'Avatar: Fire and Ash' Review: It's time to leave Pandora
Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldaña, Kate Winslet, Sigourney Weaver, Stephen Lang star in James Cameron's sci-fi epic
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"Avatar" has always had its critics. I wasn't one of them — at least at the beginning. I was blown away by the first film. I was able to compartmentalize the comparisons to "Dances with Wolves," "FernGully," and "Pocahontas" and marvel at the world James Cameron had created.
Throughout the course of the sequels, however, the good will I once had for the franchise is draining. And fast.
The first film, released in 2009, followed Jake Sully (Sam Worthington), the former Marine turned blue giant Na'vi, the indigenous species that inhabits the distant plant of Pandora. Instead of being a pawn of the Resources Development Administration (RDA), the militarized organization seeking to strip Pandora of its resources for a dying Earth, Jake decided to remain in his "avatar" Na'vi body permanently after falling in love with Neytiri (Zoe Saldaña) and proving himself to her clan, killing his former superior-turned-nemesis Col. Miles Quaritch (Stephen Lang) in the process.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) in 20th Century Studios' AVATAR: FIRE AND ASH. Photo courtesy of 20th Century Studios. © 2025 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.
Years later, in 2022's "Avatar: The Way of Water," we followed Jake and Neytiri's family. They have four children: sons 16-year-old Neteyam (Jamie Flatters) and 14-year-old Lo'ak (Britain Dalton), 14-year-old adopted daughter Kiri (Sigourney Weaver) and their youngest daughter 8-year-old Tuk (Trinity Bliss). There's also Miles "Spider" Socorro (Jack Champion), Quaritch's 16-year-old biological son, who loves hanging with the kids and basically thinks of himself as one of them (think Cousin Oliver joining "The Brady Bunch").
They all flee the RDA as Quaritch, resurrected in an avatar Na'vi body, has his sights set on Jake's scalp. They seek refuge with the aquatic Metkayina clan led by Tonowari (Cliff Curtis) and Ronal (Kate Winslet). An epic battle ensues, Neteyam is tragically killed, and the RDA retreats, setting the stage for the next film.
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Quaritch (Stephen Lang) in 20th Century Studios' "Avatar: Fire and Ash." Photo courtesy of 20th Century Studios. © 2025 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.
"Avatar: Fire and Ash" picks up where "The Way of Water" left off. The Sully family is reeling from Neteyam's death as Lo'ak blames himself for what happened. Frankly, the plot for "Fire and Ash" closely resembles "The Way of Water": RDA comes back for resources, Quaritch wants Jake, epic battle ensues. The main difference is that this film focuses on the dynamic between Spider and his estranged father as well as the mysterious origins of Kiri, who sprang from the avatar of Dr. Grace Augustine (also played by Weaver), the human scientist who died while helping the Na'vi in the first film. Someone needs to dispatch Maury Povich to find out who the father is.
"Fire and Ash" also introduces us to the villainous Varang (Oona Chaplin — granddaughter of Charlie Chaplin), the savage leader of the volcanic ash Mangkwan clan who aids Quaritch and the RDA in their war against the other Na'vi. It's a shame her character was mostly squandered because she was the most intriguing addition to the "Avatar" universe — thanks in part to Chaplin's breakout performance.
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Oona Chaplin as Varang in 20th Century Studios' "Avatar: Fire and Ash." Photo courtesy of 20th Century Studios. © 2025 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved. (20th Century Studios)
The "Avatar" franchise has always had a cheesiness to it — and at first, it was tolerable. The Na'vi have a spiritual connection to Pandora's nature so much so that they even have an appendage that can physically connect with other plants and animals (and each other) to form a bond.
The cheesiness was dialed up in "The Way of Water" when it depicts the Na'vi having full-blown conversations with these revered whale-like creatures, and there's more of that in "Fire and Ash." It's a huge part of these films! It reminds me of that scene in "Anchorman" when Ron Burgundy randomly talks with his dog Baxter. It's just so silly, except here, we aren't supposed to be laughing.
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Kiri (Sigourney Weaver) in 20th Century Studios' "Avatar: Fire and Ash." Photo courtesy of 20th Century Studios. © 2025 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved. (20th Century Studios)
"Fire and Ash," like its two predecessors, is another technical achievement. The motion-captured performances are strong, the action sequences are stellar and the visual effects are incredible — except I recalled being more awed by "The Way of Water," which explored the oceans of Pandora for the first time while we don't explore much new terrain here.
Cameron began developing "Avatar" in 1994. He clearly cares about this franchise, which already has two more films slated after "Fire and Ash." The question is whether we need two more "Avatar" films. If "Fire and Ash" surpasses $1 billion in the global box office like the first two "Avatar" films did, then the world will answer yes. But if you're asking me, I think it's time for Cameron to leave Pandora behind.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}(L-R) Neytiri (Zoe Saldaña) and Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) in 20th Century Studios' "Avatar: Fire and Ash." Photo courtesy of 20th Century Studios. © 2025 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.
The Verdict
"Avatar: Fire and Ash" is a bloated, 3-plus hour sci-fi epic that thrives on the remarkable visuals . It's the equivalent to going on the same rollercoaster a third time: a carnival spectacle that slowly loses its thrill the more you ride it. If part of you is curious about the spectacle, then see it on the big screen like it was made for — because it won't be worth watching on a tiny screen at home.
★★ — SKIP IT
"Avatar: Fire and Ash" is rated PG-13 for intense sequences of violence and action, bloody images, some strong language, thematic elements and suggestive material. Running time: 3 hour, 15 minutes. In theaters now.
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