Avatar sequel criticised over film’s unbelievable runtime as reviews flood in

The long-awaited Avatar sequel is finally receiving its first reviews.

While it might have taken James Cameron over a decade to create the follow-up to the 2009 hit fantasy film, it looks like, in one area at least, some people think its makers went too far.

Early audiences of Avatar: The Way of Water - which is officially released on 16 December - have been slamming it for its unbelievable runtime.

While most films have a runtime of around two hours, the epic fantasy film takes three hours and 12 minutes to watch, and for some critics, this was simply too long.

Danny Leigh of the Financial Times joked: "At over three hours, you will have time to quietly mull geopolitics, as well as holiday plans, meeting schedules and recipe ideas."

Larushka Ivan-Zadeh of the Metro, meanwhile, implied that while the film is not lacking in length, when it comes to its plot, you might be bored during your long cinema stint.

She wrote: "Whilst there's always tonnes of action going on, it's remarkably hard to engage with it or care much about these bland characters.

"As a spectacle it's astonishing. But is this even a film? It's more like a three-hour theme park ride."

Disney

However, not all reviews of the film have been so critical.

IndieWire's David Ehrlich said that cinema fans' second visit to Pandora 'just became the best deal on Earth for the price of a movie ticket'.

He found the film 'rapturous and awe-inducing' and said it 'simply isn't comparable to whatever else is playing'.

Brian Viner of the Daily Mail, meanwhile, wrote: "This sequel is tremendous fun, even bigger and better than the original, but by golly, it will test your bladder."

The film's official synopsis reads: "Jake Sully lives with his newfound family formed on the extrasolar moon, Pandora.

"Once a familiar threat returns to finish what was previously started, Jake must work with Neytiri and the army of the Na'vi race to protect their home."

Disney

The film's director, James Cameron, opened up about why the sequel took so long, explaining that it was largely due to its underwater set.

Cameron, now 68, told Entertainment Weekly that it was filmed in a 900,000-gallon tank and this presented all kinds of challenges.

He explained that extra safety precautions were required and some members of the cast even had to be scuba certified.