Well, that was fast. Avatar: The Way of Water hasn’t even officially premiered, but the overwhelmingly positive reception that the new James Cameron movie received from critics that got to see it in early screenings have already got the title to the “certified fresh” status of Rotten Tomatoes. The seal is given when the majority of critics send in positive reviews, and so far over a hundred reviews have been sent in. Most of them are positive. The sequel currently sits at an 83% approval rate, which already represents universal acclaim – but that number can increase as more reviews start coming in.
The number is a surprise, but not exactly a shock: Ever since the first teasers and trailers were unveiled by 20th Century Studios, we knew that Avatar: The Way of Water would be a stunning visual spectacle at the very least. Knowing the body of work of director and screenwriter James Cameron and the scope of other blockbusters like Titanic, Terminator: Judgement Day and even the first Avatar, it was also safe to say that the filmmaker probably didn’t save only the best shots for the trailers.
Collider is Among Those Who Loved Avatar: The Way of Water
One of those positive reviews was from Collider’s own Ross Bonaime, who called the second installment in the Avatar franchise “one of the most breathtaking moviegoing experiences of 2022, a master learning from the mistakes of the previous film, and making a spectacle unlike we ever see at the movies anymore.” Bonaime also stated that Avatar: The Way of Water proves you should “never bet against James Cameron.”
Avatar: The Way of Water Needs to Be a Hit, James Cameron Says
With all said and done, the journey of Avatar: The Way of Water is just beginning. The blockbuster still has a long way to go, and its initial reception by the general audiences should indicate what type of box office hit the adventure will be. The sequel has gigantic shoes to fill: 2009’s Avatar still stands tall as the highest-grossing movie ever, and the new movie has the same goal box office-wise. In recent interviews, Cameron didn’t mince words when revealing that the franchise is incredibly expensive to make and, depending on how the upcoming entries perform, we have the chance of never seeing this story through to the end.
At the same time, Cameron has mapped the world of Pandora all out, and the film series is planned all the way through Avatar 5, with the first act of Avatar 4 already filmed beforehand, and Avatar 6 and 7 ideas circling the mind of the director. It’s an ambitious project, and the role that the second entry plays is laying the groundwork for countless story possibilities in the world of Pandora, just like Middle Earth keeps inviting fans back for more Lord of the Rings stories and a galaxy far away keeps on generating Star Wars spin-offs.
Avatar: The Way of Water takes us back to Pandora fourteen years after the events of the first movie. The sequel was shot in water tanks and cast members had to learn deep diving in order to film underwater scenes. Returning cast members include Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, Sigourney Weaver, Stephen Lang, Giovanni Ribisi, Joel David Moore, Dileep Rao, CCH Pounder, and Matt Gerald. New cast additions include Kate Winslet, Cliff Curtis, Edie Falco, Brendan Cowell, Jemaine Clement, Oona Chaplin, and CJ Jones.
Avatar: The Way of Water premieres in theaters this Friday, December 16.
You can watch the latest trailer below: