'Avatar: The Way of Water' First Reactions Revealed After Premiere
'A better, more complex story than the first'
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
Cameron has been working on his Avatar sequels since the moment the 2009 film hit theaters. The filmmaker is known for pushing the absolute limits of special effects technology and has done so again. This time, he challenged artists to develop new motion capture technology for underwater sequences. Audiences were shown a short scene of how this works when Disney re-released Avatar in theaters in September.
'Better than 1st? Easily'
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
The original Avatar ran 162 minutes, and the new film runs even longer. It clocks in at 192 minutes. In July, Cameron told Empire he did not want to hear complaints about the running time, considering many people are fine with bingeing television shows in one sitting. "I can almost write this part of the review. 'The agonizingly long three-hour movie...' It's like, give me a f—ing break. I've watched my kids sit and do five one-hour episodes in a row," he said.
'Overwhelmed by both its technical mastery and unexpectedly intimate emotional scope'
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
Avatar became a global phenomenon and still holds the record as the highest-grossing film of all time worldwide. Since its original release, it has raked in over $2.9 billion. It also won Oscars for Best Cinematography, Best Visual Effects, and Best Art Direction, and was nominated for Best Picture. Based on these early responses, The Way of Water should be a big hit as well.
'A staggering achievement'
A staggering achievement- AVATAR TWOW is chokefull of majestic Vistas and emotions at an epic, epic scale. A master at thepeak of his powers… https://t.co/tG6I16JlhM
— Guillermo del Toro (@RealGDT) November 24, 2022
Filmmaker Guillermo Del Toro managed to see it long before the premiere in London and gave the film a rave review.
'One stunning frame after the next'
#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 an Avatar stan, I had high hopes for [Avatar: The Way of Water] and for me it totally delivers. Sure it's a little long, but worth it for the gorgeous visuals, wonderful new characters. A total thrill," PEOPLE's Kara Warner wrote.
'This movie sure is pretty to look at'
This movie sure is pretty to look at though. And on the whole, I like #TheWayOfWater more than #Avatar 2009, if for nothing else because it has less in your face white saviourism than the original. pic.twitter.com/7cJxEow0Xp
— Amon Warmann (@AmonWarmann) December 6, 2022
"Unsurprisingly, [Avatar: The Way of Water] 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," Digital Spy's Ian Sandwell wrote.