SPOILERS WITHIN

It was an ok movie.

So I went to watch it with my usual friend, T (and her brother K) and we went to the IMAX cinema. It had the reclining chairs and all that. Did we see it in 3D? No. I’m glad we didn’t because the film was so high definition I would have gotten a headache.

So we saw it in 2D and honestly visually it was still so good. You know when a movie hypes up special effects and then you watch the movie and it’s overhyped? That was not the case with Avatar 2.

It was so good that I forgot they filmed this with motion capture and that basically everything I saw on screen was SFX, CGI etc … except maybe the whale hunting scene and certain scenes here and there where I saw they made stuff for.

It looked good. Is what I’m trying to say. That was a good few years well spent.

The story however… it was weak.

There were moments where it just dragged and I wondered, why are we getting a tour of Pandora?

I love exposition and world building but even I felt they could have cut out a lot of scenes or drastically cut them down.

Also, when things got too peaceful I kept waiting for the other shoe to drop. Like I know man is going to pop up any time now.

Also, that general, Colonel Quaritch, coming back. I very much hate that storyline. I almost didn’t watch the movie when I found out. Let villains die and stay dead. In fact, he should have died this movie. I hate it when they drag it out and he keeps popping up like no! No one likes him (ok maybe some people do) let him die!

Side note: the villain lady General looked like she would have been way more interesting than Quaritch. She was much more sinister and much more willing to harm children. Also, they are building a city at an alarmingly fast rate. Plus, colonisers make my blood boil.

Why would Spider have such loyalty and attachment to Quaritch? It made no sense. Even the blue Quaritch told him, I ain’t your father I just have his memories. I mean Jake has been there for him and raised him more than this imposter.

You’re really telling me he would still side with that idiot after seeing him torch a village?

Fair enough, he’s scared of Neytiri but what about Jake or Kiri? Ain’t he more loyal to them? That made no sense.

Also, it made no sense that Jake ran. Mr. I-Ain’t-Got-Not-Chill. Mr. Meet-Me-Outside-How-About-That… is scared!

Real talk that first scene where they got kidnapped Jake could have killed them all but he didn’t because plot needed Quaritch and crew to survive. When Jake was first an Avatar he was loud and unfamiliar with the ways of the Navi, now he has become well versed and he snuck up on them completely silent! It was amazing.

Oh, yeah. His kids were there. If his kids weren’t there they would have all died because he’d have nothing holding him back.

But anyway my point, why did he run? And his reasoning made no sense in context of the film. So you want to save the forest Navi (Omatikaya) and you don’t want to bring danger to them but it’s perfectly ok to bring danger to the water Navi (Metkayina)? What?!

When they knew Quaritch had followed them why didn’t they leave the Metkayina?

If you want to show us the Metkayina’s home Mr Cameron just have Jake visit the lands as he did in the first movie like, “Hey, buddy… the sky people are back and we need your help.”

Like…

It was dumb.

Jake should have listened to Neytiri. Everything she said was right, except the stuff about Spider.

Another plot creator, my second fav child, Lo’ak. Jake was too harsh on him but it made sense as Jake is essentially a military dad.

I was mad that the one time Lo’ak was right they didn’t believe him AND that he let those children get away with attempted murder. Nah, they tried to kill him. I don’t care I’d snitch. I’d come back home like, “Yeah, they tried to kill me!”

It’s one thing to have a fight, it’s another thing to leave someone in the open ocean who you know is not a strong swimmer!

Justice for Lo’ak!

He did make a lot of dumb choices though, as much as I love him I can admit that but like I said, it was for plot. As my friend T said, without him there’s no movie.

My first favourite, Neteyam, my dear child. It was obvious they were going to kill him. That doesn’t stop me from being mad they did it.

I was with Neytiri one hundred per cent! She should have killed Quaritch again so his next clone got double the PTSD.

Spider would probably be scared of me too.

Is Kiri Jesus?

They should have left that baby Tuk at home, why they keep bringing her. So unrealistic of sibling behaviour. (Just looked up her character… she’s older than I thought. I was thinking five, sis is eight!).

My MVP though, my favourite part of the movie, the sea turtle whale aka a Tulkun called Payakan. I loved him. I was 100% invested in his life story. Like, “What happened?” Then “What happened?” “Nah, that’s messed up!”

It boggles my mind that for a people that listen to the Tulkun no one bothered to listen to him? Would the bodies also not have shown the damaged of a Tulkun attack if he had truly killed them? Also, did his fin still not have the spear in it?

It was only a matter of time before they killed an important Tulkun. Their, Metkayina, inaction made no sense to me.

I get that the Tulkun are pacifist but the water Navi were not… right?

Anyway, the moment when Payakan got his sweet, sweet revenge… it was beautiful. It was inspired. It was the best part of the movie.

Man said an arm for an arm and I was down with that.

The way he pretended to be vulnerable like, “Oh no, what would happen if you stabbed me right here in my soft belly?” then he was like “Psych! Now I have your boat.”

He’s a genius. This movie should have just been free willy. It was the most interesting part of the plot.

I did not like Kate Winslet as Ronal. People have been saying that Cameron consulted with Polynesians, as the Metkayina are heavily based on them, before making the movie. And I’m like cool, cast them in the roles then. Give them coin. Give them rep. Yeah, it’s not real (Pandora) but Winslet as Ronal. Nah.

Also, if we use the “It’s not real argument” to absolve a film from criticism then we can’t criticise any fantasy film ever made. I mean Star Wars is not real. It’s set in a galaxy far, far away. Most of the characters are aliens and the random humans that are there don’t associate with Earth at all. Earth is never mentioned. It is far removed from our world, technically, and yet has that stopped the movies from being criticised for its lack of diversity? No and rightly so!

Side bar: why are humans there? And why are they the central plot? Apparently Anakin is human soooo… I just don’t get why we rely on the Skywalkers so much.

Anyway, if we’re going to start saying it’s ok because it’s not real then we’re going to need to take a whole bunch of movies off the criticism table.

Apparently, it’s just me who thinks this though.

So, there’s going to be a third movie. In fact, there’s going to be a franchise. It did well in the box office so there’s nothing stopping them. Quite honestly, I am so bored of franchises. If the story was strong I would be interested but it’s not, so I’m not.

Ok, I’ll stop. I didn’t hate the movie. I’ve pointed out a lot of cons but overall it wasn’t so bad that I hated it. It was more it was an ok movie, with great visuals and a weak storyline. If the third movie strengthens its plot then that might save the franchise.

But when Jake and Neytiri die I’m going to stop watching (actually I’ll stop watching at three). I quite literally do not care about the new characters. I love his kids but I was here for Jake and Neytiri and you killed my first born so…