Set more than a decade after the events of the first film, Jake Sully and Neytiri have formed a family and established a life of peace. However, when an ancient threat resurfaces to finish what was previously started, they are forced to leave their forest home and seek refuge with the Metkayina, an oceanic clan. As they navigate the dangerous waters of Pandora and learn a new way of life, the Sully family must fight a difficult war to keep each other safe and stay alive.
Information |
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Language |
English |
Country |
United States |
Premiere date |
December 16, 2022 |
Running time |
192 minutes |
Genre |
Sci-Fi
Adventure Action Fantasy |
Budget |
$250,000,000 |
Box Office |
$2,320,250,281 |
Crew |
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Directed by |
James Cameron |
Produced by |
James Cameron Jon Landau |
Written by |
James Cameron Rick Jaffa Amanda Silver |
Music by |
Simon Franglen |
Cinematography |
Russell Carpenter |
Edited by |
Stephen Rivkin David Brenner John Refoua James Cameron |
Production Co. |
Lightstorm Entertainment |
Distributed by |
20th Century Studios |
Top Cast |
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Official Trailer |
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Movie Collection |
Movie Order: #02 in Avatar Collection
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The Plot
Peace in the Forest and the Return of the Sky People
More than a decade after the expulsion of the RDA, Jake Sully lives a peaceful life as the Olo'eyktan of the Omatikaya clan. He raises a family with his mate Neytiri, including their sons Neteyam and Lo'ak, their daughter Tuktirey, and Kiri, their adopted daughter born from Grace Augustine's comatose avatar. The children grow up alongside Miles "Spider" Socorro, a human boy left behind on Pandora because he was too young for cryosleep. While Jake accepts Spider "like a stray cat," Neytiri remains distrustful of the boy due to his lineage as the son of Miles Quaritch. Despite his origins, Spider rejects his human heritage, painting blue stripes on his skin and embracing Na'vi culture.
In 2168, during a date night, Jake and Neytiri spot a new star in the sky, realizing with horror that it signals the return of the humans. The RDA returns in force with an armada of ten interstellar vehicles. As they approach Omatikaya territory at dawn, the ISVs use their massive plasma engines to decelerate, intentionally creating a devastating firestorm that incinerates a 20km radius of the forest and its wildlife. As the landing modules deploy thousands of troops and massive construction machinery, Jake and Neytiri watch helplessly from a mountain peak as their home is invaded once again.
Project Phoenix and the Guerrilla War
One year later, the RDA has rapidly constructed Bridgehead City, a massive coastal fortification. A new ISV delivers Project Phoenix, a squad of Recombinants (Recoms)—avatars embedded with the memories of deceased human soldiers. Among them is a clone of Colonel Miles Quaritch. Upon awakening, Recom Quaritch is shocked to find himself in a Na'vi body and reacts violently until calmed by Recom Lyle Wainfleet. He later watches a video log recorded by his human predecessor before the Battle of the Hallelujah Mountains, informing him that while he has the original's memories, he does not remember his death. Human Quaritch advises his clone that if he is dead, Jake Sully is likely responsible.
Meanwhile, Jake leads the Omatikaya in a strategic guerrilla campaign to disrupt RDA supply lines. During a raid on a maglev train, Jake's sons, Neteyam and Lo'ak, act as spotters. The raid succeeds in derailing the train, but Lo'ak disobeys orders to scavenge weapons, forcing Neteyam to cover him. An RDA Kestrel gunship arrives, injuring Neteyam in the ensuing firefight. Jake rescues his sons, furious at their recklessness. Back at High Camp, a hidden stronghold in the Hallelujah Mountains, the family tends to Neteyam's wounds. That night, Neytiri reminds a stern Jake that they are a family, not a squad, though Jake admits his harshness stems from the fear of losing them.
The Hunt Begins and the Capture
General Frances Ardmore, commanding the RDA forces, tasks Recom Quaritch with bypassing Pandora's "immune response" to hunt Jake Sully. Exploring the forest, the Recom squad investigates the old Site 26 link shack. Coincidentally, Jake's children—Lo'ak, Kiri, Tuk, and Spider—are nearby visiting the battlefield. Lo'ak leads them to the shack, where Recom Quaritch discovers his own human skeleton inside an AMP suit, crushing the skull in a moment of grim realization. The Recoms detect the children, leading to a skirmish where the kids are captured. Quaritch recognizes Spider as his son.
Jake and Neytiri launch a rescue mission. Utilizing the forest cover, they ambush the Recom squad. Neytiri kills Recoms Fike and Walker to protect Kiri, while Jake eliminates Recoms Warren and Brown. Neteyam, disobeying orders again, joins the fight to save his mother, killing Recom Zhang. While the Sully children are rescued, Spider falls behind and is recaptured by Quaritch as the Recoms retreat. At Bridgehead, the RDA attempts to torture Spider for information using a NeuroSect machine. When that fails, Quaritch tries to bond with Spider, offering him a place at his side. Spider eventually agrees to help the Recoms tame banshees, though he refuses to betray Jake's location.
Exile to the Reefs
Realizing that his presence endangers the Omatikaya, Jake makes the difficult decision to leave the forest. He passes the mantle of Olo'eyktan to Tarsem and takes his family into self-imposed exile. They fly their banshees across the ocean to the remote village of Awa'atlu, home of the Metkayina reef clan. They are greeted by the clan chief, Tonowari, and his pregnant wife, Ronal. Ronal is initially hostile, mocking the Sully children's "demon blood" due to their five fingers, but Tonowari invokes the custom of sanctuary, allowing them to stay.
The family struggles to adapt to the aquatic way of life. Kiri discovers a deep spiritual connection with the sea, while Lo'ak is bullied by Tonowari's son, Aonung, and his friends. Lo'ak befriends Tsireya, Tonowari's daughter, who helps them learn to swim and ride ilus. Tensions rise when Aonung tricks Lo'ak into venturing to the territory of a dangerous akula predator. Lo'ak is nearly killed but is saved by Payakan, a lone Tulkun (a sentient whale-like creature) who is an outcast from his pod. Lo'ak bonds with Payakan, removing a painful harpoon from the creature's fin, and learns that Payakan is misunderstood, having been cast out for attacking whalers who killed his mother.
The Tulkun Hunt
Recom Quaritch, having tracked the Sullys' flight path to the archipelago, commandeers the SeaDragon, a massive whaling vessel captained by Mick Scoresby. They brutally raid island villages, burning the homes of the Ta'unui clan when they refuse to give up Jake. Quaritch then orders the whalers to hunt Tulkuns to draw Jake out. The crew ruthlessly hunts a female Tulkun named Ro'a—Ronal's spiritual sister—and her calf. They kill her to harvest amrita, an anti-aging enzyme worth millions, leaving the rest of the carcass to rot.
When the Metkayina discover the slaughter, they are enraged and prepare for war. Lo'ak links with Payakan to reveal the truth of the Tulkun's "crimes," showing that Payakan only attacked the RDA to defend his dying mother. Despite this, Lo'ak is scolded by Tonowari. Learning that Payakan is being tracked, Lo'ak rushes to warn his friend, followed by his siblings and Tsireya. They find Payakan at the Three Brothers rocks but are ambushed by the RDA. The children are captured and handcuffed to the railing of the SeaDragon, used as bait to force Jake's surrender.
Battle at the Three Brothers
Jake, Neytiri, and the Metkayina warriors arrive to confront the RDA fleet. Quaritch demands Jake's surrender, and Jake agrees to save the children. However, Payakan, seeing Lo'ak in danger, launches a surprise attack, leaping onto the SeaDragon and crushing the crew. In the chaos, the Metkayina attack. Scoresby attempts to harpoon Payakan, but the Tulkun severs the cable, ripping Scoresby's arm off and sending him flying into the ocean. Spider, taking advantage of the confusion, sabotages the ship's controls, causing the SeaDragon to crash onto the rocks and begin sinking.
Neteyam boards the sinking ship to rescue his siblings. He frees Lo'ak, Tsireya, and Tuk, but Lo'ak insists on saving Spider. They successfully extract Spider, but during their escape, Neteyam is shot in the chest by Recom Wainfleet. The family retreats to a rock islet, where they frantically try to staunch the bleeding. Despite their efforts, Neteyam succumbs to his wounds, dying in his parents' arms. Overcome with grief and rage, Neytiri enters a berserker state. Jake, realizing they cannot run, decides to finish it. They return to the wreckage to save Kiri and Tuk, who have been recaptured by Quaritch.
The Sinking Ship and the Final Duel
Jake and Neytiri storm the capsized vessel. Neytiri slaughters the remaining human troops with brutal efficiency, while Jake engages the Recoms. They work their way to the moon pool, where Quaritch holds Kiri hostage at knifepoint. In a tense standoff, Neytiri grabs Spider and threatens to kill him in retaliation. Quaritch calls her bluff, but when Neytiri cuts Spider's chest, Quaritch relents and releases Kiri. The two fathers engage in a brutal hand-to-hand fight as the ship fills with water.
Jake manages to choke Quaritch into unconsciousness, leaving him sinking into the depths. Jake himself is nearly drowned but is saved by Lo'ak and Payakan. Meanwhile, Kiri uses her connection to Eywa to summon bioluminescent sea creatures to guide Neytiri and Tuk to safety. Spider, exploring the wreckage, finds the unconscious Quaritch. Conflicted, he saves his father from drowning, dragging him to shore. When Quaritch awakens and asks Spider to join him, Spider silently hisses in rejection and rejoins the Sully family. A devastated Quaritch calls for extraction alone.
A New Home
In the aftermath, the family holds a traditional Metkayina funeral for Neteyam, committing his body to the sea where it is absorbed by the Spirit Tree. Jake informs Tonowari of his intention to leave to protect the clan, but Tonowari refuses, declaring that the Sullys are now Metkayina: "Your son lies with our ancestors." Accepted fully into the clan, Jake vows to stop running and to make his stand against the RDA here.
Later, Jake and Neytiri link with the Spirit Tree to visit Neteyam in the spirit world. They find him young and happy, unaware of his death. Jake shares a tearful, peaceful moment with his son, while Neytiri watches from afar, weeping. The film closes with Jake's internal monologue, reaffirming his resolve: "This is our fortress. This is where we make our stand."
