*AVATAR 1 SPOILERS AHEAD*

Avatar 1: Recap

     In the first incredible movie, we are introduced to the world of Pandora, where the Na’vi live. The environment of this planet is poisonous to human life, and Na’vi hybrids, who are known as Avatars, had been created by scientists in order for human life to be able to explore this beautiful planet. Dr. Tom Sully was one of the participants in the Avatar program and had an Avatar made for him. Unfortunately, Tom Sully was killed, and his twin brother Jake, a paralyzed former Marine, was able to take his place in the program. As Jake enters Pandora, he is now free and mobile, since it’s his twin brother’s Avatar. As Jake explores this new world, Neytiri, the daughter of the Omaticaya clan leaders, finds him and is about to kill him. However, a sign is sent by Eywa, the tribe’s biological sentient, which guides the force of life to Pandora. This sign causes Neytiri to take Jake back to the tribe, and Neytiri is told to teach him their ways to become one with the Omaticaya. 

     The reason for the Avatar program is because the Omaticaya are settled right on top of a fictional resource called “unobtainium,” an element that does not exist on earth that sells for $20 million per kilogram. Jake is originally sent to Pandora to try and peacefully move their civilization, so the Resource Development Administration does not have to kill them in order to reach the unobtainium. He is given 2 months to do so, and if he fails, the RDA would come in with their machinery and destroy until they reach the unobtainium. During his mission, Jake falls in love with Neytiri and her planet, and betrays the RDA by siding with the Omaticaya. Jake eventually runs out of time, and the RDA does not wait to take action. They destroy their home base, killing hundreds of them. Jake had previously been imprisoned for the “sky people’s” arrival being his fault, but is freed after promising to help them. After the loss of Neytiri’s father, Jake takes his place in leading the Omaticaya into battle and temporarily defeating the RDA. In the closing scene, we see Jake’s consciousness being permanently transferred into his avatar, officially becoming one with Eywa and the Omaticaya. 

Avatar: The Way of Water

     15 years later, the Sully family has expanded. Their son, Neteyam, who is 15 years old is the older brother to Lo’ak, Tuktiery, and adopted sister Kiri. Kiri’s biological mother is Dr. Grace Augistine, founder of Pandora, who died in the first movie. At the beginning of the film, viewers find out that Miles Quaritch, chief of security at the RDA, was killed in human form by Neytiri. But an avatar was created with his DNA and memories, giving him another chance to hunt down Jake Sully, after his great acts of betrayal. When Jake finds out that the sky people have returned for his children, he convinces Neytiri to leave the clan and forest in order to save themselves and to protect the Omaticaya. They end up with the water-dwelling Metkayina, a clan like the Omaticaya, except they have expertise in the water, not the forest. Just like Jake previously was, they are welcomed into the clan and are to learn their ways. 

    As the Sullys learn to adapt to their new “home,” Quaritch is rummaging through Pandoran tribes trying to find them. He has his so-called son Spider to help guide him, since he was abandoned and grew up with the Omaticaya. Quaritch knows that he’ll find Sully because he knows his strategies, since they both come from similar military backgrounds. With the intention of dragging Jake out of hiding, he kills a pod of Tulkans, who the Metkayina consider their soul siblings. He also manages to capture Jake’s children, taunting them at gunpoint, forcing Jake to surrender himself in exchange for their lives. 

The rest of the film is made of action, fighting, sacrificing, and killing. But it all wraps up in an ending that I personally enjoyed and left a lot to be explained and looked forward to in the next movies. I enjoyed the entire 3 hours and 12 minutes of this movie and I am very excited for what’s to come in 2024.

Box Office 

DOMESTIC (30.1%)

$521,106,779

INTERNATIONAL (69.9%)

$1,209,800,000

WORLDWIDE

$1,730,906,779

Domestic Distributor: 20th Century Studios

Domestic Opening: $134,100,226

MPAA: PG-13

Running Time: 3 hr 12 min

Genres: Action Adventure Fantasy Sci-Fi

Predictions for Movie 3 (SPOILERS)

     Since Spider saved Quaritch after he was unconscious under the ship, he’s still out there and it wasn’t revealed where he ran off to. He’s definitely going to be back with another army, and I think Jake and the family will end up fleeing “home” again and having to find another clan to hide in. 

     As the kids are training, learning the way of water, we see that the process is a breeze to Kiri, as if she has been there her whole life. Since she is the biological reincarnation of Grace, who was previously connected directly to Eywa, she adapts to the Metkayina effortlessly. I think in the next movie we will see a lot more of Kiri and discover more of her special abilities. 

     After Neteyams death, Jake and Neytiri bury him with the ancestors of the Metkayina in their Tree of Life. I know this is a reach, but since he’s connected with Eywa now, if he potentially is brought back to life, he would ideally have the same abilities as Kiri. 

I also believe that Lo’ak is special, since he forms a close bond with an outcast tulkun, Payakan. Their relationship is already a key factor in this movie and I think it will likely be revisited.

     Eventually Jake and Neytiri are going to die. But If one of the parents were to die sooner than later, I think it will be Jake while obviously trying to protect his family. I think in one of the next films we will dive deeper into Neytiris’ mind and life instead of Jake’s.