Avatar: The Way Of Water has received overwhelmingly positive reactions after being screened for critics.
The sequel to 2009âs Avatar had its world premiere in London on Tuesday (December 6), which was attended by director James Cameron and the entire cast including Sigourney Weaver, Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana and Kate Winslet.
Prior to the premiere, director Guillermo del Toro described the film as a âstaggering achievementâ, adding: âAvatar TWOW is chokefull of majestic Vistas and emotions at an epic, epic scale. A master at the peak of his powers.â
Following the premiere, reactions from critics were similarly gushing. Josh Horowitz wrote: âJames Cameron once again shows filmmakers how itâs done. Iâve 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.â
Uproxxâs Mike Ryan wrote: âNever bet against James Cameron. Trying to spare hyperbole, but Iâve never seen anything like this from a technical, visual standpoint. Itâs overwhelming. Maybe too overwhelming. Sometimes Iâd miss plot points because Iâm staring at a Pandora fish.â
You can check out more reactions below.
James Cameron once again shows filmmakers how itâs done. Iâve 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
AVATAR: THE WAY OF WATER: Yeah never bet against James Cameron. Trying to spare hyperbole, but Iâve never seen anything like this from a technical, visual standpoint. Itâs overwhelming. Maybe too overwhelming. Sometimes Iâd miss plot points because Iâm staring at a Pandora fish
— Mike Ryan (@mikeryan) December 6, 2022
Avatar The Way of Water: lol imagine being dumb enough to bet against James Cameron. or teen alien Sigourney Weaver. or giant whales subtitled in papyrus.
light years better than the first & easily one of the best theatrical experiences in ages. streaming found dead in a ditch.
— david ehrlich (@davidehrlich) December 6, 2022
AVATAR: THE WAY OF WATER might be James Cameronâs sweetest, gentlest, most personal film. Possibly even his most emotional. It revisits all his greatest hits, but itâs always totally sincere. He is never leaving Pandora. He loves this family. By the end, I did, too.
— Bilge Ebiri (@BilgeEbiri) December 7, 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
As someone who LIKED — but didn't LOVE — the first AVATAR, let me tell you:
AVATAR: THE WAY OF WATER blew me away.
Vastly superior in visuals, story telling and performances, the sequel left my jaw on the ground for the entire runtime.
James Cameron is the GOD of sequels. pic.twitter.com/1cw6C94O4f
— Jake Hamilton (@JakesTakes) 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. đ pic.twitter.com/PR9drN5Zph
— Drew Taylor (@DrewTailored) December 6, 2022
Last month, Cameron described the production budget on Avatar: The Way Of Water as âvery fucking expensiveâ. Industry experts have estimated the sequelâs budget is somewhere between $350million (ÂŁ292.4million) and $400million (ÂŁ334million), making it one of the most expensive films of all time.
This is the first of four sequels planned for the original Avatar, with the following three set to be released in 2024, 2026 and 2028 respectively. Cameron has previously suggested he might not direct the fourth installment in the franchise.
Avatar: The Way Of Water will be released in cinemas on December 16.