Avatar: The Way of Water review: Stunning to look at, hard to follow through

🎬 The Way of Water is the second film of the series. Our Avatar movies in order guide has the full list, and our Avatar (2009) review explains why the first film is a 5 for us.

This is a hard review for me to write. I rate the first Avatar film 5 out of 5, and I went into Avatar: The Way of Water with high hopes. It looks outstanding. But it was a real disappointment for me, and I give it a well-meant 3 out of 5.

The story in one line

The film is set more than a decade after the first. Jake Sully and Neytiri now have a family, and when old threats return, they leave their forest home and seek shelter with a reef clan, the Metkayina. The film follows the family as they try to adapt to a new place while the danger follows them.

The visuals are outstanding

The film looks spectacular. The ocean and the reef are a different kind of Pandora from the forest of the first film, and they are built with the same care. The creatures, the light under the water and the scale of it all are a real achievement, and on looks alone there is nothing to criticise.

It is a film you want to see on the biggest screen possible, and I did, in the cinema. That part of the experience I do not regret at all.

Where it lost me

What I need from a film is a reasonably logical and coherent story. The characters do not have to act realistically. That is not my standard, and a fantasy or a science-fiction film can ask me to accept a lot. But they have to act in a way I can follow, so that what happens on screen comes out of who they are and what they want.

For me, this is where The Way of Water failed, and it failed throughout. The look of the film is not the problem. The story and the choices of the characters did not hold together, and I could not follow why people did what they did. At times I had to force myself to keep watching. That is not a thing I say about a film lightly, and certainly not about one by the director of the film I love most.

Why it is still a 3

The visuals are the reason it is not lower. A film this beautiful, made with this much craft, deserves credit, and if you love the first film and want to see what Cameron did with a new part of the world, you may still enjoy it. I rate it a well-meant 3: good intentions, a superb look and a story that did not work for me.

Your own experience may differ. If you are someone who watches Avatar for the spectacle, you will get plenty of it. I am someone who needs the story to carry the spectacle, and here it did not.

The cast and the story

Avatar: The Way of Water is set on the moon Pandora some years after the first film. Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) and Neytiri (Zoe Saldaña) now have a family, and when the human forces of the RDA come back to hunt them, they flee and take refuge with the Metkayina, a Na’vi clan who live by the sea.

Stephen Lang returns as Colonel Miles Quaritch, and Sigourney Weaver plays Kiri, the family’s adopted daughter, in a new role. Kate Winslet plays Ronal and Cliff Curtis plays Tonowari, both of the Metkayina clan. James Cameron wrote the screenplay with Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver.

Making the film

The film was produced by Cameron’s company, Lightstorm Entertainment. Principal photography began on 25 September 2017, after preliminary shooting in Manhattan Beach, California, and moved to Wellington, New Zealand. Production was completed in September 2020 after pandemic delays. The budget is estimated at between $350 and $460 million, which makes it one of the most expensive films ever made.

The big technical problem was filming performance capture underwater. The usual systems rely on infrared light, which water absorbs, so the team developed a new capture system that uses ultraviolet light. Kate Winslet set a record for the longest breath hold during filming of an underwater scene, at more than seven minutes. Simon Franglen composed the score, building on James Horner’s original Avatar themes with new material.

Release and box office

The film premiered in London on 6 December 2022 and was released in the United States by 20th Century Studios on 16 December 2022. It runs 192 minutes. It earned about $2.334 billion worldwide, including $688.5 million in the United States and Canada, which made it the highest-grossing film of 2022.

Reviews and awards

Critics were generally positive. Rotten Tomatoes lists 76% positive from 455 reviews, and the consensus describes a stunningly immersive experience. Metacritic gives it a score of 67 from 68 critics, and audiences gave it an A on CinemaScore. The praise went to the visual effects and the technical achievement, while some critics found the running time and the script weaker.

The film won the Academy Award for Best Visual Effects and received four Oscar nominations in total, including Best Picture. It is a useful reminder that our 3 out of 5 is a personal verdict: the film was a commercial and critical success, and its supporters love it for the same visuals that we praise above.

Is it a good film for the family?

It is rated PG-13 for intense sci-fi violence and peril. It is a better fit for teenagers and up than for young children. It is also long, about 3 hours 12 minutes, so plan an evening and a break.

• Best age: teenagers and up.
• Runtime: about 3 hours 12 minutes.
• Order: watch the first film first. The sequel continues its story.
• Next: our review of Fire and Ash covers the third film.

If you want the whole series on the shelf, the 3-movie collection is the simplest way.

Is Avatar: The Way of Water worth watching?

It is worth watching for the visuals. We found the story and the characters’ choices disappointing, so we rate it a well-meant 3 out of 5.

Do I need to see the first Avatar before The Way of Water?

Yes. The sequel continues the story of the first film and is set more than a decade after it. Start with the 2009 film.

Is Avatar: The Way of Water suitable for kids?

It is rated PG-13 for intense sci-fi violence and peril. It suits teenagers and up better than young children.

How long is Avatar: The Way of Water?

About 3 hours and 12 minutes, so plan a long evening.

Who directed Avatar: The Way of Water?

James Cameron directed it, and it was released on 16 December 2022.

Is The Way of Water as good as the first Avatar?

Not for us. We rate the first film a 5 out of 5 and The Way of Water a 3. It looks just as impressive, but the story and the characters’ choices did not hold together.

Did Avatar: The Way of Water win an Oscar?

Yes, the Academy Award for Best Visual Effects at the 95th Academy Awards. It had four Oscar nominations in total, including Best Picture.

How was The Way of Water filmed underwater?

The team built a new motion-capture system that uses ultraviolet light, because water absorbs the infrared light that standard systems rely on. Kate Winslet also set a record for the longest breath hold during filming, at more than seven minutes.

How much money did The Way of Water make?

About 2.334 billion dollars worldwide, including 688.5 million in the United States and Canada. It was the highest-grossing film of 2022. The budget is estimated at between 350 and 460 million dollars.

What is The Way of Water about?

Years after the first film, Jake Sully and Neytiri have a family. When the human forces of the RDA return to hunt them, they flee and take refuge with the Metkayina, a Na’vi clan who live by the sea.

Who composed the music for The Way of Water?

Simon Franglen, who built on James Horner’s original Avatar themes and added new material.

Who are the new characters in The Way of Water?

Kate Winslet plays Ronal and Cliff Curtis plays Tonowari, both of the Metkayina clan. Sigourney Weaver also returns in a new role as Kiri, the family’s adopted daughter.