Well, I freely admit the story of the first one was on the weak side and pretty much Pocahontas in space - but I saw the original Avatar a couple times and my wife and I enjoyed it. I'm looking forward to seeing the next one - I hope it improves on everything that was weak with the first.

Early initial impressions have started coming out - they seem pretty much extremely positive.

Could still struggle to break this $2bil mark though. I'm a little worried about theaters actually showing it in 3d though - I'm hoping your average theater can at least still display it in "RealD 3D" or whatever the original movie helped roll out.
And I guess very few theaters across the country will have it in the best/newest 3D tech for sure - bummer.

I was a big fan of the 3D with the first one. If you didn't see the original in 3D at a theater then I don't think you really got the full experience.

Oh and I think people slamming the Avatar pin are selling it way short. I enjoyed mine a lot and wouldn't mind owning it again someday. Underrated IMO. Really loved the callouts from Stephen Lang as the Col. And that is still with Stern never truly finishing the code - the apron card mentioned some secondary Link MB modes or something that never materialized, IIRC.

Saw it with the wife and step daughter - everyone liked it and enjoyed the spectacle. The story is still a little over the top with humanity being world and wildlife destroyers (whaling, really?), but w/e.

I'd kinda like to see it without the high framerate stuff that this showing offered - I too don't see why they went with that, it felt bad in multiple scenes.