Non proprio il plebiscito entusiasta che si credeva, e che molti continuano a dipingere, ma quasi. Le prime reazioni alle anteprime dell’Avatar – La via dell’Acqua con cui James Cameron è tornato sul pianeta di Pandora a distanza di oltre dieci anni dalla prima volta, fanno registrare grande entusiasmo, ma anche alcune – interessanti – opinioni diverse. Che non sembrano aver fiaccato la fiducia del regista, soprattutto in considerazione dell’apertura del mercato cinese, del quale si scopre una curiosa versione 1.5 del sequel, ‘di lavorazione’.
LEGGI ANCHE: Avatar – La Via dell’Acqua, il final trailer
Un “capolavoro visivo“, “Ipnotico“, per quello che EW definisce come “un Balla coi lupi e Free Willy per la Generazione Z“, ma anche “sciocco e molliccio” e “noioso“, almeno nella sua prima ora (delle tre complessive), sono solo alcune delle prime critiche ricevute dal kolossal che dal 16 dicembre verrà distribuito anche in Cina, con tutto ciò che questo potrà comportare a livello di incassi.
“Non me ne preoccupo – ha risposto il regista a Variety, dopo le ultime dichiarazioni sull’intenzione di non girare gli ultimi capitoli della saga, ammesso che ci si arrivi. – Non penso che tutto quello che fai artisticamente nella vita dovrebbe essere determinata da troll e oppositori. Uno va dove pensa sia giusto. In un certo senso, lo fai per te stesso. Ma i miei gusti personali sono così da colletti blu e generali, e non esoterici, che se mi piace il mio film, so che ad altre persone piacerà. Alla fine è davvero molto semplicistico”.
LEGGI ANCHE: Avatar, i problemi di James Cameron con il peggior affare “della storia del cinema”
Un elemento in più, rispetto ai tanti emersi in questi giorni di promozione, viene semmai da Sam Worthington, tra i protagonisti del film, che durante un recente incontro ha raccontato come Cameron abbia aiutato lui e la sua partner Zoe Saldana con una versione dello script che fungesse da storia ‘intermedia’, tra il primo e il secondo film, per spiegare loro meglio cosa fosse accaduto nel periodo intercorso:
“Jim mi ha dato una sceneggiatura che era un ‘Avatar’ 1.5, di per sé incredibile, dettagliata e piena di ciò su cui hanno lavorato per superare l’intervallo. Penso che sia stata una parte di Jim che si è reso conto che la storia parlava di loro come guerrieri e che affrontano le battaglie e cose del genere […] Voleva esplorare questa dinamica familiare e l’evoluzione naturale della storia d’amore. Un buon punto di partenza per capire come colmare quel vuoto che mancava”.
Di seguito alcune delle reazioni alla visione in anteprima di Avatar – La via dell’Acqua
Avatar: The Way Of Water is a silly, soggy, motion-smoothed epic of solemnity without a single interesting visual image
— Peter Bradshaw (@PeterBradshaw1) December 6, 2022
AVATAR: THE WAY OF WATER might be James Cameron’s sweetest, gentlest, most personal film. Possibly even his most emotional. It revisits all his greatest hits, but it’s always totally sincere. He is never leaving Pandora. He loves this family. By the end, I did, too.
— Bilge Ebiri (@BilgeEbiri) December 7, 2022
The first hour, mostly recap and repetitive setup, is so boring I almost fell asleep. But I can tell you exactly when I got on board and it was when they started subtitling whales. James Cameron is a madman.
— Jake Cole (@ThatJakePC) December 7, 2022
James Cameron once again shows filmmakers how it’s done. I’ve said it a thousand times. Never doubt him. AVATAR: THE WAY OF WATER is how you do epic blockbuster-ing. Emotional, visceral, and as big as movies get. @officialavatar
— Josh Horowitz (@joshuahorowitz) December 6, 2022
As someone who LIKED — but didn't LOVE — the first AVATAR, let me tell you:
AVATAR: THE WAY OF WATER blew me away.
Vastly superior in visuals, story telling and performances, the sequel left my jaw on the ground for the entire runtime.
James Cameron is the GOD of sequels. pic.twitter.com/1cw6C94O4f
— Jake Hamilton (@JakesTakes) December 6, 2022
Unsurprisingly, #AvatarTheWayOfWater is a visual masterpiece with rich use of 3D and breathtaking vistas. It does suffer from a thin story and too many characters to juggle, yet James Cameron pulls it together for an extraordinary final act full of emotion and thrilling action. pic.twitter.com/opr6CRyOwk
— Ian Sandwell (@ian_sandwell) December 6, 2022
Also, I rewatched the first AVATAR over the weekend and basically settled on “that was fine.” The sequel has much better and deeper character development.
— Mike Ryan (@mikeryan) December 6, 2022
James Cameron is a technology master… and his direction is at its most precise here. The film as a whole, while a technological marvel with a breathtaking world, is just 🤣. Dances with Wolves and Free Willy for Gen Z!
Pee beforehand. #Avatar #AvatarTheWayofWater— Yolanda Machado (@SassyMamainLA) December 6, 2022
#Avatar /#AvatarTheWayOfTheWater is a visual marvel with mesmerizing beauty in every frame. James Cameron's sequel thrives when it explores new terrain, crafting bigger and better emotional stakes. The definition of epic. pic.twitter.com/GqSffkZKBE
— Jeff Nelson (@SirJeffNelson) December 6, 2022
AVATAR: THE WAY OF WATER absolutely owns bones. I was slapping my seat, hooting, screaming for the Na’vi to take out every last one of those dang sky people
— David Sims (@davidlsims) December 6, 2022
As an Avatar stan, I had high hopes for #AvatarTheWayofWater and for me it totally delivers. Sure it's a little long, but worth it for the gorgeous visuals, wonderful new characters. A total thrill.
— Kara Warner (@karawarner) December 6, 2022
AVATAR: THE WAY OF WATER is breathtakingly beautiful with the most incredible VFX I have ever seen (I saw it in 3D); the story itself is weaker than the first and feels drawn out at 3 hours & 10 minutes, but it’s always great to look at & the last hour is amazing. #Avatar pic.twitter.com/8dEhtvRb4P
— Scott Mantz (@MovieMantz) December 6, 2022
So, #AvatarTheWayOfWater: Liked it, didn't love it. The good news is that 3D is good again (yay!), and the action is pretty incredible (especially in the final act). But many of the storylines feel like they have to stop and start, and the high frame rate was hit & miss for me. pic.twitter.com/eY4G76R1AJ
— Amon Warmann (@AmonWarmann) December 6, 2022
on election day 2018, one intrepid journalist was apparently focused on what *really* matters pic.twitter.com/oH1J9aFhMb
— david ehrlich (@davidehrlich) December 7, 2022
Avatar The Way of Water: lol imagine being dumb enough to bet against James Cameron. or teen alien Sigourney Weaver. or giant whales subtitled in papyrus.
light years better than the first & easily one of the best theatrical experiences in ages. streaming found dead in a ditch.
— david ehrlich (@davidehrlich) December 6, 2022
Happy to say #AvatarTheWayOfWater is phenomenal! Bigger, better & more emotional than #Avatar, the film is visually breathtaking, visceral & incredibly engrossing. The story, the spectacle, the spirituality, the beauty – this is moviemaking & storytelling at its absolute finest. pic.twitter.com/RicnpDghrx
— Erik Davis (@ErikDavis) December 6, 2022
AVATAR: THE WAY OF WATER: Yeah never bet against James Cameron. Trying to spare hyperbole, but I’ve never seen anything like this from a technical, visual standpoint. It’s overwhelming. Maybe too overwhelming. Sometimes I’d miss plot points because I’m staring at a Pandora fish
— Mike Ryan (@mikeryan) December 6, 2022
