FILM: Avatar The Way Of Water 3D (dir: James Cameron, 2022)

"The way of water has no beginning and no end."

Thirteen years on from the box-office-record-breaking Avatar, Cameron unleashes the first of four proposed sequels.  The original film rode the crest of the late 2000s resurgence of 3D with its ambitiously immersive experience, and The Way Of Water uses 3D to similar effect here, with its opening act based largely in familiar jungle territory before moving on to more sea-based adventures.   It goes without saying that the technical level of CG effects on display is nothing short of astonishing, not just in its levels of scale and detail but also in delivering many truly beautiful moments that look incredible on the big screen and - like the first film - even though it mostly looks like the world's most expensive videogame, there are some truly almost-photo-realistic shots where you forget for a moment that you are watching computer-generated tall blue people with tails.  This is more of the same but bigger, with a number of familiar shots and story beats that echo the first film, but the two major differences both work very well: moving forward in time, Jake and Neytiri are now parents of four children (three teenage, one younger) who are engaging, integral to the plot and future-proof the series, and the move from the jungle to a sea-based people - with whom the Sullys seek refuge from a younger cloned version of Quaritch hell-bent on revenge - opens up a whole new palette and CG-playground.  The overall template remains the same: the first act is set-up, the second act is all about learning to adapt, and the third act is a barnstorming huge-scale action finale that is an extraordinary technical feat.  The Way Of Water feels more emotional than the first Avatar, probably owing to the big themes of family and acceptance having much more impact this time round, and whilst the second act may feel a little indulgent with its meandering but impressive set pieces, it is to the film's credit that it holds attention and engages for over three hours.  It will be interesting to see if this sequel busts blocks similar to the original in the post-pandemic box-office or if the numbers determine that the series concludes as a trilogy with the third film, but the set-up for Avatar 3 proves to be a welcome and enticing prospect.