Avatar: The Way of Water

Way back in 2009 when "Avatar" was released, you never thought that there would be a sequel. Well, several years later, talk about it was flying around, so before one knew it, a sequel was definitely in the works. I really thought that it would be a waste of time, because a sequel wouldn't work. Well, now that I've seen this film, not only did it work, it was probably better than its predecessor.

Set more than a decade after the events of the first film, this tells the story of the Sully family, Jake (Sam Worthington0, Neytiri (Zoe Saldana) and the kids, the trouble that follows them, the lengths they go to keep each other safe, the battles they fight to stay alive, and the tragedies they endure. The Sullys' live on the extrasolar moon Pandora. Once a familiar threat headed up by Col. Quaritch (Stephen Lang) returns to finish off what was previously started, Jake must work with Neytiri and the army of the Na'vi race (people of the water) to protect their home. 

Others to round out the cast are Sigourney Weaver as Kari, Kate Winslet as Ronal, Cliff Curtis as Tonowari, Joel David Moore as Norm, Edie Falco as General Ardmore, CCH Pounder as Mo'at, Jack Champion as Spider, Britain Dalton as Lo'ak, Trinity Jo-Li Bliss as Tuk, Brendan Cowell as Scoresby, Jemaine Clement as  Dr. Garvin and Jamie Flatters as Neteyam. 

This was brilliantly directed by veteran James Cameron ("The Terminator" '84, "Aliens" '86, "The Abyss" '89, "Terminator 2: Judgment Day" '91, "True Lies" '94, "Titanic" '97, "Avatar" '09, "Alita: Battle Angel" '19) plus others, TV, video games and shorts. What can I say but that Cameron's creation of these characters simply came to life when seeing them on the screen. He gave the audience that incredible feeling of not only the closeness of family, but, when something happens, the family is right there, no matter what. Certainly Worthington and Saldana reprised their roles from the original which made this closeness even tighter, but it was definitely Cameron's direction that enhanced that feeling as well. It was incredibly written by Cameron, Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver, based on the story by Cameron, Jaffa, Silver, Josh Friedman and Shane Salerno. This story leapt off the page at me with a vengeance. I was entertained from the first frame until the last. Unless I just wasn't prepared for the original film, this continuation just spoke to me in spades. It was concise, cohesive, all the while bringing a certain nuance to the story that brought me closer to the characters involved. Considering the vast experience these writers have, it's no doubt that the script was penned with such expertise. But they were also able to bring heart to this story as well. And the visual effects designed by both ILM (Industrial, Light & Magic) and Weta Digital were seamless and truly enhanced the story. 

If you liked the original "Avatar", you truly will like this as well. It has it all: adventure, redemption, heart, humor and suspense all rolled up in an incredible story about humanity at its worst and best. I saw it in 3D which was awesome, but if you're interested, it's also presented in an IMAX format for that up, close and personal feeling. Even though it exceeds a 3 hour running time, it moves fight along. Enjoy!

Out of 4 Star: 4                                            Rated: PG-13                                           193mins.