Of all the streaming services out there, Disney+ is the one with the most unified catalog. For the most part, the stuff on there falls into a few big buckets. If you don’t like animation, Star Wars, or Marvel, it can be easy to feel like nothing on Disney+ is for you.
If you’re looking for a major blockbuster that’s well worth your time, Avatar: The Way of Water is an excellent option. The movie, which became one of the highest-grossing in history when it was released in 2022, is a sequel to the first Avatar, but it’s not the kind of franchise where every entry is required viewing. Here are three reasons you should check it out:
It’s one of the most stunning movies ever made
Have you ever looked at the CGI in a movie and wondered why corporations spend millions of dollars to make their projects look terrible? If so, Avatar: The Way of Water might be for you. The movie was undoubtedly expensive, but every one of those dollars is on the screen.
Director James Cameron seems to be the only person alive who actually understands how to make CGI look good, and he uses it to create an entire underwater world in The Way of Water, further expanding on the wonders of Pandora that viewers were treated to in the first movie. There are many CG elements in The Way of Water, but it feels like a real, wondrous, lived-in world.
Its story beats are refreshingly broad and basic
Cameron’s directing instincts favor big and broad emotions, which makes his movies sometimes feel a little bit basic or cheesy. What’s also true, though, is that The Way of Water never winks at the audience.
It’s a thoroughly earnest movie about a family trying to protect one another as they discover a new part of their world. The movie feels like a bit of a throwback, but it’s hugely refreshing in an era when every major franchise feels the need to tell the audience that they’re in on the joke.
It features some remarkable performances
Almost every principal character in The Way of Water is a Na’vi, meaning all of the performances were done through motion capture. Once again, Cameron proves he understands this technology better than anyone else alive.
Zoe Saldana and Kate Winslet are particular standouts, two actresses who seem to understand how to emote inside of technology that fundamentally transforms their performances. Every actor is good, though, including Sam Worthington, who was pilloried for his lack of success following the release of the first film.
Stream Avatar: The Way of Water on Disney+.
