The Na’vi have come back, and in a bigger and better way. 

Avatar (2009) was extremely popular for its groundbreaking CGI and special effects the creators used, and Avatar: The Way of Water does not disappoint. Pandora was still a stunning view on the big screen. 

One thing that really impresses about Avatar: The Way of Water, is the introduction of new characters. The characters that really stand out are Neteyam, Lo’ak, Tuk, Kiri, and Spider. These are the children of the main characters Jake Sully and Neytiri. Spider, however, has the most interesting back story.

Spider is not a Na’vi, but a human. Jake Sully and Neytiri took him in as their own. Spider was on Pandora after the first war ended. Most of the humans went back to Earth, but Spider couldn’t because he was a baby at the time, and babies are too young for a Cryo-pod.

 Not only is Spider the only human, he is also the son of Miles Quaritch, the villain from the original movie. Throughout the movie he shows hate to his father, which is expected because of Miles Quaritch’s history with the Na’vi. However, towards the end of the film his character matures, and realizes that even though his father wasn’t a good man, he is still his father. Spider by no means shows love, but maybe a little bit of compassion. 

One other child that is different from all of the rest is Kiri. Kiri is the adopted Na’vi of Neytiri and Jake, and her real mother is Dr. Grace Augustine. Many recall her being fatefully shot in the first film, so how does she have a kid? Well, her avatar became pregnant somehow, resulting in the birth of Kiri. 

Neither Jake nor Neytiri know who Kiri’s biological father is, which is also interesting. Dr. Grace Augustine didn’t have a love interest in the first film, so that leaves fans wondering. Kiri goes through so much throughout the film, but stays strong.

Not only did Avatar: The Way of Water introduce all of the kids or Jake and Neytiri, but it also introduced a new clan, the Metkaynia. The Metkaynia live in a village by the water, and unlike Jake and Neytiri’s clan, they don’t go into the forest. Instead they use the water to their advantage. They have clearly adapted to living in and around the water because of their lighter blue skin, longer tails, and fin-like shapes on their arms.

One of the best things about Avatar were the creatures introduced, and Avatar: The Way of Water does not disappoint on this front. For example, the skimwing is  a new creature introduced. The skimwing is the water equivalent of a banshee. It has an alligator-like head and two sets of wings.

Another creature is the ilu. The ilu is a creature that many of the Na’vi can ride. It is easily domesticated, and is way simpler to ride than a skimwing. When Jake and his family first came to the reef they were taught to ride on the ilu first, then he and Neytiri were allowed to ride the skimwing. The kids however, had to stay on the ilu.

The villains of the story happened to be some familiar faces. Because of spoilers, I won’t mention their names, but they are exciting. The humans had figured out a way that they could stay in their avatar form, and have returned to Pandora. They have one goal, to kill Jake Sully because he ruined their plan in the first movie.

One way they try to get  Sully to come out from hiding is by attacking and killing the tulkun. The tulkun are the spirit brothers and sisters of the Metkaynia tribe. So, the humans and avatars who are hunting Jake Sully figure if they keep killing the tulkun, Jake and the Metkanyia tribe will eventually show up. Their plan works when Lo’ak’s tulkun is attacked. 

With the tulkuns being attacked, the Sully family and the Metkaynia must come together and attack. It is one of the best scenes in the movie. All of the Na’vi from the tribe and the Sully family come together. They are all riding their ilu and skimwing, Neytiri is on her banshee. It is one of the most memorable scenes of the movie. Seeing the Na’vi fight together like that, and ignore their differences, is really special. 

The end fight scene is intense and emotional.You could really feel how much Jake loves his family during those few scenes. Every person he fought or killed was to protect his family, and that is really special. Throughout the movie his bond with his kids really strengthened, and this solidified that bond. Sam Worthington and Zoe Saldaña really add to the emotion in the fight scene. They are amazing actors, and really portray their characters so well.

Of course, this movie ends on a cliffhanger, which means audiences have to wait until 2024 to see Avatar 3. But if it is anything like the last two movies, it will be worth it. Avatar: The Way of Water is an amazing movie, and probably one of the best movies that came out in 2022. If you are a sci-fi and action/adventure fan, then this is the movie for you.