Reviewed by Ken Carman

    OR Instead of The Way of Water maybe the idea of a sequel to Avatar should have been left at “Water Over the Bridge?”
    It took SO long, and now Bob at The Strand tells me there will be three more, ending with 5 in 2028? Considering how long it took this time I wish them luck.
    Or do I?
    Without revealing too much they bring a few characters back in unbelievable ways. Yes, I get it that the whole thing is unbelievable. But SciFi-ish unbelievable. And what once was SciFi unbelievable becomes fact, just different. We may not have Trek starship to planet and back communicators, but we have even better planet-based cell phones, Dick Tracy watches and recent science theory may help us get around the light barrier.
    Should be seen on the big screen. The 3D is nice, though not necessary. Seems they have been playing it safe with 3D for quite a few years now. I remember things jumping out at the audience when 3D first came out.
    No, my problem with the movie is not “a” problem, but many problems. Avatar the original didn’t use a poor, cheap, attempts to tug at family heart strings. What is this, The Brady Bunch gone blue? They didn’t bring people back who died in even weirder ways than sucking a dying soldier’s essence into an avatar. They did find a part of the planet we didn’t know existed and focus in on that. Interesting, but no one goes back to try to save the land-based beings?
    These are minor complaints. I could have dealt with it, or even the fact they basically gutted the first one and haphazardly transplanted them into a herky jerky sequel that has a long slow segment in the middle. One character who has been living on the planet and adapting to the natives adapts quickly to different natives? Hey, he’s gotten good at adapting. I get it. But the villain who never seems to adapt to anything acts as if he suddenly has super adaptability abilities? Good grief, Charlie Blue Guy Brown.
    Literary license gone a little mad.
    But I finally had it when they saved a character that shouldn’t have been saved. It was so obvious Deus ex machina; marionette string pulling, just so they could have a sequel. I get why he was saved. I just think (no spoiler inserted here), there was no need for it. In fictionland villains come easy. Think of Diehard, Lethal Weapon, even in Star Trek they didn’t do what made their villains have more luck than Jesus. I can’t explain the Jesus reference, except the Jesus story is miraculous because God, miracles, etc. No divine intervention here. This story is miraculous so THAT THEY CAN MAKE MORE MONEY.
    Apparently, this Cameron cash cow is blue.

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Welcome to Our End of the New movie reviews. One poster: don’t bother. Two posters: eh, OK, but a lot of problems here. Three: Good movie, just at least one problem. Four: very good. Five: if you don’t go you’re missing out. Added comments at the end: “you could wait for it to come on TV,” “best seen on the big screen” and “good for all screens,” unless other comments are added, refer mainly to the nature of the movie such as special effects, incredible sound or scenery that might make it best seen in a movie theater depending on your set up at home.