'Avatar: The Way of Water': First wave of reactions calls James Cameron's epic 'visually stunning' and 'better than the original'

'Avatar: The Way of Water' FINAL trailer sees clans clashing in STUNNING underwater battle

Fandango’s Erik Davis praised the movie for being “visually breath-taking” and “more emotional” than the original. He wrote, “Happy to say ‘Avatar: The Way of Water’ is phenomenal. Bigger, better & more emotional than ‘Avatar,’ the film is visually breathtaking, visceral, and incredibly engrossing. The story, the spectacle, the spirituality, the beauty – this is moviemaking & storytelling at its absolute finest.”

Brandon Davis, who writes for Comicbook.com and several other media outlets, was in awe of the “never-ending spectacle” and revealed that that the sequel has a better story than the original 2009 movie. He added, “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.”

Next Best Picture’s Matt Neglia reported that Cameron’s storytelling “soars” once again as he introduces new intriguing characters to the franchise. Meanwhile, he believed that this ‘stunning epic’ was worth the wait. He wrote, “AVATAR: THE WAY OF WATER introduces a new water culture on Pandora that is technically wondrous. James Cameron’s dialogue still struggles but his storytelling soars as he emotionally invests us in the new characters & creatures. A sincere, stunning epic that was worth the wait.”

Variety’s movie critic Courtney Howard had a similar reaction and said that the filmmaker has delivered another “masterclass” in world-building. She added, “James Cameron & Co. deliver yet another riveting, awe-inducing masterclass in world-building with #AvatarTheWayOfWater. Immersive, emotionally engaging & epically entertaining, it’s a thrilling ride. CG artifice melts away where we’re just watching the characters’ humanity steer.”

On the other hand, Cinemablend’s managing editor Sean O’Connell stated that ‘The Way of Water’ surpasses the original on every level and told everyone to watch out for the final one hour of the movie where the filmmaker reminds other filmmakers “how it’s done.”

Other reactions on social media were extremely positive as well and labeled the movie as one of the best of 2022. These reactions will help the movie in gaining traction and movie-goers might book their tickets after getting to know that Cameron has once again delivered a masterpiece.

‘Avatar: The Way of Water’ takes place a decade after the events of the original film tell the story of the Sully family and the troubles that follow them. The family will do anything to keep each other safe and they fight the battle to keep the entire tribe safe from the wrath of humans. Sam Worthington and Zoe Saldana return as Jake Sully and Neytiri while Sigourney Weaver and Stephen Lang return as Kiri and Colonel Miles Quaritch.

On the other hand, actors such as Kate Winslet, Cliff Curtis, Jamie Flatters, and Britain Dalton join the movie as the new cast members.

‘Avatar: The Way of Water’ is scheduled to hit theatres on Friday, December 16.