After a thirteen-year wait for the sequel, it sounds like audiences who fell in love with 2009’s Avatar are about to have a very happy holiday season at the movie theater. Avatar: The Way of Water premiered yesterday and those who were in attendance in London or at press screenings around the globe were allowed to take to social media to share their thoughts. In a nutshell, the film is another hit for director James Cameron.
Our own Hunter Radesi called the film an “improvement over its predecessor” and praised the film’s incredibly “immersive” use of VFX:
Reel Blend’s Kevin McCarthy joined Hunter in praising the use of technology to make the “most jaw-dropping immersion” he had ever seen in theaters.
Fandango’s Erik Davis called the film “phenomenal” and “visually breathtaking.”
Joseph Deckelmeier, who attended the World Premiere in London called it a “cinematic achievement.”
THR’s Beatrice Verhoeven didn’t go in looking forward to it, but says the film changed her mind!
While Scott Mantz jumped on board the VFX train, he believed the story behind the sequel wasn’t quite as good as the first and that it felt drawn out over the film’s extensive run time of 190 minutes.
Fellow filmmaker Guillermo del Toro praised Cameron’s work on the film, saying the sequel showed the work of “a master at the peak of his powers…”
While there was never really a doubt that the film would be a major box office draw over the holiday season, the initial word of mouth about the VFX and the overall quality of the story are sure to help Avatar: The Way of Water be one of 2022’s biggest box office draws when it hits theaters beginning December 16th!
