Avatar: Way of the Water - Yellow and Blue make Green

Avatar: The Way of Water

2022

Directed by James Cameron

Stars Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldaña, Sigourney Weaver, Stephen Lang

Mohan's Measure ⭐⭐

All ancient cultures say the same, all beings are connected to each other and to Nature as a whole. And all is Pervaded by a Great Spirit, Which nurtures all of us. All we need do is connect to It.

Such was the poignant message of the first Avatar. Released in 2009, it was perhaps a reaction to the suffering of a war which, at the time, was seeing no end in sight. In Avatar 2, for the peace-loving Na'vi, the war with the imperialist West continues, on their home planet light years away from Earth and undoubtedly decades beyond us.

But, in that time and place, it would seem odd that the results of Sully and Neytiri's beautiful romance would have such human problems. A teenage girl who feels she doesn't fit in; a teenage boy who wants to be a man; and a little girl just tagging along for fun; this is clean family comedy, of course. But wouldn't you think there would be some ways of providing connection and healing, a deeper message from the ancients that we can take away? There is nothing, it seems, albeit in a world of magic and ritual. And as such, through the children, two tribes are united and two enemies are brought together for one final (?) battle.

So, after two hours of teenage mood swings and troublemaking, we wind up in the classic Bollywood moment, a nearly invincible hero taking on the evil Colonel Quaritch and his gang of Na'vi transformed thugs. 

And that, along with a recreation of the Old Testament's Jacob and the Whale, is what is presented to an audience that has waited over a decade for a sequel. 

Hardcore fans of CGI will enjoy this film, although we novices feel disappointed with the poor underwater scenes. Those looking for a deeper story should perhaps rewatch the first film.

Perhaps Director Cameron should too before he continues his now ongoing series.