Avatar 2 review: A grandiose sail through James Cameron’s imaginary world

James Cameron transported all of us to the world of Pandora in 2009. Thirteen years later, the maverick filmmaker once again is helping us surf through the world of water. The theme of Avatar: The Way of Water is as clear as water itself.

According to some belief systems, from the sea we come and to the sea we return. Former US President John F Kennedy once said: “We are tied to the ocean. And when we go back to the sea, whether it is to sail or to watch it, we are going back from whence we came.”

Coexisting with Nature

The theme of coexisting with Nature runs through the movie. And, while the effort to create environmental consciousness against wanton destruction for greed is laudable, what works in favour of the film is Jake Sully and his inseparable bond with the family — there is also a super line in the film summarising it, “The Sullys stay together. This is our biggest strength and greatest weakness.”

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The plot of Avatar: The Way of Water is simple and straight. Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) and Neytiri (Zoe Saldana) should save their family and the Pandora world from the army led by Colonel Miles Quaritch (Stephen Lang) yet again. But, this time, the action shifts to the sea with new creatures, scenic blue ocean, deadly sky people (humans), and spiritual reef people clan amplified by the emotional bond of Sullys and jaw-dropping action sequences.

Connect with characters

Besides Jake Sully and Neytiri, this time, James Cameron makes us to root for their four children. Although each one is different, they stay together as a family. This allows the audience to instantly connect with the characters. Cameron’s idea of bringing back Colonel Miles Quaritch (eviler this time), attaching an emotional angle to him with his son adds to the range of emotions that the audience can experience.

While the grandiose visuals and the impossibly beautiful sci-fi entry into an unexplored new world, created by James Cameron, are brilliant, at the end of the day, the magnum opus works because of the emotional undercurrent that flows organically through the film. Not just the title, Avatar: The Way of Water, the film has Indian at heart, especially when it comes to the emotional angle displayed in how the father and mother protect their family against all odds.

On the downside, the sequel is a tad too long. Not everyone in the audience would have the patience to sit through the 3 hours and 12 minutes of the film. But for those who can invest time, the James Cameron movie promises full entertainment with a relatable theme, and a stunningly immersive and intriguing unique world.