Source: Paul Walker on GoodFon.com https://www.goodfon.com/films/wallpaper-payakan-avatar-the-way-of-water-avatar-lo-ak.html

Avatar: Water.

My two cents on Avatar: The Way of Water

I am almost three years too late for this, but since the third installment of Avatar is coming out, I thought, why not. There are three things I will mention which I thought was not well executed in the story, two of which I will be talking further about how it could be done differently.

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I fell in love with the world building of Pandora. The introduction of the Omaticaya (forest tribe) was wonderful too. I was introduced to this clan with hierarchy and a primitive way of life, and I mean primitive as a compliment. They were offered technology, they simply didn’t need it. They got by just fine. They were skilled. There are many things to admire about the Omaticaya (or Na’vi in general) and Jake felt that too. That’s why he had a change of heart and became one of The People. paired with the visually stunning production, Avatar really managed to capture the hearts and minds of the audience, and I am part of that group.

The Way of Water is equally, if not more visually stunning (it is very blue, though). Unfortunately, this sequel took away many aspects of what I absolutely loved about the first Avatar movie.

1. Neytiri

She is a strong, steadfast, precise, “learn fast or die” sort of character, contrasting Jake’s clumsy character in the first movie. She took no excuses and cared for the Omaticaya immensely. She’s a strong fighter who could adapt well to various scenarios she gets caught in. Well, in the second movie… her character got shoved into the sidelines, whining and complaining about most things. Spider gets kidnapped, she complains about the possibility of his disloyalty. The Sully family moves to the Metkayina (water tribe), she complains about the water. While it is understandable that she is experiencing so much change around her, coupled with the shame of having to leave the Omaticaya (she also did try to talk Jake out of leaving) , it felt quite out of character for her to be complaining so much about the shifting grounds around her.

2. The Way of Water

The overall “moral” of the story here is delivered through the final arc. The way of water is brought up by Lo’ak, who guides his father (Jake) how to regulate and hold his breath underwater for the long dive to escape. While this scene is packed with various potential interpretations, I thought it could’ve been way better if they included the jumble of plot lines they have crammed into this movie, at least to make it more meaningful and… make use of the sub-plots they have already established.

3. Payakan and Lo’ak’s Bond

One of the movie’s major sub-plots was Lo’ak spending time and bonding with the Tulkun (whale) called Payakan. Through Payakan’s tragic backstory, Lo’ak learns that Payakan is an outcast as he violated the Tulkun way by acting out in anger against human poachers, an act that led to more Tulkun dying, besides his own mother. Being a plot line filled with emotion and meaning, it could have been used to drive the moral of the story forward, instead of it simply leading to Payakan helping to fight Quaritch and his team.

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That being said, one thing that I would love to change is to have Payakan and Lo’ak’s bond lead seamlessly to the moral of the story. Perhaps in this proposed flow:

Lo’ak learns about Payakan’s tragic backstory: how Payakan was cast out by the Metkayina and other Tulkuns after acting out in anger over his mother’s death and leading to the further killings of Tulkuns. After years of being alone and constantly reflecting on the past, Payakan realizes that his anger is not wrongly-placed, and that is actions are justified. While he understands that he broke the rules of the Tulkun way, he still seeks revenge for what was done to him and his family and friends, but has never gotten the willpower to act on it. As such, Lo’ak learns that some things just will not change, it will always be there, it just depends how you act upon it.

Through this, Lo’ak also realizes how the way of water applies to everything around him. Water is always adapting to its surroundings, and ever since moving to the Metkayina tribe, water is vast, and in the Metkayina village, you cannot see where the water ends. Wherever you go, there will be water. Being the more ostracized one in his family, Lo’ak struggles to show his father that he is capable, that he can be reliable when needed. he yearns to have his words listened to and his good work acknowledged.

Cutting to the end of the story, Lo’ak is incredibly regretful of his actions, and believes that it is his fault Neteyam, his elder brother, died. jake is quick to dismiss it and asks him to focus on getting out of their water prison. Lo’ak explains that it will be a long dive to escape, in which jake laments that he will not be able to make it, and gives up. Lo’ak teaches his father that the way of water, that he must adapt to changes, that he cannot simply give up and run away from his problems (facing Quaritch) as there is no visible escape from it. Furthermore, even if they were to run away from Quaritch, he will simply hunt them down again, thus making it more important for Jake ot face Quaritch and finish what had started there (throwback to the idea that where they are, water is vast and unending). Jake listens to his son and musters the courage and strength to escape with Lo’ak. Having his father listen and follow his instructions becomes a major turning point in the story, as Lo’ak finally gets the recognition he yearns for and deserves, thus making this a more meaningful way to tie the sub-plot and the main plot.

Thanks for reading!