Avatar: Fire and Ash tops US box office despite middling reviews

Avatar: Fire and Ash tops US box office despite middling reviews Avatar: Fire and Ash, the third outing in James Cameron's blockbuster sci-fi adventure series, has topped the US and Canada box office on its opening weekend. Avatar: Fire and Ash is predicted to be one of the year's highest-grossing movies The latest in the franchise took an estimated $88m (£65.5m), but that was significantly down on the $134m (£100m) that Avatar: The Way of the Water took on its opening weekend in 2022. However, the Avatar franchise is known for its longevity at the box office, so its opening weekend figure will probably increase significantly in the coming weeks. Both 2009's Avatar, which was considered groundbreaking for its revolutionary use of technology, and sequel The Way of the Water, held on to the top box office spot for seven consecutive weeks. "The openings are not what the Avatar movies are about. It's what they do after they open," David A Gross of Franchise Entertainment Research said. The film took £9m at the UK and Ireland box office, and reached a global total of $345m (£257m), compared with The Way of Water's global figure of $441m (£328m). The film once again stars Zoe Saldaña as Na'vi warrior Neytiri and and Sam Worthington as ex-Marine Jake Sully, who have to fight off a new enemy after threats to their family's life on Pandora. The latest Avatar adventure has received decidedly mixed reviews from critics. Empire's Ben Travis was a fan, giving it four out of a possible five stars, describing it as "truly epic cinema." While noting that "anyone hoping for a seismic shift in the overall saga should recalibrate their expectations," he added: "Still, this is about the most spectacular spectacle you could ever ask for - utterly transportive, technically masterful. "It's near-unfathomable that barely anything on screen actually exists; so photo-real, you never even think about it. And it's all in service to myth-making at the highest level, Cameron and crew weaving entire new tapestries with unparalleled imagination." The London Evening Standard's Nick Howells gave it the same rating, describing the film as "three hours and 15 minutes of unsurpassed cinematic pyrotechnics". He added: "Cameron has taken 3D cinema to another wild dimension with a gloriously intense experience that will, frankly, leave you deliriously exhausted." But others were left underwhelmed. Time Magazine's Stephanie Zacharek headline was scathing in her review, headlined: "Avatar used to be revolutionary. Three movies in, the franchise has lost its wonder. She added: "Avatar: Fire and Ash never lets you forget you're looking at a screen, especially as hour three starts ticking by. Cameron's vision is no longer the future, but a nostalgia trip, a very expensive form of deja vu. Movie magic can take many forms, but rarely is it as calculated as this, confusing awe with stupor." Robbie Collin of the Daily Telegraph concurred, his headline describing his experience of the film "like watching £300m of glitter tipped into a fish tank." He...

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