Avatar: The Way of Water

"Return to Pandora."

2022 3h 12m EN

🙌

7.6

BANGER

🍅

76%

FRESH

👌

METACRITIC

⭐

7.5

IMDB

★7.6TMDB · 14,742🍅76%Rotten Tomatoes●67Metacritic★7.5IMDB · 601,100

ActionAdventureScience Fiction

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Set more than a decade after the events of the first film, learn the story of the Sully family (Jake, Neytiri, and their kids), the trouble that follows them, the lengths they go to keep each other safe, the battles they fight to stay alive, and the tragedies they endure.

“Return to Pandora.”

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Cast

Sam Worthington
Jake Sully
Zoe Saldaña
Neytiri
Sigourney Weaver
Kiri
Stephen Lang
Colonel Miles Quaritch
Kate Winslet
Ronal
Cliff Curtis
Tonowari
Joel David Moore
Norm Spellman
CCH Pounder
Mo'at

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: James Cameron
Writers: James Cameron, James Cameron, Rick Jaffa
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

At 192 minutes, this is a three-hour-plus commitment — longer than 95% of films ever made.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Budget of $460M — blockbuster tier. Only ~1% of films ever made reach this.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Made its money back 5.1× over at the box office.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Released 4 years ago.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

CINEMA

Did you know

Part of the "Avatar Collection" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

CAST

Did you know

281+ people credited in cast and crew — a small city's worth of labour.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by James Cameron, shot by Russell Carpenter. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Simon Franglen. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

James Cameron directs. Russell Carpenter behind the camera. Simon Franglen scores. James Cameron cuts. A long sit — settle in. Made its budget back several times over at the box office. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1At 192 minutes, this is a three-hour-plus commitment — longer than 95% of films ever made.
2Budget of $460M — blockbuster tier. Only ~1% of films ever made reach this.
3Made its money back 5.1× over at the box office.
4Released 4 years ago.
5Part of the "Avatar Collection" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.
6281+ people credited in cast and crew — a small city's worth of labour.
7Directed by James Cameron, shot by Russell Carpenter. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
8Original score by Simon Franglen. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
9Editor James Cameron shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
10Sam Worthington and Zoe Saldaña and Sigourney Weaver carry the top of the cast.
11Marketing tagline: "Return to Pandora.".
12IMDB entry: tt1630029 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
13The top-rated still from this film on TMDB has 7 community votes — a signal the frame composition stuck with viewers.
1414,742 TMDB user ratings logged — serious cultural footprint.
15Classified under 21 themes, including "dying and death", "loss of loved one", "alien life-form", "resurrection".
16Released under 73 different titles around the world.

The technical file

Cinematography: Russell Carpenter
Original score: Simon Franglen
Editing: James Cameron
Production design: Dylan Cole
Costume design: Deborah L. Scott
Makeup / hair: Michele Perry
VFX supervisor: Dan Cox
Sound: Gary Summers
Stunt coordinator: Garrett Warren
Runtime: 192 min · 3h 12m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Budget: $460,000,000
Box office: $2,334,484,620
Return: 507% of budget
Original language: EN
Certification (US): PG-13
IMDB: Avatar: The Way of Water (2022)
Rotten Tomatoes: 76% 🍅 Fresh
Metacritic: 67/100
IMDB rating: 7.5/10 · 601,100 votes
MPAA: PG-13

Awards

Won 1 Oscar. 74 wins & 153 nominations total

Academy Award for Best Visual Effects

Individual records documented via Wikidata; the summary above may count more.

Part of

Avatar Collection

The Avatar Collection tells the story of the world of Pandora, inhabited by the indigenous humanoids, the Na'vi. The main protagonist, Jake Sully, is sent to Pandora as an avatar—a hybrid of human and Na'vi. During his mission, Jake discovers the beauty and complexity of the Na'vi world and forms a deep connection with the planet's inhabitants. The collection focuses on the conflict between humans and the Na'vi and the struggle to save the world of Pandora.

Also by

James Cameron

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Trailers & featurettes

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Community reviews

What people are saying

The Movie Mob2022-12-16
★ 6/10
Avatar: The Way of Water follows in its predecessor’s footsteps with stunning effects and a mediocre story. It’s a James Cameron film, so it’s impressive. The special effects, camerawork, world-building, and action were all off the charts. But Avatar: The Way of Water struggles like its predecessor in the story and character development departments. In fact, the story of The Way of Water is almost identical to the first Avatar. Instead of humans learning to be Na’vi and then fighting Stephen slang, a family of forest Na’vi learns to be ocean Na’vi and then fight Stephen Lang. But the new movie also focuses on a group of annoying teens that constantly get themselves in trouble and peril over and over again throughout the much too long 3+ hour runtime and sidelining better, more established characters. All the strengths and weaknesses of the first movie are back in this one, with the bonus of being compared to the original at every turn. It really is a visual feast and special effects masterpiece, but just like the first Avatar, that’s all it is.
Manuel São Bento2022-12-17
★ 7/10
FULL SPOILER-FREE REVIEW @ https://www.msbreviews.com/movie-reviews/avatar-the-way-of-water-spoiler-free-review "Avatar: The Way of Water clearly sets itself apart from other blockbusters, building on 13 years of preparation to deliver a memorable CINEMA experience by the one and only James Cameron. A visually, technically breathtaking adventure, particularly in the truly stunning underwater sequences. Score (Simon Franglen) remains epic, and the genuine dynamics between the characters of the Sully family lead the viewer to strongly, emotionally invest in them - the performances of the cast, namely Zoe Saldaña, are vital for the film's success. Too bad the recycled, generic narrative doesn't keep up with the creativity, dedication, and innovation levels allocated to the technical elements. Underwhelming to the point of making the three-hour runtime feel heavier than it should, but for fans of the original - which remains supreme - it's far from ruining one of the year's must-see theater experiences." Rating: B+
tmdb452266272022-12-17
★ 8/10
An exciting return to Pandora: the world of Na'vi. One of the best movies, like 2009's Avatar, to see in 3D! The characters seem to come out of the screen and it seems to witness the events firsthand. The world of Na'vi has changed and is once again in danger. Man is the cause of evil as in reality. We are destroying our planet that used to be our Pandora. Pandora is our home, we are Pandora. The houses of the Na'vi look like the tents of the American Indians, for me this is no coincidence and recalls the genocide of the American Indians. In my opinion it is a good sequel that deals with very relevant themes such as love, family and mourning. The initial water monologue which then returns towards the end is very poetic and universal! Emotional film that in some parts makes you cry. I recommend viewing in 3D for those who have already seen the previous film and were fascinated by that amazing world and the protagonist's love and life story.