The Reel Rejects - AVATAR: THE WAY OF WATER REACTION – THIS MIGHT BE THE BEST-LOOKING MOVIE EVER
Episode Date: March 24, 2026CATCHING UP BEFORE FIRE & ASH!! Avatar: The Way of Water Full Movie Reaction Watch Along: / thereelrejects Visit https://huel.com/rejects to get 15% off your order Gift Someone (Or... Yourself) An RR Tee! https://shorturl.at/hekk2 With James Cameron's AVATAR: Fire and Ash winning a Best Visual FX Oscar at this year's Academy Awards + AVATAR: Fire and Ash grossing OVER A BILLION DOLLARS, TAaron returns to give their AVATAR: The Way of Water reaction, recap, analysis, breakdown, & spoiler review! Aaron Alexander & Tara Erickson react to and review Avatar: The Way of Water (2022), the visually groundbreaking sci-fi epic directed by James Cameron (Titanic, Terminator 2: Judgment Day, Avatar). Set over a decade after the original film, this sequel expands the world of Pandora with a focus on family, survival, and the deep connection between the Na’vi and their environment. Follow Aaron On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/therealaaronalexander/?hl=en Follow Tara Erickson: Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@TaraErickson Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/taraerickson/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/thetaraerickson Intense Suspense by Audionautix is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/... Support The Channel By Getting Some REEL REJECTS Apparel! https://www.rejectnationshop.com/ Follow Us On Socials: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/reelrejects/ Tik-Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@reelrejects?lang=en Twitter: https://x.com/reelrejects Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheReelRejects/ Music Used In Ad: Hat the Jazz by Twin Musicom is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Happy Alley by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/... POWERED BY @GFUEL Visit https://gfuel.ly/3wD5Ygo and use code REJECTNATION for 20% off select tubs!! Head Editor: https://www.instagram.com/praperhq/?hl=en Co-Editor: Greg Alba Co-Editor: John Humphrey Music In Video: Airport Lounge - Disco Ultralounge by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Ask Us A QUESTION On CAMEO: https://www.cameo.com/thereelrejects Follow TheReelRejects On FACEBOOK, TWITTER, & INSTAGRAM: FB: https://www.facebook.com/TheReelRejects/ INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/reelrejects/ TWITTER: https://twitter.com/thereelrejects Follow GREG ON INSTAGRAM & TWITTER: INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/thegregalba/ TWITTER: https://twitter.com/thegregalba Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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I've seen this once before, but this is Karras first time watching this. So that's very exciting.
and yeah, let's go.
Without further ado, let's head back to Pandora.
Let's do it.
All right, you guys, we have just finished Avatar,
the way of water.
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In addition to that, you can also join our conversation post-reaction in our review portion
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And yeah, have a good old time doing so.
So without further ado, we're to give our quick thoughts and then jump straight into the
questions.
Tara, this was your first time watching this film.
How do you feel coming out of it?
I liked it.
It definitely was an experience.
I understand why people would probably be like,
you've got to see it in the theater.
I think it was a little too long,
but I still liked it.
Okay, the reason I say a little too long,
there's some stuff when like,
when they're going in the fight and the subs
are dropping down, I'm like, oh, I felt like
I've already seen this.
I did, though, however,
understand them taking their time and showing us like the way of water and then living in it in day
and night. All those shots were absolutely breathtaking. I totally understand that.
Finally when we got to like the end of it, the meat of it, I, because I needed that to like speed up
and I needed vengeance. It was like taking too long and it was like too hurtful for me to see
the animals being hurt and we had to see it multiple times, which I didn't like. But
you have to set us up that way, take us to like the dark night of the soul so that when we get our payback
and feels really good. And it did. And I was glad that that happened. I do like that we got to
dive in deeper into like the kernel and then the sun part and obviously we're seeing the way that
solely lives and now that they are see people. But them growing a family was really nice to see.
but it's like sad for Niteya, right, to be taken away.
I still thought that this movie was very entertaining,
had heart could be about an hour shorter,
and we would still, I feel like,
get the experience and the full story, right?
I'm not saying cut out the good stuff.
I'm just saying, it's a long one,
and I don't think it needed me.
that long. That's all I got to say.
Yeah, okay. I feel you. I feel you. You know, this was not my first time watching,
but my first time watching it in some time. And I kind of come out feeling a similar way
that I did to the first time I saw it. But I have greater appreciation for the film. One,
just kind of watching in the reaction format we've done, but also coming fresh off of the first one.
I also liked it.
There are things that I really enjoyed about it, like the visuals look incredible, the way that
James Cameron is able to really establish a detailed world.
And you can tell this is something that's lived in his head for years because of the
amount of details.
And from big to small, from world building to the mythology of how this place works, it's all
very um very very thought out and very um methodical and that said um i feel as though what detracts
the movie for me is because there is so much love for the the world he's created i feel like
the in-depth character stuff kind of takes a back seat though there is character that there is
heart we don't really get to know our family unit as deeply
as we could have.
And I feel like because of the amount of time spent on the world and the vibes,
I feel like it undercut some of the drama of what's being presented.
Like the oldest son, we didn't really get to know him at all.
We didn't spend any time with him.
And that moment could have been crushing for us.
Had we?
It could have destroyed us.
Yeah, totally.
But yeah, he was just sort of there to play off of the younger son's arc and kind of build him up and then sort of use him.
as the
I don't think
it's the
divider point
but he was
the good son
and
uh
loak was the
you know
the outcast son
or the
the rebellious son
right
so I felt like
if we would have
given equal care
to all of our
our kids
and our adults
because Jake and
Tiri sort of
felt like side characters
in this movie
the kids kind of
took center stage
and I feel like
if they were
to really invest
in all of our kids
and
our family unit, all the stuff would have hit harder.
Not to mention the stuff with
the kernel and
Spider. I felt like the stuff they did in the beginning was really
interesting because it was this sort of
I don't think game's not the right word, but he starts
to go and it's like, okay, if we're going to do this, we're going to do it
Jake Sully's way because if we think like them, then we can better track them.
And then he goes and does his whole ritual of getting
the dragon or the bird.
I thought that was cool.
And I think it would have been a cooler arc to
have it be more emotionally
divisive because he's
one caught on his mission
and what he was sent here to do
while simultaneously falling in love with the world
himself and him being caught between
those two desires. I feel like that's where they
felt like they were starting to go.
But they kind of dropped that because we spent a lot of time
focusing on the stuff with the whales.
And then he was just full till
bad guy by the end.
So I feel like I would have liked a little bit more emotional complexity, which is what they seem like they were leaning towards at the beginning.
Yeah, we just didn't get it.
And you see some of that at the end because he finally is endeared to Spider.
But I feel like if the plot spent more time building up that bond through the middle of the movie, it would have been more emotionally conflicting by the time we get to the end.
Yeah.
But yeah, but I still think that obviously he intended this to be a long series.
And, you know, we still have another movie to watch after this.
but some of those things that I was missing from a character and heart perspective were what held it back for me from being fully enveloped into our core cast here.
But that's my quick thoughts.
Hopefully the next one kind of brings me in a little bit more emotionally and we get more stuff given the fallout of what we just witnessed.
But yeah, without further ado, let's jump into our questions.
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Sydney.
Thanks, Sydney. I'm sending out a question.
One of the most beautiful parts, one of the most beautiful
small details I really loved was
that Natam looked a lot like his mother
and Lelok looked a lot like his father. I understand that
it can be frustrating when a child
doesn't listen often, if at all.
But I always feel like Tohawk
feel for
talk throughout the movie due to his
how harsh Jake comes off
as to him. It's not
that he isn't harsh to
him, but it isn't as intense.
Was there something that you notice
throughout the movie? Yes, no matter how
many times I rewatch it, the
Tolkien mother and the calf being
hunted hurt so deeply
and I cry consistently. And
was over the moon at Pai Khan getting his revenge.
Yeah.
Yeah.
I'm with you.
And yeah, I mean, you had already called it out.
You were like, oh, he's like, he's not being nice to, you were like, he's been harsh to, uh, Natayayam the whole time.
Or I say his name.
Uh, that's why I yelled.
Loak.
He's been harsh.
I'm sorry.
I met Loak.
Uh, the younger son, because he's been nice.
The older one.
That's why I yelled out when he.
he finally is on
Payacon and he says
I see you to Loak. I was like
finally because I
felt for him in that
moment and yes
that was super
hard for me to watch. It's a
token mother in the cat.
Like that
they let it go on a little too long for me
like if that was rough for me to like watch
and I hated it and so the
payback was very sweet.
Yeah yeah
It was pretty intense.
We didn't see that guy die,
but so I imagine he'll be in the next movie.
But yeah,
I didn't really notice the fact that Natam looks like Natiri,
but it makes sense.
I didn't either, really.
But I saw that Loak looked like Jake.
Yeah.
Yeah, that wasn't something I particularly picked up on,
but the thing that's an interesting observation,
and I think part of it is because we spent so much time with,
without Loak,
and he does have elements and shades of his father in him
And maybe that's why he's more harsh to him.
And, you know, he wants better for him because he sees potentially his greatness.
And this is my own head canon kind of rationalizing what the story didn't necessarily flesh out.
But I feel like hopefully in the next movie they have a closer relationship because he finally says, I see you.
And hopefully that means like, I see you for who you are and how you are and how you operate.
But, yeah, I didn't notice the visual computer.
parisans but i think that's cool and you know if i ever decide to watch away water again or yeah i'll
keep out i'll look out for that thanks sidney appreciate the question all right the next one jane roads
i know these movies have a fan base but i'm a small minority of people who just don't like these
movies i think they are three-hour bore fest they do nothing for me don't get me wrong they're
very beautiful movies to look at but when that's all you have to show me for three hours i could
have spent my time doing something else i'm curious if you all agree or disagree and what's y'all's
favorite James Cameron movie. Mine is Terminator 2 by a landslide. That's from
Jaden Rhodes. I think it's a little, can be a little slow at times. I feel like James Cameron
spends a lot of time and again, like I said, in the pre-review portion, enveloped in his world
and his creation. I feel like because of that, it can be a little lacking in character and
heart. Even though that, you know, it's, all of the heart is in the visual presentation, not necessarily
in the dialogue or how the characters connect to one another, but how he, how the characters interact
with the world in and of itself. And that's where a lot of people probably feel connected to it,
but I feel like for myself, I'm someone who likes character journeys and who likes character
relationships because if we invest in those character relationships, that makes the stakes that much
higher. Because we didn't spend a ton of time on that or the ratio from world-building
and the character's relationship to the world
rather than the relationship to each other
was in balance.
It sort of, I wouldn't say
it left me feeling hollow,
but it definitely left me feeling
a sense of emotional
nourishment.
For sure, I was emotionally nourished,
undernourished by this movie.
But still entertained, nonetheless.
Yeah, I get that.
I feel like once PyCon came through
and we had, you know, that relationship
with him and
Leoke
Leop was the younger son.
Yeah, Loak.
Lowok. I'm trying to like remember names.
That's when it
sort of picked up for me. But anyway, I
understand, Jaden, that you were bored.
There were sometimes when I was like,
this is really beautiful. I get
it. But I was
wondering when it was going to pick up
because I felt like the pacing in the beginning of the movie,
I called it out, we're really moving, we're grooving
here. And then it really slowed down. I get it to show us the beauty of the way of water,
from the darkness to the light that you breathe in, you breathe out. The sea is everything.
I understand that. I feel like, yeah, maybe there was a little too much time spent on that
and not the character building so that when we obviously lost Natam, when we have that beginning
moment where he's held up, and then he dies. Like, I don't.
definitely was not, you know, brought to tears by that moment. And I think I should have for this
type of a film and what they're trying to, I would assume, pull out of us. So I kind of agree
and also disagree. I mean, there's really good parts of this movie, but there's also parts
that I'm like, you could have made us, I think, feel a lot more. And I think the pacing could
have picked up and you could have lost some shots that I understand James Cameron is probably
thinking I'm absolutely not going to show the audience this bioluminescence shot where it looks like
they're glowing underwater. I get it. Some of these shots were probably very precious and fought
for but I feel like people could have come out of this movie if it was like two hours and been like
wow, that was a ride versus it taking longer than I feel like it should have.
Yeah, look at my favorite James Cameron movie.
I was just going to say probably the Titanic, but I'm with you on Terminator 2.
I didn't want to say the same thing.
Terminator 2 is great.
Aliens was a lot of fun though too.
So I'm choosing between those.
Yeah, he's doing a lot of stuff, obviously, in the last number of years.
Here's, Titanic is great.
True Lides is a lot of fun.
True Lides is a great one.
That's a good pick.
Yeah.
Do you prefer Way of Water or the original Avatar?
The original.
Yeah, I'd probably agree with you that.
I feel like the original Avatar
had a good balance understanding
Jake's arc as a character,
but also involved in showing us this new world
we had not to experience.
For sure.
And their love story, I think, was also really sweet.
Yeah.
But, yeah.
Thanks, Jaden Road. Appreciate your question.
Jay Russian, what up, Jay?
A question, who is your favorite character?
I really like Tuk-Took. So cute.
Tuck.
Yeah, but I kept calling her Tuk-tuk.
Tuk's cute.
But Pai-Con is my favorite.
I love Pai-Con so freaking much.
And the fact that he gets so pissed,
underwater. Like he starts
just messing up the coral
and I'm like dang he's so mad and I
thought he was going to call in
all of the other
uh, Toulux or whatever they're called
but he just took care of it
and he took he he got his
vengeance paid out and I enjoy
him so so much. Yeah.
Oh man it
it sucks. I have a couple people in mind
but I feel like and as much
as the stuff with a
pie con was great. I feel like if we spent more time
with the tribe themselves
rather than the stuff with them
training. It would be
a much tougher decision.
But because we only really
spent time in depth with a couple
of characters, it's really between for me
Lowoc
and Keri.
And I feel like Keri was largely a set-up
character for three because we
see her connect
and then have a vision with her mom and like
who's my dad and has a seizure.
So I feel like that's something that's going to be paid off later.
But that's the most really in-depth stuff we get.
But I feel like I was attracted to the idea of someone who is so in tune with their feelings in the earth that the rest of the world doesn't understand it.
I really like that.
But also I like the outcast aspect of Luwok.
Mowoc.
So, yeah, I think both of them are kind of tied for me as for my favorite character.
Those are good because, like, Tuk-Took didn't really.
She didn't do much.
She was just, like, adorable and cute.
So I loved her.
I think that, yeah, for the character choices, I agree with you.
There's not much to choose from if we're really choosing a character was, like, written really well that we got to know.
It would be probably those two.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Well, you guys, that is our reaction review for The Way of Water.
Let us know your favorite character, your favorite part, and which one of these movies is your favorite.
So, until next time and our next trip to Pandora, be well.
Have a good one.
Mwa.
Duceus.
