I think what really hurts this film in a way that the original didn\'t is that AWOW blatantly sets up for sequel movies. The original movie is mostly a solid package with a definite ending. The sequel, meanwhile, introduces us more to the world of Pandora beyond what we saw in the first film. We get a lot of new characters, both humans and Na\'vi, and plot development that doesn\'t really quite resolved yet (Kiri\'s mysterious birth and how she couldn\'t connect to Eywa without getting a seizure, Lo\'ak and Tsireya\'s budding romance, Lo\'ak\'s rivalry and eventually friendship with Aonung, Spider\'s crisis of identity, Payakan\'s exile from his family, the whole \'humanity settles on Pandora\' thing, etc.)
Too many plotlines are introduced in this movie that are clearly set up to be explored more in the inevitable sequels, which is one reason why the narrative feels more disjointed and less coherent than the first movie.
That being said, as you mention, the visual effects alone are probably worth the price of the ticket already.
I agree about AWOW's setting up for sequels being detrimental to its overall quality. The first worked well enough as a standalone film, even if it was obvious that humanity wouldn't give up on Pandora, but the second has quite a few unresolved plot threads (chief among them Kiri's birth and inability to connect to Eywa without getting a seizure).
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Entertaining despite its flaws
About thirteen years ago, I saw James Cameron's Avatar in theaters. The action was good and the visual effects were spectacular, but the plot was cliched at best. The sequel, Way of Water, is similar in many regards, and while I'd hesitate to call it a very good movie, it's still an entertaining one.
The plot is standard sequel fare. After the humans, the villains of the first film, are thwarted in their attempt to colonize the distant planet of Pandora, they return in greater numbers, forcing protagonist Jake Sully and his family to seek shelter with a sea-dwelling tribe of Na'vi(the natives of Pandora).
It becomes obvious early on that Cameron didn't plan for AWOW, as a number of plot elements- the first film's Big Bad Quaritch and his men having their minds implanted into Na'vi avatars, Quaritch leaving behind a son, and the late Grace having a daughter born from her Avatar- weren't even mentioned in the first film.
In addition to most of the surviving cast of the first film returning, there are more than a few new characters in AWOW, from Jake and Ney'tri's kids to an entirely new tribe of Na'vi. It's rather difficult to keep track of all the newcomers, especially since many of them are similar-looking Na'vi, and the story drags a bit when exploring their various subplots and character arcs.
AWOW expands on the world of Pandora, showing a tribe of Na'vi that are almost as foreign to Jake and Ney'tri as Ney'tri's people were to Jake when he first arrived. Unfortunately, the humans who are invading Pandora are still almost cartoonishly evil, and this time, there aren't any people like Jake and his friends to balance things out.
Without spoiling anything, not much is resolved in this film, and some plot threads remain unresolved. It's clear that the war with the humans is far from over, which can cause viewers to wonder what the point of the three-hour runtime was.
As critical as this review is, there were quite a few things I liked about AWOW. The visual effects are as stunning as ever, especially now that the film shows the oceans of Pandora as well as the forests. This, in turn, leads to some entertaining action scenes, especially with the new parts of the world established in the sequel.
All in all, AWOW isn't necessarily a well-written movie, but it's still an entertaining one, so I recommend seeing it in theaters while you can in order to get the most out of its effects.