Editor’s Note: Important events and spoilers mentioned
“Avatar: Fire and Ash” is an eye–catching, science fiction movie set in the world of Pandora, released on Dec. 19, 2025, by infamous writer James Cameron. It is the third movie and counting of the “Avatar” saga. It features a family of nine-foot-tall blue aliens navigating their way through loss, new experiences and changes to a world that has never known change.
The three-hour-long movie starts with a scene of Lo’ak and Neteyam (children of Jake Sully and Neytiri, the lead protagonists from the previous two movies, played by Sam Worthington and Zoe Saldana, respectively) soaring through the Omaticaya land—the original setting in the first Avatar movie—on their designated Ikrans (dragon-like creatures). Those who have seen the previous movie will know that the family no longer resides in the Omaticaya territory, and Neteyam is dead, so the scene evokes a special feeling of nostalgia to the viewers. The heartfelt moment ends when Lo’ak disconnects from Eywa.
One of the many great aspects of the film was the visuals and CGI work. The detail and effort put into the Na’vi was beautifully executed. Similarly, each clan was unique in its own way, and when they all came together to fight the Mangkwan (Ash People) and RDA, it showcased their unity and bravery during challenging times. The introduction of the Mangkwan was extremely well put together, and Varang was a good villain, a huge contrast compared to the repetitiveness of Quaritch (the main antagonist of all movies). The most interesting part was Varang and her backstory. The way she was able to use her Kuru–something known for bonding and love, now being used for hatred–was stunning. Her concept was carefully considered and clever. This contrast made her character more interesting.
Despite these positives, there are several cons. Firstly, it is chaotic. The film is almost an exact copy of the previous, “Avatar: The Way of Water,” feeling reminiscent of something Marvel would produce. There was constant action and warfare alongside a poor plot, which unfortunately tended to blend together. At the start, it was fairly coherent. The family was still with the Metkayina, grieving those lost and learning where their place was within it all. The keyword, though, is that they were all family, something the director James Cameron seemed to forget. Much later into the film, Spider (played by Jack Champion) and Kiri (played by Sigourney Weaver) throw aside their familial relationship, even though they call the same man their father, and share a ‘heartfelt’ kiss. The scene is just disturbing and adds no depth to their relationship, especially considering the interspecies aspect to it. Cameron tends to make most of Kiri’s scenes awkward and disturbing in a futile attempt to make her seem more important. When Spider loses battery on his oxygen mask, Kiri saves him by connecting to and controlling Eywa on her own, something never before seen in the history of Na’vi. The overall idea is great in theory, but it is executed so poorly that she feels redundant and boring, especially with how she was able to insert Spider with Eywa and convert him into a Na’vi. It was so far stretched and felt like a slap in the face to the overall idea of what their god is. The fact that Spider can breathe the same air as the Avatars makes him seem more like family to the Sullys, which puts his relationship with Kiri in an even more awkward situation. This just waters down Spider’s ‘redemption arc’ and makes him more unlikable, considering many people don’t like him already. Many just find him annoying and unnecessary to the plot.
Overall, “Avatar: Fire and Ash” was a good movie that just fell flat. The idea of the film was great, but it was too poorly executed. It’s upsetting that such a high-quality idea didn’t get to reach its full potential. Regardless of all the complaints touched on in this review, the film is still worth watching, so you can form your own opinion on it all.
