Avatar the Way of Water is a science fiction film directed by James Cameron starring Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, and Sigourney Weaver and is the sequel to its first film, Avatar  (2009), Many movie fans have been anticipating the second film as the first movie is highly acclaimed for its stunning visuals and compelling storytelling. And after thirteen long years of waiting and excitement, the sequel has been released and does not disappoint. 

The story picks up ten years after the events of the first film on Pandora. Jake Sully and his Wife Neytiri now have children and are a complete family that includes their two sons Neteyam and Lo’ak, their daughter Tuk, and their adopted Daughter Kiri whose real parent is Doctor Grace Austine whose avatar was revealed to be pregnant in the first film, thus when Kiri was born, The couple decided to take her in. . The family and the Navi are living peacefully together. However, humans come back to Pandora to obtain unobtainium, a rare substance that is extremely valuable as it is an efficient energy source that can slow down age and cure disease. Although this time the humans return with a more strategic and stronger plan. The antagonist  Colonel Miles Rick Quaritch who got shot with a poisonous arrow by Neytiri in the first film, is alive, although in a form of an avatar. Colonel Quaritch’s crew is also brought back to life as Avatars.  Colonel and his crew are resurrected using a backup set of memories they had installed in a device before they passed, therefore their memories are implemented into an avatar to essentially bring them back to life. The Colonel and his crew are tasked with taking down the leader of the Navi, Jake sully, and eliminating the Na’vi People.  Now in Danger, Jake Sully is determined to protect his family and his people.

Avatar: The way of water explores themes of family and parenthood. The movie focuses heavily on family. Jake sully even reminds the family constantly by his saying “ Sully’s stick together”  The Sully family is constantly faced with life-threatening situations, although they make it through just like the saying, sticking together. Additionally,  each member of the family is faced with their own individual problem, believing they can solve it on their own, although in the end, they come to the realization of solving their problems with help from their family. Moreover, the movie showcases the lengths Jake Sully and Neytiri go to in order to protest their family and the hard sacrifices they are faced to make. Now a father, Jake deeply loves and cares for his family; his top priority is keeping them safe. Throughout the film, Jake Sully and Neytiri are constantly faced with situations in which he has to make sacrifices and difficult decisions, all while keeping their family safe. The sacrifices and choices Jake and Neytiri make reflect on parents and how they care for their children, and to what extent they go in order for that to take place.

Avatar the Way of Water is a movie that truly takes you to another world with its stunning visuals and brilliant cinematography. The use of 3D technology makes Pandora feel like a real place, and the attention to detail in the design of the landscapes, creatures, and cultures is amazing. The cinematography, which was done by Mauro Fiore, is fantastic, using wide shots and sweeping camera movements to show off the beauty of Pandora, and close-ups to bring out the emotions of the characters. The action scenes are also really well done, and overall, the cinematography is a huge part of what makes Avatar such a great movie.

Overall I enjoyed this movie a lot. The long thirteen years of waiting and the 3-hour duration are well worth it. From the cinematography to the storytelling and world-building, for me, everything checks out for this movie. I recommend this movie to everybody and can’t recommend it enough.