AVATAR: THE WAY OF WATER, Nostalgia and Adventure Expectations in the World of Pandora

Kapanlagi.com - Writing Team: Aretha Naurah Aureliaputrie, Anak Agung Anindita, Syahla Aina Maghfirah
Editor: Umar S.Sjadja'ah

At the end of 2009, the Hollywood film world was presented with James Cameron's film AVATAR. The film, written, produced, and directed by the TITANIC film director was first released on December 10, 2009 in the UK and was developed in 1997, right after Cameron finished TITANIC.

However, the issue of technological sophistication became the biggest issue in the production of this film. The audience certainly remembers the sophistication of the beautiful and realistic visual effects. Indeed, Cameron waited until animation and visual effects technology could fulfill his vision, namely through motion capture technology which at that time was newly developed, about a year before.

In addition, Cameron also had to develop another thing: the language used by the Na'vi alien clan. This Na'vi language was created by a linguist, Dr. Paul R. Frommer, with the request that the Na'vi language should be easy to pronounce but not sound like a human language. As a result, Dr. Frommer created around 1,000 words.

The plot of the AVATAR film is set against an energy crisis in 2154 due to excessive consumption of Earth's natural resources. In addition to Earth, the film is set on Pandora, a moon that orbits a fictional gas planet named Polyphemus. On Pandora, there is a dense forest and a toxic atmosphere for humans, but also a valuable mineral called unobtanium.

The title of the AVATAR film is named after the hybrid creature technology of Na'vi and humans called avatars, which are made according to the genetics of the humans who control them. The avatars can explore Pandora without worrying about its toxic atmosphere, so the Resource Development Administration (RDA) uses these hybrids to mine unobtanium. They set up a base on Pandora named Hell's Gate.

 

Frommer, only requested that the Na'vi language should be easy to pronounce but not sound like a human language. As a result, Dr. Frommer created about 1,000 words.

The plot of the film AVATAR is set against an energy crisis in 2154 due to excessive consumption of Earth's natural resources. In addition to Earth, the film is set on Pandora, a moon orbiting a fictional gas planet named Polyphemus. On Pandora, there is a dense forest and a toxic atmosphere for humans, but also a valuable mineral called unobtanium.

The title of the film AVATAR is named after the hybrid Na'vi-human creature technology called avatar, which is made to match the genetics of the controlling human. Avatars can explore Pandora without regard for its toxic atmosphere, so the Resource Development Administration (RDA) uses these hybrids to mine unobtanium. They establish a base on Pandora called Hell's Gate.

 

1. What Happens in AVATAR Movie?

Credit: Twentieth Century Fox (via imdb.com)

A former marine, Jake Sully, replaces his deceased twin brother as one of the avatar operators in charge of protecting the Avatar Program's leader, Dr. Grace Augustine, and other scientists, Dr. Norm Spellman, in establishing relations with the Omaticaya clan despite his own paralysis. Initially, Dr. Grace does not allow Jake to join because she needs his twin brother who has a PhD and training for the mission in Pandora, but he is eventually allowed to become their protector.

On his first mission as a protector, Jake's group is attacked by one of Pandora's native animals called a thanator, causing him to be separated from his group. He is saved by a Na'vi woman named Neytiri. Because she received a sign from the clan's deity, Eywa, Neytiri takes Jake to her clan's home where her mother, Mo'at, as the head spiritual leader of the clan, instructs Neytiri to prepare Jake to become a part of the clan.

While sleeping, Jake's consciousness is returned to his human body at Hell's Gate, and he tells his experience to Dr. Grace and other personnel. Colonel Miles Quaritch, the head of RDA's security forces, makes Jake their informant about the Omaticaya clan and their home, Hometree, which stands above the area with the richest unobtanium deposits in Pandora. Quaritch also promises to restore Jake's paralyzed legs.

Now, Jake's mission is to find a way to make the Omaticaya clan move from Hometree - if necessary, by force. Jake is given three months because the bulldozer that will mine unobtanium will arrive at that time. Dr. Grace suspects Quaritch of manipulating Jake, so she moves herself, Jake, and Norm to another position on sacred Omaticaya land.

 

2. Jake Falls in Love Until...

Credit: twitter.com/RottenTomatoes

For three months, Jake spent time getting to know the Omaticaya clan's culture and training with Neytiri, where they fell in love. Jake also began to develop sympathy for the Na'vi. After Jake's initiation ceremony into the Omaticaya clan, he and Neytiri became a couple.

Jake openly supported the Na'vi and opposed Quaritch's attempt to invade the Omaticaya land when he tried to stop the bulldozer from destroying the Na'vi's sacred land around Hometree. As a result, the Na'vi declared war on RDA, and Quaritch ordered the destruction of Hometree.

Jake and Dr. Grace asked for more time to negotiate with the Na'vi so that they could evacuate Hometree. Jake confessed to the Na'vi that he was originally an RDA spy, which led to him and Dr. Grace being imprisoned. Fortunately, Mo'at freed them. At the same time, Neytiri's father, who was also the clan leader, was killed, and Jake and Dr. Grace's consciousnesses were forcibly returned to their human bodies and imprisoned with Norm, who tried to stop the RDA forces. An RDA pilot, Trudy Chacón, who disagreed with Quaritch's methods, freed Jake and Dr. Grace, but Dr. Grace was shot by Quaritch. Unfortunately, the attempt to transfer Dr. Grace's consciousness to her avatar body failed, and she died. Jake returned to his avatar body, and he regained the Na'vi's trust by connecting his consciousness with Toruk, a highly respected predator of the Omaticaya clan. With the help of Pandora's animals, which were launched as Eywa's response to Jake's prayer, the Na'vi managed to push the RDA forces away and kill Quaritch. Jake, along with some other humans like Norm, chose to stay on Pandora. At the end of the film, Jake permanently transferred his consciousness to his avatar body.

As a sequel, AVATAR: THE WAY OF WATER is also written and directed by James Cameron. This time, Cameron is assisted by Josh Friedman, the writer of the film WAR OF THE WORLDS and two TERMINATOR films, in writing the script. AVATAR: THE WAY OF WATER will be released in December 2022, more than 10 years after the premiere of AVATAR and several delays. The film AVATAR: THE WAY OF WATER will be produced by James Cameron and Jon Landau, as well as 20th Century Studios.

 

3. Who Will Appear in AVATAR: THE WAY OF WATER?

Credit: Disney/20th Century Studios (via imdb.com)

Sam Worthington and Zoe Saldana will reprise their roles as Jake Sully and Neytiri from the 2009 film sequel, along with CCH Pounder as Mo'at and Joel David Moor as Dr. Norm Spellman. Even actors like Matt Gerald will return as Corporal Lyle Wainfleet, although his role is not as significant.

In addition, it has been confirmed that Michelle Yeoh and Kate Winslet will portray two new characters, Dr. Karina Mogue and Na'vi diver named Ronal. Oona Chaplin is also known to play Varang, a character with a significant role in all AVATAR sequels.

Through leaked set photos of AVATAR: THE WAY OF WATER, it has also been confirmed that Stephen Lang and Sigourney Weaver will have roles in this sequel film even though their characters have died in the first film. However, Cameron said that Quaritch will be the main antagonist in all of these film series.

This has sparked speculation about how Quaritch will be reintroduced in this sequel and how he will survive until the final film. There is a possibility that Quaritch did not actually die in the first film, or someone revived him with Avatar technology.

 

4. What Will Happen in AVATAR: THE WAY OF WATER?

Credit: twitter.com/RottenTomatoes

In an interview with RNZ upon returning to New Zealand, Jon Landau said that in this sequel, Jake and Neytiri have started a family and have three children: Neteyam, Lo'ak, and Tuktirey. A conflict arises in their home, forcing them to leave Hometree and seek out another Na'vi clan who, unlike the Omaticaya clan who live in the middle of the jungle, live on the coast.

Aside from that brief summary, there is no further information about the conflict that will arise in this sequel. What is certain is that this film still only covers half of the AVATAR film series, which is full of the beauty and wonder of a world different from our own.

Cameron officially introduced the sequel title for AVATAR (2009) as AVATAR: THE WAY OF WATER. The film is scheduled to be released in theaters on December 16, 2022. According to ET on Wednesday (4/27), Cameron unveiled a first look at Avatar at the CinemaCon event in Las Vegas, Nevada.

 

 

 

5. KapanLagi.com Survey via Social Media

Credit: Personal Documentation

To get responses from fans, we conducted a survey that was distributed through social media. More than 85% of respondents answered that they have watched or heard about the movie AVATAR, so only 14% of respondents have never watched or heard about the movie. This is understandable as the movie has been around for a long time and has quite a lot of fans.

Of all the respondents, only about 71% knew that the movie AVATAR: THE WAY OF WATER (written as AVATAR 2 in the survey) will be released this year, so about 28% of the remaining respondents did not know about the movie's release schedule. When they found out that AVATAR: THE WAY OF WATER will be released, about 64% said they will definitely watch it, while about 35% said they might watch it and no one answered that they will not watch it. However, when asked if this sequel will be as popular as the first movie, exactly 50% of respondents said maybe, about 42% said yes, and 7% said no.

Whether or not the movie AVATAR: THE WAY OF WATER will be popular does not seem to be a big issue. For fans, this movie series has had a significant impact on their experience as moviegoers. When asked about the most memorable thing in the first movie and predictions for the conflict in the second movie, fans enthusiastically gave their opinions.

 

6. Infographic

Documentation KapanLagi.com

"I quite like it because the combination of fantasy and sci-fi themes creates a unique blend in terms of narrative," answered a respondent when asked about their impression of the first film.

"Maybe they will delve deeper into the Na'vi world, and like the first film, address issues of colonialism and the environment," another respondent answered about predictions and expectations of conflict in the second film.

How about KLovers? Are you ready to watch AVATAR: THE WAY OF WATER this December? Do you have your own theories about this conflict?

 

(kpl/ums)