By Yaseen Fawzi

Set sixteen years later on Pandora, "Avatar: The Way of Water," the sequel to James Cameron's sci-fi juggernaut, follows Jake and Neytiri as they raise their children (Kiri, Neteyam, Lo'ak, Tuk, and adopted human son Spider) whilst also balancing their responsibilities in leading the Na'vi.

When a new threat, an avatar made from the DNA of the deceased Quaritch, emerges, however, they are forced to fend themselves and join forces alongside the Metkayina to build up a strong enough army for protecting their very home.

The time and effort it has taken Cameron in getting this sequel completed have paid off, with the visual scope of Pandora being expanded to greater heights and feeling more immersive. As with the first film, 3D is the ideal situation in which to view this follow-up, seeing as how it was completely built around that.

From the flora and fauna surrounding Pandora itself to the tattoos on various Na'vi, the look of everything is luscious and highly detailed in its color palette. The underwater photography in particular is luminous and seeing it in 3D just adds to that feeling, combined with the sight of the whale-like creatures known as the Tulkun.

Of course, the story itself is fairly predictable and many of its beats are identifiable, and yet, it is all still relatively straightforward in its character archetypes. Nearly all of the original cast return, along with new faces, including Kate Winslet, Cliff Curtis, Jemaine Clement, and Edie Falco.

Sigourney Weaver is brought back into the fray, this time as Jake and Neytiri's teenage daughter, Kiri, and it is remarkable seeing all of her mannerisms captured so subtly in this performance.

As an example of storytelling, "Avatar: The Way of Water" is somewhat basic, yet as an experience, it is just as immersive, if not more so, than that of its predecessor.