Avatar: The Way of Water Review: James Cameron Delivers a Miraculous Cinematic Spectacle

James Cameron is no stranger to being a Hollywood revolutionary. The critically acclaimed director is credited with birthing iconic franchises like Terminator and Alien and boasts two of the three highest-grossing films of all time in the form of Titanic and Avatar. The latter is championed as one of the movie industry's biggest achievements for its groundbreaking visual effects and its overall immersive experience. The record-shattering success of the 2009 picture commanded not just a sequel, but the launch of a full-blown franchise. While it took 13 years for a direct follow-up to arrive, every single frame of Avatar: The Way of Water proves that the decade of development was well spent.

Avatar: The Way of Water is nothing short of a miraculous film from a visual standpoint. People were so captivated by the world of Pandora in 2009 that some viewers experienced "Avatar blues" at the intangibility of actually going to the home moon of the Na'vi. The Way of Water dials that realism up to an 11, delivering a cinematic spectacle that brings a level of theatrical immersion that comes around very rarely. Every landscape shot is indistinguishable from practical cinematography, with the sequel's namesake especially living up to the hype.

Expanding away from the Omaticayan rainforests, The Way of Water takes audiences to Metkayina, an ocean-side terrain home to the reef people. Like how 2009's Avatar established deep-rooted mythology for the Omaticaya clan of the Na'vi, The Way of Water brings that same energy to the reef people, consequently making Pandora feel that much more lived in. 

Simply put, Metkayina is beautiful. Cameron takes his time with exploring this new landscape but maximizes every minute in doing so. The Way of Water has plenty of action to keep audiences entertained, but it's far from high-octane fisticuffs for all three hours. That said, some of those quieter moments are the most memorable scenes in the film.

Cameron is also exceptional when it comes to teaching. The original film was told through the eyes of Jake Sully (Sam Worthington), a human puppeteering a Na'vi avatar. Now that time has elapsed and Jake is completely accustomed to the Omaticayan lifestyle, The Way of Water ran the risk of operating under the assumption that audiences have the same comprehension of Pandora that the main character does. While Jake's Na'vi intelligence is never in doubt, he still asks the questions that viewers are thinking. Doubling this world's vocabulary is intimidating on paper, but The Way of Water makes sure to present it in digestible ways.

The most successful of those ways is in Cameron's "show, don't tell" style. Rather than bombard viewers with monologues of exposition, Cameron often elects for the silent treatment, giving his Metkayinan scenes a chance to breathe. By leaving aspects of this culture strictly up for visual interpretation, The Way of Water commands attentiveness and provokes thought. The dominance of short-form content in today's modern media world has dwindled audiences' attention spans, but Cameron's reliance on show-don't-tell storytelling during quieter scenes miraculously maintains viewer investment.

That's not to say The Way of Water is all peace and serenity. This film boasts a second-to-none third act that capitalizes on nearly every minute detail set up in the first two hours, making the final battle feel like a genuine reward for investing in this modern-day odyssey.

Speaking of the narrative, The Way of Water's story achieves balance across all levels. Its callbacks to the original re-familiarizes audiences with the world while also providing some neat full circle moments. That said, it knows when to abandon nostalgia in favor of moving the story forward. Mix in proper amounts of lulls and crescendos in the pacing, and The Way of Water has the makings of a perfectly level picture.

From exposition to action, these stunning visuals rest on the shoulders of some standing-ovation-worthy performances, captained by Stephen Lang. Colonel Miles Quaritch is significantly more detestable in The Way of Water than he was in 2009. Like all great villains, the hatred audiences feel for Quaritch elevates the love they feel for Jake and his fellow protagonists.

Worthington eclipses his prior performance in The Way of Water due to the fact that he has the chance to emote more. Jake has much more at stake in this film, which gives him a multi-dimensional aura, a step-up from his arguable one-note behavior in the predecessor. Following her breakout performance in 2009's Avatar, leading woman Zoe Saldaña is strong once again, despite having a little less prevalence in this film. Even if she takes a backseat for some scenes, Saldaña's Neytiri is the standout from the aforementioned big third act.

The original stars impress, but The Way of Water's most notable names come in the form of its new characters. The Sullys are now a full family, with sons Neteyam (Jamie Flatters) and Lo'ak (Britain Dalton), daughter Tuktirey (Trinity Jo-Lo Bliss), and adoptive children Kiri (Sigourney Weaver) and Spider (Jack Champion). Like all great ensembles, most audiences will walk away with a different Sully as their favorite due to the fact that each gets the chance to shine on their own.

As evidenced by the Sully family, The Way of Water does heavily rely on legacy characters. This does make the world feel more interconnected, but consequently shrinks the greater universe ever so slightly. Considering this is only the second of a planned pentalogy, the Na'vi pedigree still has time to expand in the long run, and the introduction of the reef people somewhat cancels out that issue.

Film is an ever-evolving medium that, for better or worse, demands a "what have you done for me lately" hunger from its audience. In the 13 years between Avatar films, fans have been treated to a rebirth of Star Wars, the meteoric rise of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and an overall box office boom that has made billion-dollar pictures a regular occurrence. With an abundance of theatrical treats over the past decade, the magic of Avatar (2009) has been somewhat overlooked. If there was any doubt, James Cameron reminds audiences exactly what he's capable of. Words don't do Avatar: The Way of Water justice. While this film has all the makings of a once-in-a-lifetime theatrical experience, audiences should relish in the fact that there is much more to come.

Rating: 5 out of 5

Avatar: The Way of Water hits theaters on Friday, December 16th.