Avatar: The Way of Water

Special effects spectacular!

I went to see Avatar: The Way of Water at an imax theatre because there really isn’t any other way to see this movie and do justice to the visual extravaganza. Literally stunning! The world that was created in the first Avatar movie was mind-bendingly beautiful. I wanted more of the same, which is why I went to see The Way of Water. I got what I went for and more! This movie delivered, and more.

I am awed by people’s creative minds and skills. I can’t say that I have ever been so overwhelmed by beauty in my life before. If you know me, you know that I love things that are so much more than we have in the real world. This is even more than more. I felt personally wounded when spaceships landed and destroyed the land and everything around them. I felt enraged at the hunting and wanton destruction. The hunt and way of obtaining amrita was so offensive to me. I truly was one with the world of Pandora

I loved Payakan, the Tulkun outcast. In my heart, the real me, does not believe in pacifism, and I loved that he took action whenever needed, despite his species nature. I did have a little flashback to the movie Orca from the late 70’s! I loved the character of Neytiri, even though I didn’t like her much. She was so feral and brutal. It really felt authentic to me. I love it when characters will fight to the death for what they love and for what is right.

I was a little annoyed that Sigourney Weaver’s original character was brought into it after her dying in the first movie. They didn’t really need that. I sort of get it - having a spiritual vision of your mom, but nope, not really. It just seemed wrong for me. It was a little blip for me in the movie that I could have done without. But, I dO think it was masterful the way that Sigourney Weaver played Kiri (a teenager!) was really impressive. At first I thought, oh look, they managed to get Kiri to look just like Sigourney Weaver. I was really shocked to discover it actually WAS HER!

I had heard that there were reviews on this movie that bemoaned the lack of plot. Well, sure thing, the plot isn’t very involved, but for god’s sake, this isn’t meant to be a mind bender like Interstellar! I loved it.

After the movie, I came out feeling like I had experienced something truly special.

As an addendum, I do want to say though, that some days after the movie, when thinking about it, I felt a lot of shame. I felt shame for humanity, because so many of us, and as a collective, we are as we are portrayed in this film. Ravagers, destroyers, driven by things of lesser value than nature, justice etc etc - you know it all already. It got worse than that, for me. I then felt personal shame, because I know, hand on heart, that I cared for the imaginary world far more than I care for my own. I learned some things about myself, and my own values, watching this film.