After the premiere of Avatar 13 years ago, James Cameron decided to stay on Pandora never to leave. Yes, he worked on other projects – the extraordinary docu-series comes to mind. science fiction history (2018) and his participation as a producer and writer in Battle Angel: The Last Warrior Y Terminator: Dark Fate (both from 2019)–, but, in reality, he is still absorbed in the creation of his ambitious saga, of which he promises several more sequels, to which he has dedicated a lot of effort.
just look Avatar 2: The path of water to understand why the filmmaker made the decision to focus completely on these stories: on the one hand, he wants to talk about how, on Earth, at least speaking of human cruelty towards our environment and the life forms that surround it, everything remains the same . No matter how many attempts are made to raise awareness, there are still people who are unable to turn to see the other, and that is discouraging. His other objective, without a doubt, is to continue revolutionizing the cinematographic experience. Nothing more. Nothing less.
The above statement was not written lightly. The Canadian creative’s ability to constantly outdo himself is impressive. There is no trace here of the Cameron who, in 2009, set out to impress international audiences with a show like no other. Granted, the first installment in the saga was a milestone. However, once recontextualized, adding this sequel to the equation, it becomes clear that the original adventure of the Na’vi was only a small seed that, in time, would germinate into something much more impressive; something that even the largest screen could not contain. On this occasion, everything that corresponds to the technical and visual section is in a different position, and rises to a level that had not been seen before, not only in the subgenre sci fibut in the global film industry.
It is important to make this clear from the beginning for the simple reason that, as with its predecessor, what stands out the most are its images. This is not to say that the narrative element that unites all the pieces of the whole has not also been improved. The original film was criticized at the time of its release – and continues to be questioned for more than a decade – for the “simplicity” of its plot, and perhaps now there will be those who say the same. In short, the basis of everything is still the fight between good and evil. However, within that minimalism there are extremely interesting readings.
The ADR – Resource Development Administration –, malevolent antagonistic corporation, is back. It wasn’t enough to attack the Na’vi to plunder their resources so long ago. They want more, and more. But they don’t just want resources. They are trying to enact a revenge that has been planned for a long time. It is no secret to anyone that Colonel Quaritch (Stephen Lang) returns to serve as the villain of the film, so he is not spoilers Talk about your participation. Quaritch resurfaces to take down Jake Sully (Sam Worthington), Neytiri (Zoe Saldana) and their children, Neteyam (Jamie Flatters), Lo’ak (Britain Dalton), Tuk (Trinity Jo-Li Bliss), Kiri (Sigourney Weaver) and Spider (Jack Champion), a young human born in the scientific base of Pandora.
When the soldier, irate and deranged to the core, directly threatens his peace of mind, Jake, who is already Toruk Makto, the spiritual leader of the Omaticaya tribe, decides, along with his wife, to seek refuge in the aquatic community of the Metkayina, commanded by by Ronal (Kate Winslet) and Tonowari (Cliff Curtis). There, on the moon reef that is their home, the Sullys must adapt to new customs, but also prepare for battle.
the script of Avatar 2: The path of waterwritten by Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver (jurassicworld) along with Cameron himself, is his main strength. Here, the intensity of the spiritual messages is toned down, and behind is the lack of subtlety in exploring the dangers of colonialism. Instead of using the alien race as a mere resource to make us empathize with the pain of a dying planet, now they are the heart of the story. And the chemistry between the performers who bring them to life is unbeatable.
Movie review Avatar 2: The path of water
In a visceral way, but also, at times, charged with tenderness, we see a family clinging to their roots and their identity when they see everything lost. And we care about them; we achieved an emotional connection that did not exist before. It is perhaps the closest thing that the person responsible for titanic (1997) has made a character study or, failing that, an ensemble film. During its 3 hour and 12 minute runtime, no performance feels wasted. All cast members have the same level of importance.
Now, if we talk about performances, there are two that stand out: those of Sigourney Weaver and Stephen Lang. She, like Kiri, endows the set with dyes coming-of-age that lighten everything when the gloomy saturates us. Chameleonic as she always is, she manages to make us part of the magical journey of self-discovery in adolescence. It is incredible that she, at 73 years old, can become, with ease, a young woman of 14. Her interventions are a delight.
And then there is him. Confirmation that the cold soldier reaches poetic levels of evil comes when, in the middle of an epic, dramatic and adrenaline-pumping third act where everything is at stake, he allows himself to make raw and piercing jokes at the expense of a family that has fought against adversity. at all times. He is nothing away from becoming one of the best villains in movie history. Twisted and thirsty for power.
Although we have already made it clear that his forte is technical, we cannot put it aside without applauding him. At Lightstorm, the production company, the dedication to their projects is remarkable. It is safe to dare to say, without qualms, that this is a practically perfect film as far as the use of technology is concerned. The 3D gets better, the landscape textures get better, the colors get better. Cameron no longer needs to prove anything to anyone. The realism of the aquatic sequences –reminiscent of the secret of the abyss (1989)– is to be applauded standing.
To achieve immersion, new rules are invented and, along the way, they are broken and reinvented. Watching the film is something like experiencing a pleasant ocular injection that is overwhelming at first, but becomes hypnotic and addictive. As far as CGI is concerned, nothing will ever be the same again. That is sure.
It is impossible not to cry every time the Na’vi enter the pristine water and, with verve, coexist and take underwater trips with the Tulkuns, a kind of whales. If we add to this the frantic movements of Russell Carpenter’s camera (True Lies), whose aesthetic walks a fine line between blockbusters artificial and the naturalistic documentary –with a high frame rate of 48 frames per second–, the emotion is greater, and the fluidity in the movements of the characters in certain scenes as well.
Avatar 2: The path of water it is an epic that is destined to be a classic of modern science fiction; a film that exceeds the undeniable daring of its predecessor and is perceived as mature in every way. Narratively, visually, musically (spectacular score by Simon Franglen, remembered for the remake of The seven magnificents). After seeing it, a bittersweet feeling remains. We are overwhelmed by its beauty and magnitude, but also by the reality that when the lights in the room come on around us, we feel, like its creator, the need to stay there, far away, on Pandora. Because sometimes it seems that here, in 13 years, nothing has changed, that everything remains the same.
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Jose Roberto Landaverde Movie buff and music lover. I am fascinated by writing, listening, reading and commenting on everything related to the seventh art. I’m a fan of Rocky and Back to the Future and obviously one day I’ll climb the “Philly Steps” and drive a DeLorean. Faithful believer that cinema is the best teleportation machine, and also that on the big screen we can all see ourselves represented. I constantly, like Scott Pilgrim, ask myself: “Does bread make you fat?”
