Let’s first take a look at the franchise so far. Moviegoers and critics generally agreed that 2009’s Avatar pushed the technological envelope to such new and innovative heights that it was called a game-changer. The tardy sequel, Avatar: The Way of Water, maintained the eye-popping visuals but didn’t come along until 13 years later, in 2022.  

This one picks up where that one left off, and yes, again it’s prime eye candy. But here’s the rub: It assumes – no, demands – that you be totally familiar with the story so far, including all the plot twists, characters and motivations. Dazzling is fine but it’s not the same as memorable. I’m not a betting man but I’d put down a few quid against you or your friends being able to recall much about this derivative, repetitive film other than, “Colorful” or “I liked the whales.”

So it’s the best CGI that $400 million can buy. But look at it as a corollary to mankind’s fatal failure to match its technological wizardry with the wisdom necessary to survive it. It’s three-plus hours of very loud air and sea battles, most of the dialogue is yelled, and there’s the usual too-much gunplay and killing. Any message about colonization or the environment is drowned out by the din. 

The franchise’s waning novelty allows us to see how thin the plot was in the first place. The (too many) stories and dropped plot lines are narratively frustrating, and the script is a touch, well, dumb. It was hard to recognize who the good guys and the bad guys were, and worse, difficult to care. I felt punished by the time the credits rolled around. Director James Cameron reportedly has two more of these in the hopper, but I’m done here. (197 min)