Review Roundup For Avatar: The Way Of Water

It's been more than a dozen years since James Cameron has brought Avatar to the big screen, so both excitement and skepticism are understandably high as Avatar: The Way of Water is just a few days away from hitting theaters. As recently as September, Cameron was saying he has no idea whether the film will be a success--though the first teaser trailer racking up 150 million views in its first day bodes well.

Avatar: The Way of Water is directed by Cameron, and co-written by him with Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver. The film's cast includes Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldaña, Sigourney Weaver, Stephen Lang, and Kate Winslet.

As of this writing, the three-hour Avatar 2 has an aggregate score of 72 on GameSpot sister site Metacritic, based on 42 critic reviews. Over on Rotten Tomatoes, the film has a higher 83% based on 80 reviews. These scores will shift as other outlets publish their takes, and since it isn't out yet there are no audience ratings available yet.

In GameSpot's review, Mason Downey thought the film has incredibly beautiful shots, but fails to live up to its legacy as a bleeding edge spectacle.

Below, you'll see a selection of the many reviews of Avatar 2 that have already been published.

Avatar: The Way of Water

• Written by: James Cameron, Rick Jaffa, Amanda Silver
• Directed by: James Cameron
• Starring: Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldaña, Sigourney Weaver, Stephen Lang, Kate Winslet
• Premiere Date: December 16

GameSpot - 50

"The creature and tech designs show clear thought and care--even the differences between the forest Na'vi and the reef Na'vi are meticulously crafted and believable. It's just a shame that there's no real story to tell with them, and no real reason to feel invested in them beyond superficial beauty." - Mason Downey - [Full review]

The A.V. Club - 100

"Avatar: The Way Of Water not only delivers upon everything its predecessor established, but advances them in ways gleaming and ocean-deep, through the eyes and heart of a cinematic storyteller with a passionate and well-documented love of the sea." - Tomris Laffly - [Full review]

The Atlantic - 90

"The final battles in The Way of Water are rousing, but they're also feats of geography, astonishing in how they manage to keep the audience focused on a huge ensemble of characters who are jumping between various locations." - David Sims - [Full review]

RogerEbert.com - 88

"Cameron invites viewers into this fully realized world with so many striking images and phenomenally rendered action scenes that everything else fades away. " - Brian Tallerico - [Full review]

Total Film - 80

"James Cameron mobilizes on all fronts for an imperfect but imposing blockbuster: dazzling, supersized, rippled with currents of sincere feeling." - Kevin Harley - [Full review]

Slant - 75

"For all the genuine thrills provided by its pioneering pageantry, Way of Water ultimately leaves you with a soul-nagging query: What price entertainment?" - Keith Ulrich - [Full review]

The Film Stage - 67

"This movie has the greatest ratio of zone-out time to narrative comprehension I've ever experienced." - Nick Newman - [Full review]

The Telegraph - 20

"For all its world-building sprawl, The Way of Water is a horizon-narrowing experience--the sad sight of a great filmmaker reversing up a creative cul-de-sac." - Robbie Collin - [Full review]