The first official reviews have come out for James Cameron's Avatar The Way Of Water, and
so far, it's being hailed as a great sequel from the director of Aliens and Terminator
2.
There have been lots of reactions following the
world premiere, praising it's stunning vfx, and surprisingly better characters, so I'm
going to be breaking down all of it in this video.
Before I get into all the reviews though, if you
want to see loads more content on Avatar 2 when it releases later this week, then don't
forget to support this video by giving it a like rating,
subscribing to the channel and turning on your notifications.
But without further a do, lets discuss the official reviews and reactions for Avatar
2.
So was Avatar The Way of Water worth all the wait?
Well, according to the first social media reviews that arrived last night, following
the world premiere of the film in London, the
critics have said that the movie more than lives up to all the hype, and they specifically
praise the incredible visuals, but also claim that the 3D, the characters and the amazing
third act really elevate this film beyond the original.
Now I have to note that these reviews won't mean anything when it comes to the wider audience
who will see the film next week, and at the end of the day, it's all down to your
specific reaction to the film.
Of course, it's great when you hear really positive reactions from others, but when we
all get to watch it, I'm sure we're going to have different takes ourselves.
But it's good to get an early consensus around what people are saying, especially those who
have actually seen the movie and aren't just saying it's going to be bad before they even
watch the film.
So speaking of those people who got to see Avatar 2, what are they saying and what are
the highlights surrounding their early reactions.
Coming to the positive side of things, and to be honest with you, much of the reactions
have been extremely positive, Tom Page said, "Avatar The Way Of Water is more is more writ
large.
It’s more beautiful, more in awe of Pandora; more vocal in its environmentalism, more damning
of humans.
It’s an adrenaline shot to 3D filmmaking and an uncompromising doubling
down.
You’d expect nothing less from Cameron."
Erik Davis also said, "Happy to say Avatar The Way Of Water 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.
This is James Cameron leaning right into that Cameron playbook.
There are Titanic vibes, True Lies vibes, Abyss vibes, Terminator 2 vibes - it is Cameron
in top form, matching tremendous visuals w/ a VERY
entertaining & emotional story that leaves you wanting more.
I felt similar after Avatar The Way Of Water than I did after Top Gun Maverick in that
it reminds you why we love movies & why we anticipate big spectacle on
the big screen.
When it lands on all levels, there’s nothing sweeter.
This one entertains BIG time.
Truly, a memorable ride."
Sean O'Connell added, "Never bet against Jim Cameron.
His Avatar The Way Of Water surpasses the original on every level.
Incredible visuals, but a much more emotional connection to the characters and
story.
The final hour is Cameron flexing every muscle, reminding blockbuster filmmakers how it’s
done."
Perri Nemiroff gave her positive review as well, saying, "Avatar The Way Of Water
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.
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.
And yes, this did make me want to see more Avatar movies.
I would also like a whole lot more of Cliff Curtis' Tonowari in those movies, please."
Mike Ryan put, "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.
Someone texted me, “what’s the most visually impressive part of the movie?”
And I responded, 'The whole thing honestly'.
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.
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."
Also, Joblo.com put their thoughts up too, saying, "Just saw
Avatar The Way Of Water - will certainly divide people as there are some cheesy bits BUT James
Cameron is a master and you really do, utterly invest in the characters, and nothing else
comes close to being this immersive.
I was cool on the original but I loved this."
Jake Hamilton further put, "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."
And finally Drew Taylor wrote, "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."
Now there were also a few mixed reviews that came out too, and while these reviews did
focus on the positive they also noted some things that they didn't love in contrast to
a lot of the reactions I've already highlighted.
Ian Sandwell posted, 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."
Scott Mantz said, "AVATAR: THE WAY OF WATER is breathtakingly beautiful with
the most incredible VFX I have ever seen (I saw it in 3D); the story itself is weaker
than the first and feels drawn out at 3 hours & 10 minutes,
but it’s always great to look at & the last hour is amazing."
And finally, Brandon Davis said, "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."
So from looking at that list of early reviews, it's quite hard
to tell what the consensus is on the story.
Many have critiqued the original Avatar for its story and characters, but the early reactions
to this sequel suggest that some were pleasantly
surprised by those elemenets while a few said that it's either worse than the original or
on the same level.
You know that I personally liked the story and characters in the first Avatar
even if it wasn't the most original when it comes to writing, so I can't really say what
the consesus is surrounding the story this time.
I have heard a few who said that if you didn't
like the story the first time, you won't this time but that the sheer spectacle and final
act of the film really delivers in spades.
Also it is great to hear that this film is reminding
people of the cinematic experience in the way that Top Gun Maverick did earlier in the
year, potentially delivering a movie that elevates
the filmmaking and storytelling from the first and essentially gives us another great James
Cameron sequel.
I did also see a lot of praise for the new characters, mainly in Jake and
Neytiri's children, so that is really good news when it comes to Avatar 3 and the films
that might follow.
But overall, it seems like Avatar The Way Of Water is stunning the critics and a
lot of people who doubted James Cameron, even after all the success and great films he's
put to screen in the decades that have passed.
You know that I'm not one of those doubters, and
I've been saying for quite a while that this filmmaker truly takes the time to bring something
bold and immensely cinematic to screen, and it seems like for now, most critics are blown
away by the experience of Avatar 2.
We'll have to see how the audience reacts and if the box office is truly set alight
by Cameron, but as I said, this is nothing but great news for those
like myself, who've been anticipating a new james Cameron sequel.
Putting it in sequel terms, who really should have doubted James Cameron anyway.
But they were the first official reviews for James Cameron's Avatar The Way Of Water.
Like I said before, everyone's individual reaction is the most important and a review
score shouldn't really change that.
But with all these positive reviews coming out, it's great to hear the early enthusiasm
towards the film, and hopefully others will enjoy it when they get
a chance to see it.
I myself will be seeing the film next week and I will be giving you my extended thoughts
here on the channel, alongside covering it in depth with breakdowns, so make
sure to keep a look out for whenever I post.
But let me know down below in the comments section what you personally think towards
the early reviews and reactions, and whether it gets you
even more excited for the release of the James Cameron's latest film.
For lots more videos surrounding Avatar 2 during its release, then subscribe to the
channel and turn on your notifications.
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But anyway, I hope you guys enjoyed it, I've been Cortex and as always make some noise.