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AVATAR: THE WAY OF WATER

Avatar: The Way of Water is a breathtaking adventure film that is just as magical, and show stopping as its predecessor and completely blew me away. The film gives the audience a magical experience into the world of Pandora.

Avatar: The Way of Water takes place 14 years after Avatar and follows the lives of Jake Sully (Sam Worthington), his wife Neytiri (Zoe Saldana) and their four children. When a familiar threat comes back to take over Pandora, Jake and his family leave their home to explore different regions of Pandora preparing to fight to protect both their family and their world.

Avatar: The Way of Water is unlike anything I've ever seen before. The visuals and imagery far surpassed my expectations and made the movie incomparable to any other sci-fi film. The underwater scenes are my favorite and the interaction between the sea creatures and the Na'vi help make the ocean almost like a character in the story. Although the special effects and imagery are incredible, the plot is a little predictable. Using some popular themes and overused tropes, makes the plot not very original. The first movie, Avatar, came out nearly 13 years ago, and it might be advisable to watch or rewatch the first film in order to fully understand this sequel. The film is also quite long, with a run time of 3 hours and 12 minutes, and there are many scenes that I wish were shorter to cut down the run time. The acting is phenomenal, with Sam Worthington giving an exceptionally heartwarming performance. I love all the new additions to the cast and found the adaptations of the reef Na'vi a smart touch that makes the world of Pandora even more realistic. James Cameron (director) is without a doubt an incredible storyteller, and his ability to create the world of Pandora is amazing.

Avatar: The Way of Water promotes friendship and the importance of family; most of all it promotes respect. We see this through Jake Sully's relationship with his kids, but most importantly through showing the lack of respect that the "sky people" have for Pandora and the negative effects that has on the planet. Parents may want to know that there are a lot of fight scenes, many of which involve weapons and blood and also some profanity.

I give Avatar: Way of Water 5 out of 5 stars and recommend it for ages 12 to 18, plus adults. It will be released in theaters December 16, 2022.

By Emma D., KIDS FIRST! Film Critic, age 16

Fans have been waiting since 2009 to see the sequel to Avatar; eager to see what new adventures await. Audiences are in for a treat, because Avatar: The Way of Water is full of adventures that makes the wait worth it.

Avatar: The Way of Water follows Jake Scully (Sam Worthington), Neytiri (Zoe Saldana), and their family as they settle in Pandora. This period of peace doesn't last long due to the return of a familiar enemy of Jake's. The family now has to move to a different region where they have to learn to fit in, and learn the way of water. As disaster and surprise continues to strike, Jake is given the task of defeating his enemies in order to save himself, his family, and his people.

Avatar: The Way of Water is a dynamic, engaging story perfect for a night at the movies. It is a long movie, running three hours and twelve minutes' some scenes where Jake and his family are learning the ways of the Metkayina feel too long and they overpower the villain subplot. However, the scenes aren't anti-climactic, so they held my attention. The CGI in Avatar: The Way of Water stands out from the minute the film begins. The characters have high quality, unique features, and the underwater scenes and animals are astonishing. The ground-breaking new CGI techniques used give it a fantastical tone that is distinct from other films. I love the representation of a sibling bond. Neteyam (Jamie Flatters), Lo'ak (Britain Dalton), Kiri (Sigourney Weaver), Tuk (Trinity Jo-Li) and even Spider (Jake Champion) don't always get along. However, when it comes down to a life or death situation, protecting one another is always the most important. These relationships have the power to make the audience laugh and cry.

Avatar: The Way of Water carries the message that family is everything, whether they are related by blood or not. Jake clearly cares about his biological children and is willing to do anything for them. But even with Kiri, Spider and both the Na'vi and Metkayina people, you see his protective nature and the protective nature the family has over each other.

I give Avatar: The Way of Water 4.5 out of 5 stars and recommend it for ages 12 to 18, plus adults. Avatar: The Way of Water releases in theaters December 16, 2022, so make sure you check it out!

Maica N., KIDS FIRST! Film Critic, Age 15

Avatar: The Way of Water is an action-packed sci-fi film that I thoroughly enjoyed. You don't have to be an Avatar fan to be entertained the whole time while watching this movie. This movie is full of twists and turns, ups and downs, and is definitely a film you want to see on the big screen.

The storyline follows Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) who has found a home with the forest clan on the moon Pandora. He lives there happily with Neytiri (Zoe Saldana) and their four children until he realizes he and his family are in danger of being attacked by the humans, led by an old enemy, Colonel Quaritch (Stephen Lang). In order to protect his family and the lives of his people, they must leave their home and learn to live life away from the forest.

The CGI in this film is honestly one of the key factors that make this movie so engaging. The majority of the CG character animation is filmed with new motion-capture techniques using live actors, so the characters and various settings look so realistic. I especially like the vibrant colors of the underwater scenes. Watching the fighting scenes in 3D made me feel like I was part of the battle. The emotions the actors convey in this film are another component that makes this movie so good. When the scenes are intense, you can see the different emotions on their faces and in their body language. Whether it is anger, sadness, or determination, the emotions in the characters' voices help you get into what is happening. My favorite character is Lo'ak (Britain Dalton) because he is very relatable. He portrays normal teenage behavior, but also loves his family very much. Even though he gets into his share of trouble, when things go wrong, he tries his best to fix it in every way he can.

The message of Avatar: The Way of Water is that family is everywhere you go. Even though Jake and his family have to leave their home to stay out of trouble, they stick together. They help each other when times are tough and they always look out for each other, and sometimes have to risk their own life. Parents should be aware that this movie includes violence and some inappropriate language.

I give Avatar: The Way of Water 5 out of 5 stars and recommend it for ages 12 to 18, plus adults. You can watch Avatar: The Way of Water opens in theaters December 16, 2022.

By Giana N., KIDS FIRST! Film Critic, age 11

If you can believe it, Avatar: The Way of Water, the movie a decade in the making, tops the visual masterpiece of the original, Avatar. Be warned that this movie is a commitment as it is over three hours long!

Jake Sully (Sam Worthington), the human transformed into a Na'vi person, and his wife Ney'tiri (Zoe Salda�a) are back and now have four kids. With the unexpected return of the wicked Colonel Quaritch (Stephen Lang), who is brought back as a Na'vi impersonator along with his crew, the Sully's are forced to flee the forest and explore what other places on Pandora, their home planet, have to offer.

Since this is the sequel to the mega-hit film, Avatar, I recommend watching the first film before viewing this one, as there are many important references and details that are key to following this film. The storyline leaves us with some more questions than answers; however it sets up moviegoers for the next installments. Viewing it on a big screen, especially in 3D - which I recommend - makes you feel like you're right beside the characters in the world of Pandora. Speaking of Pandora, the world building is absolutely remarkable. It expands our view of this amazing foreign planet. And as the name suggests, it focuses on the islands, oceans and reefs of Pandora. The aquatic plants and animals are majestic and gorgeously iridescent. The reefs and oceans are eye popping and staggering. Everything is so glowy and vivacious. If you thought the animation of the original film was awe-inspiring, wait until you watch this one! The animation is hyper-realistic. When looking closely, you can see the ultra-detailed textures of the characters and settings. The movement almost looks like it is from a cut scene of a video-game (it's honestly the best way I can describe it). Stephen Lang's performance as the Colonel is so powerful, and makes you hate his guts even more than you did in the first film. Sam Worthington as Jake and Zoe Salda�a as Ney'tiri seem to have developed even better chemistry than in the first movie.

The message of this movie is to always fight to protect loved ones. This movie also has strong messages about the bonds with family and friends. Be forewarned that there is violence and violence involving animals.

I give Avatar: The Way of Water 4 out of 5 stars and recommend it for ages 12 to 18, plus adults. This movie releases in theaters on December 16, 2022.

By Katherine S., KIDS FIRST! Film Critic, age 14

I absolutely love Avatar: The Way of Water by James Cameron. It is suck a heartfelt and family film.

The story line starts back in Pandora following Jake (Sam Worthington) and Neytiri's (Zoe Salda�a) family - two boys and two girls, who are quite wonderful kids. We also see that some people have been turned into avatars. We also see that the "air people" are coming to Pandora to completely destroy it and make a new world for humans, since Earth is dying. You will have to watch it to find out what actually happens.

Although the film is very long, at over three hours, it's absolutely worth it. It is a very emotional movie and definitely will make you cry. The CGI is absolutely unbelievable and you actually think that the avatars are real, because they look so realistic. I cannot believe that Avatar is finally back on the big screen with this long-anticipated sequel. I have watched the first film many times and can honestly tell you that this film is even better than the first one. The characters in this film are absolutely amazing and the actors portray them so well. For example Zoe Saldana portrays the mom in a believable way; she really shows how much she loves her kids. She is definitely a loving mom because, even in the worst battles she decides to risk her life so her kids can have one. I also cannot believe that Susan Sarandon's portrayal of a 17-year-old, since she's 70. The plot has a lot of ups and downs and what puts you at the edge of your seat is all the fight scenes and battles they face as a family -- and they still stick together. The special effects are out of this world; I truly can't believe that they actually filmed the mob underwater -- that's actually crazy cool. It definitely left me wanting more with its cliffhanger ending.

The message of this movie is about how family sticks together, no matter what happens or who tries to come between you and your family. You should be aware that there is a lot of rough behavior, fighting and a lot of blood. We see people going underwater for a long time, so a kid might be tempted to try it on his or her own. The avatars aren't fully clothed, but you don't see anybody fully nude.

I give Avatar: The Way of Water 4.5 out of 5 stars and recommend it for ages 12 to 18, plus adults. It opens in theaters December 16, 2022.

By Miguel C., KIDS FIRST! Film Critic, age 14

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Jake Sully lives with his newfound family formed on the extrasolar moon Pandora. Once a familiar threat returns to finish what was previously started, Jake must work with Neytiri and the army of the Na'vi race to protect their home.