Avatar sequel earns film critics' praise for visual spectacle
ans attend a premiere for the film Avatar: The Way of Water, at Dolby theatre in Los Angeles, on Dec 12.
PHOTO: Reuters
PUBLISHED ONDecember 14, 2022 5:40 AM
LOS ANGELES – The long-awaited sequel to groundbreaking movie Avatar won praise on Tuesday (Dec 13) from movie critics who said they were awed again by director James Cameron's visual artistry.
Avatar: The Way of Water opens in theatres on Friday, 13 years after the first film wowed audiences with pioneering 3D technology and became the highest-grossing movie of all time with US$2.9 billion (S$3.9 billion) in ticket sales.
The sequel offers more advanced 3D images, showcasing aquatic creatures on the lush moon of Pandora.
As of Tuesday afternoon, 85 per cent of 107 reviews collected on the Rotten Tomatoes website had applauded the new instalment.
"Avatar: The Way of Water is such a screen-popping visual feast it earns the three-hour, 12-minute running time," said Richard Roeper of the Chicago Sun-Times.
Some also lauded the story about the tall, blue Na'vi people, who are forced to flee from the forest to the ocean.
"The 3-D special effects remain exceptional, but the screenplay is better this time, with a storyline more emotionally engaging than in the original," said Randy Myers of the San Jose Mercury News.
Leah Greenblatt of Entertainment Weekly called the movie "a meticulous world-building as astonishing and enveloping as anything we've ever seen on screen."
Hollywood's big question is whether The Way of Water can recoup its massive production and marketing costs. Studios split ticket sales with theatres, and Cameron told GQ magazine that The Way of Water will need to make US$2 billion just to break even.
Shawn Robbins, chief analyst at Box Office Pro, projects the movie will open with at least US$150 million in ticket sales in US and Canada during its first weekend. Walt Disney Co is distributing the film.
Critics were not universally impressed with The Way of Water. Some objected to the long running time or said they were not drawn in by the story.
"Watching the film (feels) like being waterboarded with turquoise cement," said Robbie Collin of the Daily Telegraph.