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"Avatar: The Way of Water" opens in theaters on
Friday, 13 years after the first film wowed audiences with
pioneering 3D technology and became the highest-grossing movie
of all time with $2.9 billion in ticket sales.
The sequel offers more advanced 3D images, showcasing aquatic
creatures on the lush moon of Pandora.
As of Tuesday afternoon, 85% of 107 reviews collected on the
Rotten Tomatoes website had applauded the new installment.
"'Avatar: The Way of Water' is such a screen-popping visual
feast it earns the 3-hour, 12-minute running time," said Richard
Roeper of the Chicago Sun-Times.
Some also lauded the story about the tall, blue Na'vi people,
who are forced to flee from the forest to the ocean.
"The 3-D special effects remain exceptional, but the screenplay
is better this time, with a storyline more emotionally engaging
than in the original," said Randy Myers of the San Jose Mercury
News.
Leah Greenblatt of Entertainment Weekly called the movie "a
meticulous world-building as astonishing and enveloping as
anything we've ever seen on screen."
Hollywood's big question is whether "The Way of Water" can
recoup its massive production and marketing costs. Studios split
ticket sales with theaters, and Cameron told GQ magazine that
"The Way of Water" will need to make $2 billion just to break
even.
Shawn Robbins, chief analyst at Box Office Pro, projects the
movie will open with at least $150 million in ticket sales in
the United States and Canada during its first weekend. Walt
Disney Co is distributing the film.
Critics were not universally impressed with "The Way of Water."
Some objected to the long running time or said they were not
drawn in by the story.
"Watching the film (feels) like being waterboarded with
turquoise cement," said Robbie Collin of the Daily Telegraph.
(Reporting by Lisa Richwine; Editing by Mary Milliken and
Jonathan Oatis)
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