‘Avatar: The Way of Water’ is successful due to exceptional CGI

The plot leaves something to be desired, though.

On December 16, the newest installment to the Avatar series, “Avatar: The Way of Water,” was released. The one-time phenomenon is back on the big screen after a decade with a film starring Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, and Sigourney Weaver in a three-and-a-half-hour action-packed adventure which features and explores different locations throughout Pandora.

Diehard Avatar fans will very much enjoy this film due to the extensive amounts of action and follow ups on the characters; the fighting choreography throughout the film is perfect. It’s not over the top but feels realistic and smooth due to the directors work on the CGI. In the film, expect lots of spear throwing and a plethora of firearms.

The performances of Sam Worthington (Jake Sully) and Zoe Saldana (Neytiri) were phenomenal. The acting felt authentic and real coming from such difficult roles. The actors have come a long way from the original movie over a decade ago and it is very evident. Emotions were conveyed quite well and again, it felt real. One scene towards the end of the movie, Worthington’s character was sobbing and tears were streaming out of his eyes. It was almost like what we were seeing on screen was real.

Easily the best part of any Avatar movie is the amount of time and dedication put into the CGI. Director James Cameron did an impressive job executing the large portion of the scenes that were CGI. The water was a factor that they had to nail to make it look realistic and natural. Which, of course, turned out amazing. The underwater sea creatures and such looked a little too real to be edited. The CGI in this film was easily the best part about this movie.

Although the action choreography, acting, and CGI were all great, the movie has one major issue: The plot is bland. For being a sequel to one of the best box office sellers ever, the follow between Jake and Neytiri is generic and boring. The story is clearly dragged out and could’ve been done an hour earlier. Some random irrelevant side stories never had a conclusion, and it was quite annoying. Cameron may be saving answers for the next movie, but if not, it was a waste of a solid future story.

The movie is rated PG-13 mainly for the extensive amount of violence and a bit of blood, but there are a couple positive messages spread throughout the movie. Teamwork is a very big deal among the Na’vi, and without it, they could be in big trouble. Another positive message from the movie is to never leave your comrades behind. In several scenes you’ll find this theme of no man left behind which also ties in with teamwork.

“Avatar: The Way of Water” was quite poor if you enjoy having an exciting/complex story, however, if you are more into acting, special effects, and action, this movie was impeccable. It is highly encouraged to big Avatar fans to go and check this movie out. If you are not particularly crazy about the first movie, the sequel is a downgrade. On a scale from one to a hundred, the movie deserves a sixty-seven out of a hundred, which is a lot lower than was anticipated.