It’s here. Earthling movie critics are officially versed in water and its ways as early reviews for Avatar: The Way of Water begin to come in. It’s no surprise that the technical aspects of James Cameron’s passion project remain marvelous, particularly in the rendering of alien aquatic life and action sequences. However, critical reaction to Cameron’s variable frame rate … varies. Then there are the more basic storytelling aspects in which the sequel appears to improve on the original, at least to some critics, who are invested in the story of Na’vi teens and Pandora’s hyperintelligent space whales. Others find the plot overly familiar and the dialogue rote. Below, critics who sat through three hours of Avatar: The Way of Water live to tell a whale of a tale.
“For starters, the effects work is unbelievable; I still haven’t entirely wrapped my head around the fact that none of this stuff actually exists, that it’s all a meticulously rendered digital environment. But, more important, Cameron hasn’t lost the ability to convey his dorky-sweet enthusiasm to the audience. It’s hard not to lose oneself amid the gentle, flowing cadences of this exquisitely created undersea universe, where the water enveloping the characters gradually becomes a metaphor for the interconnectedness of all living beings.” — Bilge Ebiri, Vulture
“But although I was not surprised that The Way of Water’s visuals blew me away, I was shockingly invested in the emotional complications of the Sully family (many threads are left dangling for the already confirmed Avatar 3). Maintaining a sense of stakes will be necessary for the series going forward, especially if it plans on rolling out new entries at a quicker pace. But for The Way of Water, the decadence is more than enough—for cinemas that have been starved of authentic spectacle, finally, here’s a gorgeous three-course meal of it.” — David Sims, The Atlantic
“It’s the most rapturous, awe-inducing, only in theaters return to the cinema of attractions since Godard experimented with double exposure 3D in Goodbye to Language, whether swimming with schools of alien fish or introducing us to the four-eyed, 300-foot-long whale-like tulkun (who prove central to the plot and communicate in subtitled Papyrus), these scenes have more in common with VR or lucid dreaming than whatever rinky-dink CGI we’re forced to swallow with every new superhero movie, and Cameron lets us soak up every frame. If we can fall in love with this world and be compelled by the fight to save it, why can’t we do the same with our own?” — David Ehrlich, IndieWire
“Maybe Cameron reacquainted himself with the work of Sam Raimi. Maybe he’s drinking from the same cup as S.S. Rajamouli, who made the magnificent, absolutely ludicrous Indian import RRR. In The Way of Water, Cameron leans all the way into manic mayhem, smash-cutting from one outrageous image to the next. The final act of this movie shows off a freeing attitude he’s never fully embraced before in his action — even action that’s strikingly similar, like the massive sinking ship sequence in Titanic. James Cameron has some expertise in this arena, but this time out, it feels like he’s having a lot more fun.” — Jordan Hoffman, Polygon
“This wildly entertaining film isn’t a retread of Avatar, but a film in which fans can pick out thematic and even visual elements of Titanic, Aliens, The Abyss, and The Terminator films. It’s as if Cameron has moved to Pandora forever and brought everything he cares about. (He’s also clearly never leaving.) 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, RogerEbert.com
“Cue another immersive, action-packed adventure, but this time with a more nuanced message. Whereas Avatar bashed its audience on the head with repeated references to spirituality and the balance of life, Way Of The Water is primarily about family (though there is one gut-wrenching scene that makes for a most effective anti-hunting advert). It finds a believable way to bring back characters from the first movie, and sets up the overarching plot for future instalments. This is sharp, considered storytelling.” — Ali Shutler, NME
“The submarine world of this film is, in its way, its chief character and its whole point. The move from land- to sea-based existence is the way a new film was created. But the sea world is imagined with a lot of cliche. Frankly, there isn’t a single interesting visual image and the whole thing has the non-briny smell of a MacBook Pro. Finding Nemo was more vivid.” — Peter Bradshaw, The Guardian
“How much you care about the fate of a bunch of outsize blue people will depend on your appetite for a sci-fi survival story that draws from classic Westerns while upping the stakes with the threat of genocide. Either way, this is a big movie, monumental even, that justifies its three hours-plus of screen time and its mammoth financial investment.” — David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter
“It’s best to not think too hard about certain things — for example, at least one immaculate conception — and just weather others, as in one long bit akin to an extremely cruel animal documentary. And while the visual effects are on the whole pretty fantastic, the film every so often resembles a video game or a theme-park ride that seems sort of wonky compared to the more sumptuous parts.” — Brian Truitt, USA Today
“And while his VFX team has done a remarkable job blooming emotion on their green and blue visages, the lackluster writing gives these performances suffocatingly little to play with. The likes of Zoe Saldaña, Sigourney Weaver, Kate Winslet, and Interview with a Vampire scene-stealer Bailey Bass are squandered in paper-thin roles, of women who are either beatific in awe of nature or baring their teeth in tears. These are not people but poster girls either of bliss or pain. And so their emotional journeys feel hollow, even as we can see their worlds falling apart.” — Kristy Puchko, Mashable
“Edie Falco thanklessly barks exposition in fatigues, a scientist randomly reveals that he possesses the key to eternal life, and the finale resorts to cheap bathos before setting up forthcoming sequels. Whenever it’s not losing itself in kinetic mayhem, The Way of Water is interminable and full of itself—and ultimately, that turns out to be most of the time. In the first of his many functional voiceovers, Jake intones, ‘The most dangerous thing about Pandora is that you may come to love her too much.’ That’s clearly true for Cameron, but he should speak for himself.” — Nick Schager, The Daily Beast
“Avatar: The Way of Water explores enough new story beats, and raises the stakes for its characters through tension to justify the continuation of the first film’s narrative. Engaging, enjoyable, and one of the most beautiful films of the year, The Way of the Water is a transformative movie experience that energizes and captivates the senses through its visual storytelling, making the return to Pandora well worth the wait.” — Mae Abdulbaki, ScreenRant
“But it’s worth saying this: When Cameron’s 3D cauldron of spells is at a high boil, the end result is nothing less than an upgrade on reality. At its best, you find yourself resenting the edges of the screen, for keeping you from feeling fully immersed in this world.” — Liz Shannon Miller, Consequence
