Legendary filmmaker James Cameron and the cast of Avatar: Fire and Ash celebrated the film in Wellington on Saturday, with hundreds of lucky guests packing into the Embassy Theatre for the Australasian premiere.
More than 700 people waited in anticipation for the latest instalment in the Avatar franchise, which follows Jake Sully (Sam Worthington), Neytiri (Zoe Saldaña) and their family in their fight to save Pandora.
Despite the success of the first two movies, Cameron wasn't about to jump the gun when asked if he was confident Avatar: Fire and Ash would replicate their performance at the box office.
"You can never count a chicken before they’re hatched, and the market has been changing very rapidly over the last few years. The theatrical cinema marketplace is down, and it hasn’t rebounded," he told 1News.
At 197 minutes long, I was worried my Gen Z attention span might get in the way of fully following the storyline. Fortunately, that wasn’t the case, with the Avatar magic reminding me what movie theatres are built for.
My advice for those about to see the cinematic spectacle for themselves: eat a hefty meal beforehand, load up on snacks, and factor in a toilet stop before heading into the theatre. The third journey to Pandora makes it nearly impossible to leave your seat for the full three hours.
Wellingtonian Charlotte Perkins labelled the film "another astonishing technical feat" but said that it was less compelling as a standalone film.
"But it was hard not to be overwhelmed by the immersive 3D experience.”
Premiere guest Sam Anderson said fans of the Avatar franchise would enjoy the third movie, but felt it could have been more evenly paced.
"After an action-packed three hours, the film wrapped up too quickly, and I felt the creators could have pumped the brakes throughout the movie to give viewers more breathing room."
Despite the Avatar franchise contributing $1.1 billion to the New Zealand economy over eight years, Cameron said the film sector was still recovering from the Covid-19 pandemic.
"I’ve tried to invite as many of the movers and shakers as possible to the premiere. Maybe they’ll think creatively about how we can support the screen sector. From a government standpoint, I think we could do better on rebates, and we can do better on training programmes."
'Definitely the best yet' - Willis
Finance Minister Nicola Willis was at the premiere and told 1News the third Avatar film was "definitely the best yet".
"It has incredible visual effects which really showcase the skill and ingenuity of our Kiwi filmmakers. Five out of five stars."
Green Party MP Julie Anne Genter also enjoyed the film but was a little more critical of the storyline.
"I love the rich visuals, the beauty and diversity of the nature imagined by the film’s creators, and the humour woven in with the drama for characters like the rebel marine biologist played by Jemaine Clement," she said.
"I’d give it five stars for visual effects, and maybe 3.5 for story. I’m hoping for a redemption arc or more character complexity for some of the 'villains' in the next film, which I hope will be made in Wellington as well."
Wellington Mayor Andrew Little rated the film 4.5 out of five stars.
"I thought it was great, and it held my attention throughout the whole movie. Really amazing visuals, and a testament to the talented folk making movies here in Wellington."
Avatar: Fire and Ash is now showing in cinemas across the country.
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