The Way of Water
Avatar 3D
Review by Ross Anthony

I loved the first one, it absolutely mesmerized me the entire duration. At the time, those visuals were straight-on mind-blowing. James Cameron is a powerhouse filmmaker, so after 12 years, I was expecting to have my mind blown in a different unimaginable way. However, this time, minds will be slightly less blown. The visuals are just as fantastical and beautiful, but not 12 years advanced fantastical. Nonetheless, there are still amazing extended moments of beautiful stirring visuals - especially in the water scenes. Those moments are high quality and magical. They'll stick with you after the film.

That said, plots are important too. And this plot felt thin. Did filmmakers (knowing they had this gorgeous sparkling skin of eye candy) pound out a script as a necessary skeleton? The gangly story certainly doesn't feel organic or loved, or important. And, after 3+ hours of telling, it doesn't even resolve, leaving the viewer feeling somewhat manipulated.

Why not strip it down to the sincere basics? Get the family out of the forest faster, and for a more respectable reason. In fact, the subplot of the forest family living among the water people is way better than the main plot. Why not toss the main plot and keep the film to 2 hours? While the main characters do gain our sympathies, they aren't developed in a deep way - save for the daughter who's connection with nature is truly powerful. Her story is what gives the film its real heart. I would have loved to see her story blossom fully and not drift back to the 3rd storyline. My guess/hope is that we'll see more of it in future films.

That said, when this film is good, it's very beautiful. See it in 3D were possible!

I'm torn on a rating B/B+, but that daughter's storyline will stir you, so I'll round to B+.

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  • Avatar: The Way of Water 3D. Copyright © 2022.
  • Starring Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, Stephan Lang. Directed by James Cameron. 20th Century.

Grade..........................B+ (2.5/4)


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Copyright © 1998-2023 Ross Anthony, Author - Speaker - Solo World Circumnavigator In addition to reviewing films and interviewing celebs at HollywoodReportCard.com, traveling the world, composing great music, motivational speaking, Mr. Anthony also runs his own publishing company in the Los Angeles area. While traversing the circumference of the planet writing books and shooting documentaries, Mr. Anthony has taught, presented for, worked &/or played with locals in over 30 countries & 100 cities (Nairobi to Nagasaki). He's bungee-jumped from a bridge near Victoria Falls, wrestled with lions in Zimbabwe, crashed a Vespa off a high mountain road in Taiwan, and ridden a dirt bike across the States (Washington State to Washington DC). To get signed books ("Rodney Appleseed" to "Jinshirou") or schedule Ross to speak check out: www.RossAnthony.com or call 1-800-767-7186. Go into the world and inspire the people you meet with your love, kindness, and whatever it is you're really good at. Check out books by Ross Anthony. Rand() functions, Pho chicken soup, rollerblading, and frozen yogurt (w/ blueberries) also rock! (Btw, rand is short for random. It can also stand for "Really Awkward Nutty Dinosaurs" -- which is quite rand, isn't it?) Being alive is the miracle. Special thanks to Ken Kocanda, HAL, Jodie Keszek, Don Haderlein, Mom and Pops, my family, R. Foss, and many others by Ross Anthony. Galati-FE also deserves a shout out. And thanks to all of you for your interest and optimism. Enjoy great films, read stirring novels, grow.


Last Modified: Friday, 06-Jan-2023 11:01:32 PST