Avatar 2 Movie Review

A decade after classic Avatar (2009), master James Cameron has come up with the second installment Avatar: The Way Of Water. He takes us into the stunning world of Pandora. The film is having a massive release in India with a ground-breaking opening. Let’s check out whether the sequel lives up to all the hype and buzz surrounding it globally.

Plot:

Human-turned Na’vi Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) and Neytiri (Zoe Saldana) form a happy Sully family with kids. Everything was going well until they spotted a star in the sky. It marks the arrival of Sky people who begin devastation. This forces the Sully family to leave their homes. But Humans led by Colonel Quartich continue to hunt down Sullies. How Jake & clan fight Quartich and his army forms the crux of the story.

Performances:

Avatar: The Way of Water has brilliant performances. Kudos to James Cameron who used a novel technology to film performance capture scenes underwater, the feat never accomplished before. Jake is played by Sam Worthington and Neytiri is played by Zoe Saldanda who delivered flawless performances.

Technicalities:

Avatar 2’s point is pretty simple and straight. The complexity is in its filmmaking and presenting in a grandeur way. James Cameron excelled in his art. He has shown his indelible mark in every craft of filmmaking. The visual effects are outstanding.

Performances, Musical score, and visual style are impressive. Cinematography deserves special mention. Editing could be crispier. The film has excessive runtime. The initial portions take more than usual time. Albeit, the end justifies the means. The second half is intriguing.

Colonel Miles Quaritch is hefty. He is fierceful and hard as villain. But at times, he is a bit soft which isn’t convincing. Kate Winslet as Ronal, pregnant tribal leader, gets noticed. Overall, Cameron unleashes powerful and gripping performances from his cast.

Thumbs Up
Climax Sequence
Breathtaking Visuals
Stunning VFX & BGM

Thumbs Down
Predictable Scenes
Sluggish First Half

Analysis

James Cameron, the auteur of films like Terminator, Titanic, Avatar is back with Avatar 2. After significant delays, the film has finally hit the screens today. The film begins in pandora. Here is where the master Cameron took a chunk of the time. The entire first half is entirely based on drama revolving around the Sully family. There are some emotional scenes here and there which sets the base for the film.

It is the second-half of the film that engrosses us completely. How the Sully family move from forest to water and how they adapt and make new friends look familiar. ‘Sullies stick together’ is often said by Jake who goes to any extent to protect the family. There is a catch. He avoids the war. He rather goes into hiding. He takes shelter from the Metkayina clan yet asks them not to resort to fighting with humans. It is not heroic. It is a bit let down. The heroism isn’t elevated. The villains keep chasing and hunting Sully.

Avatar 2’s story is very simple and easily predictable. The screenplay is also flat. But Cameron balances these shortcomings with the stunning visuals and high-octane action scenes. The underneath emotion is strong. This is what rescues Avatar 2. The climax sequence is the biggest asset of Avatar 2. It is mind-blowing. Here is where Cameron shows his mark completely. He unleashed his talent and wows with amazing cinematic experience. The visual-effects are topnotch. Musical score is complimenting and elevates the scenes.

When Avatar was released in 2009, it took the film enthusiasts by storm. The VFX had stunned audiences and set new standards. No doubt, the filmmaking standards have improved globally in the last decade. Rajamouli has made magnum opus like Baahubali films and RRR. But what Cameron does is unbelievable and non-comparable. He creates a beautiful world in Avatar and weaves the magic yet again. The lives of the Na’vi clan are close to nature. It is a fight between humans and the clans close to nature. There are some takeaways from this epic science fiction.

Avatar 2 caters to kids and film enthusiasts who are fascinated by science fiction films. It is not a masterpiece. Not a great tribute to the first part either. Nevertheless, it doesn’t disappoint either. It just serves the purpose. Go and watch this experience on big screens in 3D. Watch it without much expectations and it hits the right chords.

Bottom-line: Lengthy Visual Spectacle

Rating: 3/5