When to go to the bathroom during Avatar: The Way of Water

All things about The Way of Water Avatar Our bladders are being pushed to the limit. For one thing, the movie is more than three hours long — that is a LotFilm. And for another, it’s all about water. The movie has a lot of water. There is running water, water splashing and water running. As you sip on your large multiplex-upsized soda you may feel that the water is coursing through.

So assuming you aren’t waiting months to see it at home, when is the best time to pee during Water’s Way? The answer depends on why you’re actually in the theater. You might be watching Avatar for an amazing tour through Pandora and other new locations. You might prefer the sci-fi sequences and tightly choreographed action. We’ve curated some options based on what parts of the movie you actually want to watch, in as spoiler-free a way as possible. The sections are listed first, then the ranked ones within them.

[Ed. note: Some slight spoilers for Avatar: The Way of Water follow.]

If you don’t want to miss Avatar 2’s action scenes…

Image by 20th Century Studios

…you can do without the long, lingering scenes of characters just hanging out in Pandora spaces — save it for when you go to Pandora – The World of Avatar in Disney’s Animal Kingdom! Here are some of the more gratuitous landscape panoramas you can do without if you’re prioritizing James Cameron’s brand of bombast:

3. All of the beginning

Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) catches the audience up on what’s been going on in the past 13 years or so since the first Avatar movie, and he introduces all his kids. But you do have three hours of movie to learn who these kids are, so Jake’s tl;dr summary at the beginning can be skipped. If you slurped up your entire slushie during the previews, don’t worry about missing any important information during the beginning. It’s probably not the best option. This happens too early and might be unnecessary. If the villain of the film has appeared, it is best to stay put.

2. The whales’ return to the cove

The reef Na’vi have deep bonds with the tulkun, a species of intelligent alien whales. About 45 minutes in, the pod of tulkun return to the cove. All the reefers rush to meet them. It’s very cute, but it’s also a bunch of swimming and whales talking, so it’s an OK time to slip out and take a piss. Before and after the watery meet-and greet, there are more significant tulkun scenes.

1. The Sully family masters water (badum tss).

About an hour into the movie, after meeting and settling with a clan of reef-dwelling Na’vi, the Sully family’s next task is to acclimate to ocean life. Thus begins a long sequence where the various family members learn to bond with Pandora’s sea creatures, hold their breath for a very long time, and swim around. It is incredibly gorgeous, but if you don’t want an extended guided tour of the local wildlife, it’s the perfect opportunity to slip away to the bathroom. Just after the Sully leader has officially welcomed the Sullys to their land, get up and walk out. When you return, it’s likely that the Sully family will still be holding their breath, so you won’t have missed much. This scene lasts a long time, so it’s the perfect moment to step out, use the bathroom, and maybe grab another soda while you’re at it.

If you’re all in on an Avatar sequel for the Pandora tourism…

Image: 20th Century Studios

…then step out during some of the fight scenes, because there are a lot of them, and they’re long! These are action scenes that can be skipped if you’re looking for a more scenic Pandora tour.

3. Two children are handcuffed and taken to the boat by their parents

No spoilers, but after some of the Na’vi kids get cuffed to a rail on a boat, a bunch of cool action stuff happens — that doesn’t yield any actual consequences for the story. Here’s the best part. It is really Long battle sequence. You might find the two boys still stuck to the rail after you get back from the restroom. It could also be two other kids who are cuffed on a different rail. There are many children who have been cuffed on rails.

2. Extended destruction of Na’vi villages

A chunk of movie where our villain burns down Na’vi villages is brutal and slightly repetitive. It is obvious that the Avatar characters are a bunch of assholes and that their leaders want to exact revenge. So when you see our main villain arrive at one of the reef clans, all you’ll miss is a bunch of yelling and carnage that hammers home an established message. Go pee!

1. Whale hunting

One point, Capt. Mike Scoresby, (Brendan Cowell), shows how they hunted and killed tulkun. It is basically a sci fi version of the sequences that whale hunters use. Moby Dick. This is very long and involves a lot of splashing — it’s the best action sequence to skip, because it’s not particularly cool. The biggest takeaway is the humans’ reasons for killing tulkun, which you can learn about when you get back from the toilet. You’ll know when it’s time to go, because the whole crew begins readying the ship and talking whale-hunt strategy.

If you’re not sure why you’re seeing Avatar: The Way of Water…

Image by 20th Century Studios

…well, valid! It has been quite a while since the last one. Avatar (13 years!It is possible that you have lost all the things you love about your car. Don’t fret, though. We’ve still got you covered.

2. Train heist

Yes, technically this is an action scene, but it doesn’t look nearly as cool as the rest of the action scenes throughout the movie. If you are able to see a train go to the restroom. It is more important to see the end result of this scene than what happens. This happens very early in the film, so you might not have your full bladder capacity yet.

1. Our antagonist tries to bond with a prisoner

One person is captured by humans. After being interrogated with force, our main antagonist decides that he will try to be more approachable. This scene can be skipped, even though the soldier and this individual have more memorable scenes. Just step out after the bad guy lets franchise-newcomer Edie Falco know that he’s gonna try a different method of interrogation.

Image by 20th Century Studios

You can probably make it to the end without any problems. I suggest small sips of your beverage — and you will want a beverage, because you’re going to be looking at cool, clear liquid for more than three hours. If you do end up missing some important scenes, however, director James Cameron insists that it doesn’t matter too much. Asked when audience members should go to the bathroom, Cameron told the Hollywood Reporter, “​​Any time they want. They can see the scene they missed when they come see it again.”

That solution definitely benefits the box office proceeds the most — when in doubt, just hit the theater again.

The Way of Water AvatarThe movie is now playing in theatres. You’ll have a lot of fun keeping your pee.