Audiences have waited for over a decade to return to Pandora in Avatar: The Way of Water. So, has our patience paid off? The reviews for the blockbuster sequel are now in, and we begin with MovieWeb’s own Julian Roman, who urged us all to “experience Avatar: The Way of Water on the biggest 3D screen available,” and declared that the “visual effects are the best to date.”

The praise continues to be heaped on Avatar: The Way of Water courtesy of Empire’ Nick De Semlyen, who awarded the sequel a perfect score of 5/5.

“This is why we go to the movies, escapism and storytelling on the grandest scale. Cameron didn’t waste thirteen years goofing around. He crushes expectations.”

Entertainment Weekly’s Leah Greenblatt meanwhile gives Avatar: The Way of Water a near-perfect A-, and states that the blockbuster crown has been passed from the first outing to the second. That is until the third comes out, of course.

“It’s a leap beyond even what he pulled off with the first film, a phantasmagorical, fully immersive waking dream of a movie in which something impossible is happening on-screen at almost every moment.”

David Ehrlich of IndieWire also awards the blockbuster an A-, and can think of no better use of your time and money than a return trip to Pandora.

“A meticulous world-building as astonishing and enveloping as anything we’ve ever seen on screen — until that crown is passed, inevitably, in December 2024, the projected release date for Avatar 3.”

Richard Lawson of Vanity Fair continues the praise saying, “The Way of Water insists that times haven’t changed; it is heedless of contemporary industry undulations. That swaggering energy is, in large part, what makes the film such a pleasure to watch.” While David Rooney from The Hollywood Reporter adds that, “Ultimately, it’s the sincerity of Cameron’s belief in this fantastical world he’s created that makes it memorable.”

“For now, the only thing that matters is that after 13 years of being a punchline, “going back to Pandora” just became the best deal on Earth for the price of a movie ticket.”

Avatar: The Way of Water Currently Sits at 83% on Rotten Tomatoes

     20th Century Studios

Sadly, not everyone was so enchanted by the wonders of Avatar: The Way of Water. Variety’s Owen Gleiberman takes aim that the shallow story, an element that was not sufficiently buoy by the deep visuals.

Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian felt similarly, likening Avatar: The Way of Water to a “children’s story.”

“The only part of me that was moved was my eyeballs.”

The Daily Telegraph’s Robbie Collin meanwhile has been overtly savage when discussing Avatar: The Way of Water, giving the movie a rating of just 1/5.

“The floatingly bland plot is like a children’s story without the humour; a YA story without the emotional wound; an action thriller without the hard edge of real excitement.”

Ending on a positive, a 5/5 positive to be precise, ComicBook.com’s Liam Crowley could barely find the words to describe the experience of letting Avatar: The Way of Water wash over you from the glare of a big screen. And he cannot wait for what’s next.

“Watching the film [feels] like being waterboarded with turquoise cement.”

Set more than a decade after the events of the first film, Avatar: The Way of Water tells the story of the Sully family, the trouble that follows them, the lengths they go to keep each other safe, the battles they fight to stay alive, and the tragedies they endure.

“Words don’t do Avatar: The Way of Water justice. While this film has all the makings of a once-in-a-lifetime theatrical experience, audiences should relish in the fact that there is much more to come.”

Avatar: The Way of Water is due for release on December 16, 2022.