Avatar: The Way Of Water Review - 7 Ups & 3 Downs

After an agonising 13-year wait, the long-anticipated Avatar: The Way of Water is finally, finally here, years after many fans had basically given up all hope on it ever actually releasing.

But it's out now worldwide, and despite so much pre-release hand-wringing about the franchise's "cultural impact," it's safe to say that doubting James Cameron is mighty foolish, as he's about to dominate the pop-culture conversation all over again.

Though it's certainly not a perfect sequel, Avatar 2 is nevertheless a mesmerising spectacle like rarely comes along - a reminder that mega-budget blockbusters can deliver heartfelt drama alongside technically astonishing thrills.

And of course, this being James Cameron, he's once again delivered an eye-watering VFX landmark that's sure to keep fans coming back for repeat viewings. In short, if you leave your house for one movie over the next few months, it should absolutely be this one.

It has its undeniable issues - and, unsurprisingly, they're almost all script-related - but as impossibly ambitious tentpole films go, Cameron again affirms that he's the unchallenged king.

But before we get into the praise, here's what doesn't quite work...