The first wave of reviews for Avatar: The Way of Water is in, and so far the movie is getting mostly positive reviews and is certified Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes with an 82 percent score. With over 160 reviews submitted to Rotten Tomatoes so far, the movie's score is exactly the same as the original Avatar's 82 percent score from 2009.
A sequel 13 years in the making after the original Avatar revolutionized 3D and visual effects and became the top-grossing movie of all time, James Cameron is looking to do it all again with Avatar: The Way of Water. As one of the most expensive movies of all time, with multiple sequels planned, Cameron has said Avatar 2 will need to set box office records just to break even, so strong reviews are an important first step to that performance.
Avatar: The Way of Water Reviews Praise Visuals and Improved Story
As should be expected, most of the reviews for Avatar: The Way of Water praise the visual effects, design, and world-building of Pandora and the Na'vi, but many also mention that the movie improves on the story and characters of the first film, which is commonly criticized for its script. Cameron is known for creating big theatrical experiences, and the positive reviews all agree the movie is thrilling on the big screen.
"The Way of Water is overlong and stretched thin on story, but the Avatar sequel is beautiful, with lush world-building and characters that add depth."
"Avatar: The Way of Water feels like a fresh start for this series, as Cameron address the weaknesses of the first film, improves the script and characters, while also creating one of the most extraordinary experiences one can have at the theaters."
"This wildly entertaining film isn't a retread of Avatar, but a film in which fans can pick out thematic and even visual elements of Titanic, Aliens, The Abyss, and The Terminator films."
"Ultimately, it’s the sincerity of Cameron’s belief in this fantastical world he’s created that makes it memorable."
"Avatar: The Way of Water is a clear improvement on its predecessor and, though its story isn’t breaking new ground, its jaw-dropping visuals make this an irresistible return to Pandora."
Avatar: The Way of Water's Negative Reviews Criticize Weak Story (But Still Praise Visuals)
With an 83 percent score in Rotten Tomatoes, the vast majority of the reviews for Avatar: The Way of Water are Fresh, but the Avatar sequel still has some negative reviews. Ironically, most of the negative reviews still acknowledge the movie's impressive visuals; however, they either disagree with the story improvement claims cited in positive reviews or don't think the script improvements are significant enough to earn a thumbs up. Overall, these criticisms are generally in-line with the criticisms for the first movie, which went on to earn more at the box office than any movie in history, but the real test will be Avatar: The Way of Water's audience reception.
"The floatingly bland plot is like a children’s story without the humour; a YA story without the emotional wound; an action thriller without the hard edge of real excitement."
"The only part of me that was moved was my eyeballs."
"Like the original, it’s “Dances with Wolves” in outer space. Only dumber."
"Cameron loses track of his characters, snarls his story, squanders his star power, and then dizzies 3D audiences with so much whiz-bang that they might feel attacked in lieu of awed."
Overall, most reviews agree Avatar: The Way of Water is a visual spectacle even grander in scope than the original Avatar and many reviews say the story is also a big improvement. Of course, all reviews are subjective, but the vast majority of critics are praising the movie. The box office performance will be the only true test of whether or not Avatar: The way of Water can repeat the success of Cameron's other movies, but as it stands, James Cameron appears to have another big hit on his hands.
