After a long wait, the second part is in avatarseries finally in cinemas. Director James Cameron has been working on it since 2010 The Way of the Water, which is again about Jake Sully. But is the film worth the wait?
de Volkskrant – four stars
“Avatar: The Way of Water looks even more beautiful, even deeper, even sharper, even warmer, even more palpable. Not just right in front of you, but also around your nose. This is pure cinema: completely overwhelmed by the visual pleasure, only being able to utter ‘wow’ from your spacious cinema seat. Gazing into the giant deep yellow eyes of such a Na’vi and marveling at the breath of its blue skin.”
“It’s a shame the director ever cast Sam Worthington in the lead role: not a particularly remarkable actor. But Zoe Saldana continues to grow in her performance as the fierce, hissing mother Neytiri. And also Sigourney Weaver, now appearing as Na’en” vi- daughter of her (human) biologist from the first part, shows that the digital layer need not get in the way of the acting: mimicry of her rejuvenated blue baby face is eerily authentic.”
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NRC – four stars
“The time James Cameron takes to acclimate the Sullys to their new underwater environment is dream-away cinema at its best: Swimming with alien dolphins, with the turquoise drops of water crystal clear thanks to 3D projection at 48 frames per second (instead of the usual 24) splash around your ears. You are dazzled by their brilliance. You can feel them. You can taste them.”
“Cameron stands as Leonardo DiCaprio Titanic on the prow of this self-built megaverse. The Way of the Water is a technical feat and a visual masterpiece. Story and philosophy are sacrificed for this: the film ends in a militaristic final battle, which Cameron borrows from his previous films to Foreigners, The abyss, terminator and Titanic. The eco-commitment of the first part has been replaced by well-worn Hollywood slogans such as ‘the family is a fortress’ and even ‘the sea gives, the sea takes’.
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AD – four stars
“Director James Cameron is not exactly William Shakespeare and never will be. As the 2009 blockbuster goes Avatar: The Way of Water sometimes weighed down by clunky dialogue and old tiling wisdom. But what if you’re presented with a three-hour spectacle that will make your jaw drop?”
“Certainly, The Way of the Water also takes great leaps forward in terms of plot and engaging characters. The slightly boring Jake Sully (…) was not a protagonist (protagonist, ed.) to fall in love with. Fortunately, the focus here is on his children, who you love more easily. They politely say “sir” to their father, but go on their own adventures when the family asks the Metkayina water tribe for shelter. “
“Stayed is the New Age banter about trees – and now waves of water – with spiritually charged energy paths. And even the most hardened climate activist will laugh again at James Cameron’s primitive way of addressing his audience about his environmentally ignorant behavior. His films have always something childish in their view of norms and values. Also on Pandora, the family is the cornerstone of society.”
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Loyal – four stars
“Visually, the film is unparalleled and groundbreaking. No film has ever so convincingly created a completely computer-generated world. Pay special attention to the close-ups and the texture of things: From the faces, from everything moving in the frame at the same time, to the foreground and the background.”
“Just don’t expect the visual sophistication to be matched by the plot and dialogue. The film is basically one long chase, and the characters barely get any relief. Only Kiri, the eldest daughter of Jake and Ney’tiri, has the outline of an intriguing character on because of her strange bond with the Great Mother, the Gaya-like soul on the planet Pandora. All the other characters are flat and uninteresting, spewing dusty Death Eaters like “our family is a fortress” and “a father protects his family” , that is what makes him make sense.”
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