Avatar was released in 2009 and 13 years later James Cameron has returned with the sequel Avatar: The Way of the Water. If you missed the original or have forgotten what it was about here is an extremely brief summary.

Pandora is a planet inhabited by the Na’vi. Former Marine, Jake Sully, is sent to Pandora to secure interests and study the planet. Jake is sent in an Avatar body of the Na’vi since the planet’s atmosphere is harmful to humans. Jake falls in love with a Na’vi woman, realizes his mission is bad and sides with the Na’vi and fights with the Na’vi to keep their home.

Avatar: The Way of the Water is very similar to the original Avatar in that the Na’vi’s home is being threatened from humans from Earth, now back to transform Pandora into a new home since Earth is dying. In addition, Jake’s nemesis from the OG Avatar has returned from the dead to settle debts. Jake now has a family with several children who he is desperate to protect so he takes them from the forest home they’d been living in to another Na’vi tribe that lives in the islands referred to as Sea People. Instead of keeping his family safe, he brings war to another area of Pandora that was somewhat peaceful.

Visually, Avatar: The Way of the Water is mesmerizing. There are many emotional aspects in the plot but big picture, the plot seems too similar to the original. Many sequels take the formula from the original and tweak it slightly and Avatar is no different. That being said, judged independently it is a solid action sci-fi drama. Unless you are a major fan of the franchise, you could probably wait for this one to come to one of your streaming services.

Recommended! Watch Trailer Here!