MARCUS CHEONG watches the long-awaited second instalment in James Cameron’s Avatar series…
Avatar: The Way of the Water (AU – M/UK – 12A/US – PG-13)
In A Word: Familiar
A scene from ‘Avatar: The Way of Water’.
Coming 13 years after the billion dollar box office smash that was Avatar, visionary director James Cameron returns to bring us the long awaited 2nd installment in this science fiction 3D spectacle. This time around, the aerial action and forest backdrop is replaced by the coral reefs of planet Pandora in Avatar: The Way of Water.
The conclusion to the first film saw former marine, Jake Sully (Sam Worthington), fully transform into his alien (Na’vi) body. Now Jake and his mate, Neytiri (Zoe Saldaña), are parents to five children, three of their own, one stray human and the mysterious Kiri (Sigourney Weaver), who was born miraculously from a “virgin” birth. Their jungle paradise is turned to ash when the greedy, destructive humans return to colonise the planet.
“The Way of Water’s digitally-created world and characters look better than ever. The minutia of hair, lighting and textures all look and move convincingly. And when the action does happen, it is an impressive spectacle. But the visual feast cannot hide the flaws in the film that lie under the shiny exterior.”
The grizzled antagonist from the first film, Colonel Miles Quaritch (Stephen Lang) is resurrected in a new Na’vi body and sent on a mission to seek and destroy Jake. Hunted by this new threat, Jake and his family relocate to the sanctuary of the islands where they adapt to a new way of life and learn the “way of the water.”
The original Avatar was ground-breaking in its visual effects and as a showcase for 3D movies. With over a decade in computing advancements, The Way of Water’s digitally-created world and characters look better than ever. The minutia of hair, lighting and textures all look and move convincingly. And when the action does happen, it is an impressive spectacle. But the visual feast cannot hide the flaws in the film that lie under the shiny exterior.
For a 192 minute run time, the plot is quite basic and the character development is light. There is sense of déjà-vu throughout the experience. Just like the original Avatar, half the film is spent with the family learning to appreciate nature and gaining acceptance with the locals. Then there is the same heavy handed environmental message baked into the plot. Instead of an anti-deforestation theme like before, this time it is an on the nose anti-whaling message that is being preached from Pandora.
The reskinned antagonist, Colonel Miles, does little to help the variety, not to mention plenty of reiterated dialogue that seems less like a homage and more like a rerun. While the scenery may look a little different, it is filled with familiar sacred sites, giant predators, friendly fauna and tribal bickering that are reminiscent of what came before.
The only thing that is truly different, is that now there is an ensemble of younger characters that are getting up to mischief. The bond between parents and children is a consistent theme, and the story illustrates just how far family will go to save their loved ones.
As the second of five films that are planned in this series, it is hard to see whether the Avatar franchise can bring enough to keep audiences interested. Technical wizardry and environmental ideology is not enough, there must be solid story and engaging characters. So if this derivative sequel is setting the stage for what is to come, it is hard to get excited for the way forward.
