Top 10 Things You Missed in Avatar: The Way of Water

We’d recommend going into “The Way of Water” without checking the cast list. It’s more fun guessing which actors are hidden under the motion-capture technology. Kiri is the teenage daughter of Sigourney Weaver’s Grace Augustine. She’s the spitting image of a younger, bluer Weaver. We wondered where James Cameron found an actress who shared Weaver’s likeness, only to realize it’s actually Weaver playing Kiri. Cameron also reteams with Kate Winslet, although she couldn’t look or sound less like Rose DeWitt Bukater as Ronal. Ronal is married to Tonowari, played by Cliff Curtis, who ironically went from the Fire Lord in the live-action “Last Airbender” to being the leader of a water clan. Two Avatars, two elements, but we think Curtis is better utilized here.

While “The Way of Water” packs a lot into its 192-minute runtime, Jake Sully’s narration can only cover so much. The three-part tie-in comic, “Avatar: The High Ground,” offers more insight into plot points that are glanced over. The comics most notably fill in the gap between the humans’ return to Pandora and the time jump early in the film. It’s explored why certain Na’vi use guns now, why the Na’vi weren’t better prepared for human retaliation, and Neytiri’s strained relationship with Spider. The identity of Spider’s mother is also revealed to be an RDA pilot named Paz Socorro. On top of that, there’s more development for characters like Norm, who looks after Na’vi orphans, and background details on new characters like General Frances Ardmore.

Speaking of Ardmore, she’s played by Edie Falco, who’s best known for her Emmy-winning role as Carmela Soprano. Falco’s “Sopranos” roots may possess more significance than some might assume. At its core, “The Way of Water” is a story of family, with Jake and Neytiri torn between doing what’s best for their clan and what’s best for their children. Tony isn’t as honorable as our Na’vi heroes, but the theme of parenthood provides an unlikely link between the Sopranos and the Sullys. James Cameron even went as far as to say, “This is a family story like how ‘The Sopranos’ is a family story.” In addition to the Sopranos, Ardmore shares something in common with Miles Quaritch: both love sipping coffee while operating heavy machinery!

Miles Quaritch is back… kind of! While the first film’s Quaritch died via Neytiri’s arrows, his memories and personality were backed up, then uploaded to a Recombinant Avatar. Exploring the jungle, the Recombinant Quaritch comes across the remains of his former self. He picks up his skull and crushes it, which calls a few things to mind. This imagery can be traced back to “Hamlet” as the titular character reflects on “poor Yorick.” It’s also reminiscent of another Cameron film, “Terminator 2: Judgement Day,” which opens with a T-800 stomping on a skull. The action of crushing the skull could symbolize Quaritch destroying what’s left of his humanity or perhaps it’s a sign that this Quaritch will carve out a path different than his predecessor.

When Jake Sully arrives on Pandora in the original “Avatar,” Quaritch delivers a speech about not being in Kansas anymore. This is, of course, a nod to James Cameron’s favorite movie, “The Wizard of Oz.” Side note, the line is actually, “I’ve a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore,” but that’s the Mandela effect for ya. When Quaritch returns as a Recombinant in “The Way of Water,” he gets his troops pumped with a familiar line. It appears that Quaritch’s speech from the first film wasn’t a spur-of-the-moment thing. He just recycles the same speech before every mission. This leads us to believe that Recombinant Quaritch is going to be exactly like OG Quaritch. However, this Quaritch is more open to adapting and showing mercy. By becoming a Na’vi, he becomes more human.

Have you ever played a video game where you’re presented with what seems like a difficult choice, but then you learn that the outcome would’ve been the same no matter what? Spider finds himself in a similar situation during the climax. With Quaritch passed out at the bottom of the ocean, Spider decides to save his sort-of biological father. Even if Spider left Quaritch to drown, however, it wouldn’t have changed much. The RDA still has Quaritch’s personality and memories on a disk. So, if he dies again, they could just download Quaritch’s mind into another Recombinant. Maybe Spider’s compassion will inspire Quaritch to turn over a new leaf, but we could also see him picking up his revenge mission where he left off.

We love the smell of Na’vi in the morning. Kind of a missed opportunity that line isn’t in “The Way of Water,” as it shares a few connections to Francis Ford Coppola’s war epic. The opening where humans burn the forests of Pandora calls to mind the Vietnam trees being set ablaze in Coppola’s film. These two stories share parallels as well, both taking place on the water. As Quaritch hunts down Sully, Captain Benjamin Willard is tasked with assassinating Colonel Walter Kurtz, who abandoned the military to live deep in the jungle. On top of that, the idea for “Apocalypse Now” was conceived in 1967, 12 years before the film finally came to the screen. Well, Cameron spent 13 making “Avatar 2” a reality.

“Avatar” is about seeing things from different perspectives, or in Jake’s case, a literal different pair of eyes. The film thus ends with a close-up of Jake’s Na’vi eyes as his consciousness is transferred from his human body to his Avatar. “The Way of Water” also ends with the camera zooming in on Jake’s eyes, but that’s not the only way the sequel’s ending mirrors its predecessor’s. The first film sees Jake learn how to become a Na’vi, ultimately being accepted among the Omaticaya. In the sequel, Jake must adapt again, this time learning the ways of the Metkayina. Although Jake considers finding another home, Tonowari formally identifies the Sullys as members of the Metkayina clan. It’s all connected, much like the way of water.

Cameron’s reunion with Kate Winslet isn’t the only “Titanic” connection. In the spirit of that 1997 blockbuster, this film builds to a climax where the characters attempt to escape from a sinking vessel. While nobody freezes to death like Jack, one of our young heroes, Neteyam, dies during the chaos. Just as the villainous Cal makes it off the Titanic alive, Quaritch will live to see another sequel. Aside from these plot points, “The Way of Water’s” third act is structured and paced much like “Titanic’s.” How long is the climax in most movies? 15, 20 minutes? In both of these Cameron films, the final hour or so is basically the climax, delivering an epic set piece that justifies the lengthy runtime.

Perhaps the biggest mystery we’re left with is the identity of Kiri’s father. Based on everything we know, though, it could be that Kiri wasn’t conceived the old-fashioned way. Before passing in the previous film, Grace tells Jake that she’s with Eywa. Not long after, Grace’s Avatar gives birth to Kiri, who can feel Eywa and has a special connection to Pandora. It’s possible that Eywa gave Kiri life through Grace, calling certain religious figures to mind. Future films could see Kiri develop into a messiah, liberating her people from those who’ve taken their land. Kiri’s near-death experience also might be hinting at a sacrifice she’ll eventually have to make. For now, Kiri is still growing with her first swim being something of a baptism.