Never bet against James Cameron!
After 13 years of waiting, we finally have an Avatar sequel. The James Cameron movie “Avatar: The Way of Water”, is set to release this month on December 16. Ahead of it though, it was previewed for the members of the press during the movie’s world premiere in London. And the first reactions…drum roll please…are overwhelmingly positive.
But before we get into the reactions, here’s what the official synopsis reads like: “Jake Sully and Ney’tiri have formed a family and are doing everything to stay together. However, they must leave their home and explore the regions of Pandora. When an ancient threat resurfaces, Jake must fight a difficult war against the humans.”
The Avatar sequel lands its focus back on Jack Sully (Sam Worthington) and Neytiri (Zoe Saldaña), who are now parents and are forced to protect their family from a new threat to Pandora. Apart from the main leads, the movie also sees the return of Sigourney Weaver and the addition of Stephen Lang and Kate Winslet.
Before its release, the movie was in the news recently for its run-time of nearly 3 hours and 10 minutes. Addressing the concerns, Cameron was quoted saying, “I don’t want anybody whining about length when they sit and binge-watch [television] for eight hours. I can almost write this part of the review. ‘The agonizingly long three-hour movie…’ It’s like, give me a fucking break. I’ve watched my kids sit and do five one-hour episodes in a row. Here’s the big social paradigm shift that has to happen: it’s okay to get up and go pee.”
That being said, how good the movie is exactly? According to Oscar-winning filmmaker, Guillermo del Toro, it is “a staggering achievement,” further adding, “It’s a chock-full of majestic vistas and emotions at an epic, epic scale. A master at the peak of his power.”
Meanwhile, Fandango’s wrote, “Bigger, better & more emotional than ‘Avatar,’ the film is visually breathtaking, visceral and incredibly engrossing. The story, the spectacle, the spirituality, the beauty – this is moviemaking & storytelling at its absolute finest.”
Here Are The Rest Of The Reactions
AVATAR: THE WAY OF WATER: Yeah never bet against James Cameron. Trying to spare hyperbole, but I’ve never seen anything like this from a technical, visual standpoint. It’s overwhelming. Maybe too overwhelming. Sometimes I’d miss plot points because I’m staring at a Pandora fish
— Mike Ryan (@mikeryan) December 6, 2022
Also, I rewatched the first AVATAR over the weekend and basically settled on “that was fine.” The sequel has much better and deeper character development.
— Mike Ryan (@mikeryan) December 6, 2022
Oh last thing, this is the first movie I’ve ever seen use the high frame rate trick that I’ve actually liked. Yeah, leave it to James Cameron to crack that one
— Mike Ryan (@mikeryan) December 6, 2022
Happy to say #AvatarTheWayOfWater is phenomenal! Bigger, better & more emotional than #Avatar, the film is visually breathtaking, visceral & incredibly engrossing. The story, the spectacle, the spirituality, the beauty – this is moviemaking & storytelling at its absolute finest. pic.twitter.com/RicnpDghrx
— Erik Davis (@ErikDavis) December 6, 2022
James Cameron once again shows filmmakers how it’s done. I’ve said it a thousand times. Never doubt him. AVATAR: THE WAY OF WATER is how you do epic blockbuster-ing. Emotional, visceral, and as big as movies get. @officialavatar
— Josh Horowitz (@joshuahorowitz) December 6, 2022
Unsurprisingly, #AvatarTheWayOfWater is a visual masterpiece with rich use of 3D and breathtaking vistas. It does suffer from a thin story and too many characters to juggle, yet James Cameron pulls it together for an extraordinary final act full of emotion and thrilling action. pic.twitter.com/opr6CRyOwk
— Ian Sandwell (@ian_sandwell) December 6, 2022
#AvatarTheWayOfWater is pretty incredible. I had faith James Cameron would raise the bar w/ the effects but these visuals are mind-blowing. One stunning frame after the next. But the thing I dug most is how the technical feats always feel in service of character & world-building. pic.twitter.com/MXeN3z8BnP
— Perri Nemiroff (@PNemiroff) December 6, 2022
As for the story, it’s A LOT of movie & I’m eager for a 2nd viewing to revisit some details, but on 1st watch, it’s a mighty effective exploration of community & family dynamics. Returning cast is great, but the newcomers are major standouts, particularly Britain Dalton as Lo’ak. pic.twitter.com/OtZXNr6zMw
— Perri Nemiroff (@PNemiroff) December 6, 2022
Have now seen #Avatar twice and am overwhelmed by both its technical mastery and unexpectedly intimate emotional scope. Yes the world is expanded and sequels teased but the characters are most important. Cameron is in top form, especially in final act. Good to have him back. 🐟 pic.twitter.com/PR9drN5Zph
— Drew Taylor (@DrewTailored) December 6, 2022
I saw you #AvatarTheWayOfWater – if you think you’ve seen #Avatar think again. Only repeat from the OG is that ‘never experienced anything like it’ awe. Better than 1st? Easily. The 3D water world & creatures are so surreal it is downright moving. There’s a major Titanic homage. pic.twitter.com/EInKRDeumD
— Nikki Novak (@NikkiNovak) December 6, 2022
Avatar: The Way of Water is a never-ending visual spectacle.
It’s a better, more complex story than the first with solid emotion but the characters could grow a bit more. It’s definitely long, running on incredible visuals & techniques which are 3D’s best.#AvatarTheWayOfWater pic.twitter.com/ezySHunXOe
— BD (@BrandonDavisBD) December 6, 2022
