James Cameron’s Avatar is without a doubt one of the most epic franchises to ever grace the big screen, and just three years after the long-awaited sequel, the third installment Avatar: Fire and Ash is set to hit the 2025 movie calendar on December 19. Talk about an early Christmas present! Early screenings have begun, and first reactions are lauding another visual masterpiece, though moviegoers have one nagging issue (and it’s not the run time exceeding 3 hours).
Avatar: Fire and Ash picks up about a year after Jake (Sam Worthington) and Neytiri (Zoe Saldaña) joined the Metkayina clan, as they continue to grieve the loss of their oldest son Neteyam. They encounter a new enemy clan led by Varang (Oona Chaplin) as the conflict on Pandora escalates. Courtney Howard loves this addition, saying this is why we go to the movies. In the critic’s words:
3 films in, James Cameron still has the sauce, making the epic spectacular feel emotionally impactful. A glorious saga. Bold, brilliant & awesome in every way, this is what movie theaters were built for. Payakan is still my fave, but Varang is the MVP.
Chris Parker also says he enjoyed the upcoming action movie, also praising Oona Chaplin and the incredible animation, though the critic has one nit-pick:
James Cameron once again delivers a remarkable visual feast. The fire tribe are a scene stealing presence. Oona Chaplin’s dynamic w/ Quaritch was a highlight. I will say Way of Water spoiled us w/ SO MUCH new stuff this one feels slightly repetitive w/ little new
And here’s where we get into the complaints about Avatar: Fire and Ash repeating some of what we’ve already seen in the first two films. However, while Shaurya Chawla makes note of it, the repetition doesn’t take away from what he calls “great spectacle filmmaking.” Chawla writes:
AVATAR: FIRE AND ASH: an emotionally powerful, terrifically directed and visually incredible movie, with some of the most compelling storytelling and action of the series yet, building on the characters–old and new–and the world in fascinating ways. Loved it. It is a testament to how effectively FIRE AND ASH plays around with some of the bolder, more mature concepts it brings forward that even when it does retread some narrative beats from the first two movies, they mostly still work here.
Matt Neglia of Next Best Picture says Sam Worthington and Zoe Saldaña are doing some of their best work yet in Avatar 3, which is beautiful, thrilling and admittedly a little frustrating. Even with some questionable choices, Neglia writes, it’s still better than most of the other blockbusters out there. The critic continues:
AVATAR: FIRE AND ASH delivers the most emotional moments of the franchise and is, by far, the most epic in both scope and runtime, yet it also mines the least amount of new material from covering so much ground. Still, the breathtaking visual effects, world-building, and evolving lore of Pandora continue to astound. When James Cameron is cooking, he’s cooking with tremendous, scorching hot fire!
Adam Patla agrees that less new material equals more repetitive stories, but this critic really enjoyed the heavier themes of mourning and conflict, writing:
While it struggles to juggle all its characters & feels repetitious, Avatar: Fire and Ash is strongest when it’s interrogating faith in the face of grief. I adored it whenever it’s focused on the conflict with the Ash People. Goes w/out saying it’s visually superb.
Any complaints in these first reactions shouldn’t keep people from checking out the upcoming movie, because every critique was couched within glowing responses to the product James Cameron has put out. Anthony Gagliardi of The Movie Podcast says:
Avatar: Fire and Ash is a VISUAL TRIUMPH that SOARS TO NEW HEIGHTS. A jaw-dropping, fully immersive experience that leaves you in awe. James Cameron proves why he’s the greatest filmmaker of our time. Zoe Saldaña & Oona Chaplin deliver powerful performances in a heartfelt journey that demands to be seen in IMAX.
Jacob Kolness uses a couple of negative-sounding descriptors before conceding that nobody else out there is making films like the Avatar series. Kolness writes:
Avatar: Fire and Ash is an overwhelming and exhausting amount of movie that may test the patience of its audience, but the cinematic wow factor is still undeniable. Breathtaking, explosive sequences that remind you nobody does blockbuster filmmaking better.
Erik Davis says Avatar: Fire and Ash is the epitome of what James Cameron does best, with his strong ambition and heart. Davis loves how the three films are brought together as the Sully family fights to define who they truly want to be. He continues:
James Cameron’s AVATAR: FIRE AND ASH is a phenomenal moviegoing experience. It’s the biggest of the three — action-packed, visually jaw-dropping and rich with themes of family, legacy and survival. The way it weaves fire, water, air and land into every nook and cranny of the film is kind of remarkable. This is pure blockbuster filmmaking at its finest.
We’ve still got a couple of weeks to wait until we can witness the next chapter of this science fiction epic, as it hits theaters on Friday, December 19. Will James Cameron be able to make the “two metric fucktons of money” he needs in order to justify those fourth and fifth Avatar movies he’s already working on? Only time will tell.