Avatar has finally received its long-awaited sequel, and James Cameron delivers yet again. The Way of Water continues the exciting story of Jake Sully and his journey with the Na'vi people. With Pandora growing ever more dangerous, The Way of Water develops in several directions and hops around the planet. However, Avatar set such a high standard that The Way of Water doesn't quite live up to.
While it's generally a worthy sequel, The Way of Water fell short of its predecessor. The sequel struggled to keep a good pace and didn't do its characters justice. Avatar just did better than its sequel in certain places.
9 There Was A More Concrete Introduction To The Story
As the first film set on Pandora, Avatar had the job of introducing viewers to a completely new world. The movie opened with Jack Sully, a marine who had only just arrived on Pandora through his avatar. Avatar perfectly placed the audience in Jake Sully's shoes.
This outsider perspective allowed viewers to truly immerse themselves in the world and learn everything as Jake did. Fans were also introduced to James Cameron's complex themes and messages. The Way of Water struggles with having a smooth introduction similar to Avatar's, in part due to its poor pacing.
8 Humans Were Much More Developed
As a sequel, it's expected that The Way of Water would spend less time developing existing characters. However, the humans on Pandora in the sequel are a completely different group with different goals and beliefs, which viewers are arguably only introduced to halfway through the three-hour movie.
Avatar spends a great deal of time emphasizing the dystopian, abusive nature of humanity, something that's vital to the film's events. The lack of additional development in The Way of Water is sorely felt, and as such, the humans feel more like generic movie bad guys. In Avatar, fans understood their motives and ideals, and they contributed a lot to the plot.
7 Jake Sully Had A More Central Role
Jake Sully is the main character of Avatar. He becomes the greatest leader of the Na'vi people to ever live in the span of two and a half hours. That said, he's also an utter badass and a very enjoyable character who makes up the core of the Avatar story.
With Jake's reduced presence in The Way of Water, something significant feels like it's missing. His family does a good job of filling the void, but Jake's lacking presence means there isn't one character to root for.
6 Technology Was Focused On More
One of the most exciting elements of Avatar was the humans' incredible technology. From the ability to travel to the far-off planet of Pandora to the mech suits and stunning aircraft, the humans boasted some impressive technology.
In The Way of Water, Jake Sully is an official Na'vi, which means the humans and their technology is much less focused on. As a result, one of the more exciting parts of Avatar is missing from the second movie, with many fans having fond memories of the massive gunships humanity deployed in the battle against the Na'vi.
5 The Pacing Was Better In Avatar
The improved CGI allowed the Na'vi to look more real in The Way of Water and allowed the audience to immerse themselves better in the story. However, The Way of Water has more convoluted pacing. While the story hops between different teams and locations like Avatar, the sequel doesn't do it as elegantly as its predecessor.
In the sequel, many new characters are introduced. This means that individual characters have limited screentime and there's not as much time to focus on the story, which The Way of Water has been criticized for. Avatar told a better, more straightforward story.
4 Individual Na'vi Are Developed
Since The Way of Water primarily focuses on new characters and avatars, it feels like the Na'vi have a smaller part in the story than ever, despite being the very core of it. Avatar spends much of its runtime following Jake and his journey to becoming a Na'vi.
Avatar only really focused on a few individual Na'vi. However, the sequel focuses on Jake's five children, Neytiri, and many clans. It feels like very few characters are done the justice they deserve. Unfortunately, this means that individual Na'vi people, the most unique part of the Avatar movies, have less focus.
3 Neytiri Deserved More Screen Time
Neytiri is the descendant of the last great Turok Makto. Neytiri is vital to the planet's defense and her species' continued survival, and her extensive screentime throughout the first movie solidifies her importance.
As a result, it's a shame that Neytiri's time onscreen is significantly reduced in The Way of Water. While she arguably redeems herself eventually, her absence throughout the story is notable. This is especially true considering that Neytiri is a titan among the Na'vi and a dominant presence on screen.
2 Avatar Had A Grand Final Battle That's Very Hard To Match
Avatar had a massive third act that showcased the vast military might of humanity on Pandora and a united army of Na'vi clans. It's a monumental event for both sides, and it sees everyone involved put everything into one final battle.
The final battle is one of the highlights of Avatar. It's an explosive culmination of the rising tension throughout the film. Unfortunately, The Way of Water has a far more contained third act, and while it is good in its own way, it just doesn't match the memorability of Avatar's final scene.
1 Avatar's Themes Were Interesting, The Sequel Just Repeated Them
Avatar told a fairly complex story that was bolstered by James Cameron's musings on imperialism, colonialism, and greed. While elements of Avatar have aged poorly, many more aspects have held strong and still have an interesting message even more than a decade later.
The Way of Water also tries to teach similar lessons. As such, it feels like a repeat. Avatar offered something unique, but The Way of Water doesn't add much to what was already established.