Though it took an unusually long amount of time, James Cameron's anticipated sequel to the 2009 hit Avatar has finally hit theaters. Despite releasing over a decade apart, The Way of Water still feels like a nice return to the world of Pandora. Both films utilize innovative visual effects and motion capture technology, bringing a unique and stunning world to life in ways most audiences couldn't even imagine.
While both films have their own merits and are certainly close in terms of overall quality, it's inevitable that one will surpass the other, even if only slightly. Until Avatar 3 releases, fans will have to simply compare these two movies.
Spoilers ahead for Avatar: The Way of Water!
6 Story: Avatar
As amazing as the worldbuilding, visuals, and escapism are in both Avatar movies, one common criticism across the board is that both films feature relatively thin narratives. That being said, both Avatar and The Way of Water feature drastically different stories. The first Avatar introduces protagonist Jake Sully and the audience to the world of Pandora, where Jake slowly empathizes with the native Na'vi before deciding to join them in their fight against the human invaders. The Way of Water picks up decades later and follows Jake and his family going into hiding after being hunted, where they learn more about the world of Pandora.
As much as The Way of Water entertains, much of the film is relegated to setting up the sequels, expanding the universe, and establishing new characters. As a result, Jake and his family are rather passive heroes, with much of the plot happening in the film's third act.
The original Avatar drew comparisons to movies such as Dances with Wolves and Pocahontas, and while the overall plot isn't quite original, having a sci-fi spin on such classic tales makes for a new storytelling experience. Compared with The Way of Water, the original Avatar is much more plot-driven and focused on telling a complete story.
5 Characters: The Way of Water
In any action-adventure story, it's often the characters that draw audiences back for more. Both Avatar and The Way of Water have fun and sympathetic characters, making a decision between the two more difficult. The first Avatar introduced Jake Sully as well as Neytiri, who both appear prominently in both movies, making it more about the supporting cast.
Most of the supporting characters in Avatar are humans, or at least humans in the bodies of avatars. Trudy continues Cameron's reputation for writing in strong female characters, and Grace helps bring a sense of empathy towards the Na'vi from the human side of the conflict.
The Way of Water, however, focuses more on Jake's children rather than Jake and Neytiri. Since the narrative of The Way of Water takes more of a backseat, audiences are able to spend far more time getting to know Jake's children as they explore the world of Pandora, making them feel like fleshed-out personalities that audiences can empathize with as the franchise continues.
4 Worldbuilding: Avatar
While not making quite the same cultural impact as other franchises, Avatar has one of the most imaginative and inspiring alien worlds ever put to film. The first movie introduces the world of Pandora, and nearly every shot is a sight to behold. Audiences learn about the various creatures that inhabit the world as well as the wonderous environment, fully immersing fans into this new, beautiful, and bizarre world. That's to say nothing about the culture of the Na'vi, which is given such attention to detail to feel truly real.
Of course, The Way of Water has its fair share of lore to add to the Avatar universe as well. In the first movie, the other Na'vi clans are shown briefly, but fans learn little to nothing about how they differ from the forest-dwelling Omaticaya clan.
The Way of Water introduces the underwater world of Pandora, introducing even more new and breathtaking creatures and environments, as well as the Metkayina clan, showing fans how their culture differs from the Omaticaya clan. As interesting as it is, the first Avatar quite literally introduced the Na'vi and the entire world of Pandora, so it's hard not to crown it as the greater achievement in worldbuilding.
3 Visuals: The Way of Water
Both Avatar and The Way of Water have unique and awe-inspiring visuals of Pandora, which is one of the reasons why they can so easily immerse audiences into their fictional world. The first Avatar utilized revolutionary technology and an enormous budget to bring Pandora to life, and the result is a world that feels alive and gorgeous to look at.
Over a decade later, however, The Way of Water was able to capitalize on the original film's improved technology and an even larger budget to create an even more stunning display of visuals than Avatar.
Another advantage that The Way of Water has over Avatar is the fact that compared to Avatar, The Way of Water has very little set in human-designed locations, which look far more generic and militaristic. As a result, we're given a better opportunity to marvel at the visual design of the world, which is nothing short of amazing.
2 Innovation: Avatar
The Avatar franchise will forever change the way movies are made, and both offer sparks of inspiration for current and future filmmakers. The first Avatar helped revolutionize blockbuster filmmaking by taking advantage of the recently-developed technology of motion capture to realistically capture the performances of the actors portraying the Na'vi without delving into the uncanny valley. Cameron was also able to develop a virtual camera system, which allowed him to see how the visual effects would appear in real-time.
Even with motion capture now being used regularly, The Way of Water still pushes the boundaries of what filmmakers can do with the technology. Primarily the underwater scenes push the technology into uncharted waters, as The Way of Water is the first film to use motion capture while filming underwater.
On top of this, The Way of Water also generally sees the technology of the first film improved after over a decade of technological progress. However, it's hard not to go with the original Avatar for creating new technology that has changed the film industry forever.
1 Verdict: Avatar
Both Avatar and The Way of Water have their pros and cons, and The Way of Water is certainly an astonishing visual achievement in filmmaking. Considering the success of its opening weekend, The Way of Water is destined to make a splash on the filmmaking scene, lending just enough hype for the franchise's eventual third installment.
However, the original Avatar is what introduced everyone to this unique vision as well as its innovative technology. The Way of Water may have its moments, but Avatar changed the entire landscape of filmmaking for good, while also creating an exciting new world and telling a compelling story for audiences everywhere to enjoy.