James Cameron’s newest film, “Avatar: The Way of Water,” is an action- packed film that is not only scenic with a heavy emphasis on production, but also clever and heartwarming.

By Taylor Kelley

News Editor

James Cameron’s newest film, “Avatar: The Way of Water,” is an action- packed film that is not only scenic with a heavy emphasis on production, but also clever and heartwarming.

“Avatar: The Way of Water” is phenomenal because of its extreme action scenes as well as its astonishing cast of incredible actors that completely transform the setting. The movie is a sequel to the sci-fi movie “Avatar,” released in 2009.

The cast includes Sam Worthington as Jake Scully; Zoe Saldaña as Ney’tiri; Ja mie Flatters as Neteyam; Britain Dalton as Lo’ak; Trinity Bliss as Tuk; Sigourney Weaver as Kiri; Jack Champion as Spider; Stephen Lang as Miles Quaritich; Cliff Curtis as Tonowari; and Kate Winslet as Ronal.

At the beginning of the movie, viewers find out Jake Sully and Ney’tiri have created a family and are working hard to remain together. However, when “sky- people” (humans) threaten their family, they must leave their home and people to remain safe. They explore the regions of Pandora and find safety with the Avatars who live at the reefs. When an ancient dan- ger returns, Jake and his family must battle a brutal war against the humans.

Released on Dec. 16, this film is a box office hit. According to Variety, the film has made over $2.02 billion as of Jan. 22, becoming the sixth film to ever cross $2 billion worldwide.

Some members of the original cast from the 2009 “Avatar” returned to perform on screen in the most recent release, giving viewers a sense of nostalgia from the first film.

“Avatar: The Way of Water” has provided joy due to authenticity just like the first, all while creating new creative levels like adding a new setting, Pandora. “Avatar: The Way of Water” is centered around the familial relationships of the main character, while at the same time, fascinating viewers with incredible underwater scenery.

The film was released an astonishing 13 years after the original film. Filming took over five years, according to time.com. According to screen rant, director Cam- eron did not want to rush the process. It is well-known that the “Avatar” projects are sincerely personal to Cameron, and he wanted everything about the film to be perfect.

According to the New York Times, the CGI of the film illustrates a recent mile- stone in the development of special and visual effects technology: underwater capture. The performance capture tank was built in Manhattan Beach and was 32 feet deep with over 90,000 gallons of water. The visual effects company behind the project was Weta FX. “Avatar: The Way of Water” was the largest project the organization has done, and only two shots in the film contain no visual effects.

The cinematography of this film was beyond exceptional and vastly improved from the original film. The technological advancements in this film created a memorable experience for viewers.

“Avatar: The Way of Water” is a must-see, featuring gifted actors and script- writers, an entertaining plot, captivating relationships, and fabulous computer-generated imagery. It is unmistakable that the cast and crew put tremendous effort and devotion into this film, which undoubtedly illustrates the must-see film.

“Avatar: The Way of Water” was released on Dec. 16 and is available in all showing theaters.