The Way of Water tells a tale of family, identity and conservation that is delivered with an extravaganza of spectacle, emotion and thrill.
Cameron’s upholding of his innovative visual effects also adds to the film by giving the planet of Pandora the same life it showcased in the 2009 blockbuster. While some of the overstimulating effects of the film provided some visual fatigue, the CGI was surprisingly innovative, infusing emotion into the story.
The film’s story and stunning visual effects, which are attributed to the use of underwater motion-capture technology, enhance the Avatar franchise’s message of improving our relationship with the planet.
Despite the 13-year wait, notable performances from Zoe Saldana, Sigourney Weaver and Britain Dalton—whose portrayal of Lo’ak provides the soul and heart of this film—also ensured the film kept the acting standards established in 2009’s Avatar.
James Cameron deserves credit for creating a powerful and technologically innovative film that reinvigorates interest in a franchise many thought was dead.
Avatar: The Way of Water proved to be an incredibly personal film with mind-blowing effects and visuals. Something much-needed in an age where films like this are stagnating into cookie-cutter mind-numbing spectacles that lack substance.
