‘Avatar: The Way of Water’ is James Cameron’s latest blockbuster epic in his groundbreaking ‘Avatar’ series. Once again Cameron, an unmatched master of technical filmmaking who achieves an uncommon feat of fusing auteurism with the blockbuster, delivers another silver screen opus.
‘Avatar: The Way of Water’ is a technical masterpiece. Much like the original, the visuals are leaps and bounds ahead of the storytelling and characters with world building also taking precedence over the narrative. Not to say the script is bad, it is more than serviceable. Regardless, the state-of-the-art tech and empyrean special effects would overshadow even an exemplary screenplay. Every technical aspect of the film, whether it be the immersive cinematography or stunning art direction, maximizes the narrative and are used to tell tale in the best optical way possible. It is worthy to note that it contains crystal clear, absolute thrilling action sequences as well.
‘Avatar: The Way of the Water’s narrative is looser than the original and the plot is stretched out over a three-hour runtime, but the story has improved and is thematically more nuanced. Also like the original, it checks off all the necessary boxes for an objectively solid screenplay.
Simon Fraglon was tasked with filling the shoes of legendary composer and frequent Cameron collaborator James Horner since he passed away in 2015. Though the music is beautiful, Horner’s absence is felt.
Despite some shortcomings, ‘Avatar: The Way of Water' is one of those rare cinematic experiences that James Cameron knows how to bring. It’s a technically cutting edge concoction of classic Hollywood storytelling that is perfectly engineered for viewing in theater on a massive screen.
MY STAR RATING 3.75/5 STARS
Visit the Brown Deer Public Library and explore our selection of iconic James Cameron films available for check out.
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