By The reviews are in for James Cameron’s “Avatar: Fire and Ash” and whatever magic the franchise has left, it’s gone with the critics who’ve voted it the worst of the three films to date – and by a clear margin.
On Rotten Tomatoes and with 134 reviews counted, the film sits at just 70% – down from the 76% of the second film and the 81% of the first. On Metacritic, the film has pulled in a fairly mixed-poor 61/100 – considerably behind the 67/100 of the second film and the 83/100 of the first.
That said, the film certainly still has its fans, who praise the visuals, Oona Chaplin’s performance as the new villain, and Cameron’s usual filmmaking style. Criticisms are that it’s mostly just a rehash of ‘Way of Water’, only less interesting.
Here’s a sampling of reviews:
“The new movie, for all its inevitable Breathless Technological Advances, doesn’t feel as visually unprecedented as the last one did. If anything, though, it’s a better film and it certainly has its share of amazements.” – OWen Gleiberman, Variety
“It is as visually extraordinary as its predecessors and, while the film contains some of those earlier pictures’ weaknesses, the deficiencies are starting to feel like charming quirks in an otherwise transporting series.” – Tim Grierson, Screen
“[Expectations] didn’t prepare me for the reality of watching one of cinema’s greatest explorers walk in circles for three hours, even if Cameron — being Cameron — naturally finds a way to make that journey feel novel and invigorating at times.” – David Ehrlich, Indiewire
“Anyone hoping for a seismic shift in the overall saga should recalibrate their expectations. Still, this is about the most spectacular spectacle you could ever ask for — utterly transportive, technically masterful.” – Ben Travis, Empire
“Disney gave James Cameron carte blanche and a blank check to do whatever he wanted, and he wanted to do ‘Avatar: The Way of Water’ again, except not as good.” – William Bibbiani, The Wrap
“To a greater extent than its franchise mates, Avatar: Fire and Ash is drunk on its own extravagance, unaware that it’s offering up nothing new that might justify its absurd Sturm und Drang.” – Nick Schager, The Daily Beast
“It’s difficult to convey just how little dramatic urgency there is in a film that’s effectively a computer-generated diorama, one that’s filled with fantastical flora and fauna and mystical beings who are all dressed up with nowhere to go.” – Kevin Maher, The Times
“Unlike the first two Avatars, which even haters would concede were epic journeys of discovery, with Cameron as an attentive guide to a dazzling alien universe, a sense of familiarity kicks in.” – Philip De Semlyen, Time Out
“Avatar: Fire and Ash” opens in cinemas on Friday.
The post The “Avatar: Fire and Ash” Reviews Are In appeared first on Dark Horizons.
