Review | Avatar: Fire And Ash (2025)

James Cameron’s Avatar: Fire and Ash is another effortlessly breathtaking adventure. The film is another technical marvel that delivers the spectacle we have come to expect from this director.

It’s time to return to Pandora. After our underwhelming return to the world of Na’vi in Avatar: The Way of Water, James Cameron is inviting us to take another detour to Pandora for his long-awaited third instalment in the beloved franchise, Avatar: Fire and Ash. The long-awaited threequel is finally arriving in cinemas this Friday, and the expectations are high.

But with The Way of Water delivering a rare, below-par adventure from the legendary director, can Fire and Ash bring the adventure full circle and deliver the brilliance we have come to expect from Cameron? Or is his latest effort another breathtakingly beautiful disappointment?

REVIEW

Fear not, Avatar fans, because Avatar: Fire and Ash is another effortlessly breathtaking adventure through the glorious world of Pandora. Despite a lack of character depth, especially for the scene-stealing Varang, the film is another technical marvel that delivers the visual spectacle we have come to expect from this director. It delivers on the emotion, poignancy, action, and grand spectacle promised in The Way of Water, while culminating some of the loose threads from past adventures. 

Though some of the special effects still struggle to hold up to the franchise originator, the film is a glorious spectacle from start to finish. Most of this brilliance can be attributed to the masterful cinematography of Russell Carpenter, who once again delivers a visual treat. Once again, Pandora is brought to life in stunning minute detail, with the underwater kingdom again becoming a focal point for the series. But unlike the previous film, we are rewarded with a return to the sky for the mother of all showdowns, and the payoff is worth it. 

CHARACTER DEPTH

My primary concern going into Avatar: Fire and Ash was the amount of character depth each individual would get. My biggest gripe with The Way of Water was the lack of growth from Jake Sully and Neytiri. Of course, as parents, their roles had changed, but after their intense struggle in Cameron’s curtain raiser, I hoped for more of the same. Instead, their children took center stage, leaving the audience to adapt to a new set of characters and a new underwater tribe, which was a lot to process. 

However, with those characters now firmly established, Cameron is free to brush off the shackles and dive into his third film with his usual gusto, and the result is phenomenal. From the opening moments, the director gets down to business, expanding the narrative to include fresh characters and reuniting us with some old ones omitted from the last outing. Thankfully, Jake and Neytiri are thrust back to the forefront of the story alongside their children as they pick up the breadcrumbs from the previous film and follow them to their conclusion. 

NEW CHARACTERS

Sadly, this return to form is a double-edged sword, especially for some of the newer characters that are introduced here. While Jake, Neytiri and their children are once again front and center, our new villainess, Varang, is criminally underused, which is disappointing. From the moment she appears on the screen, Varang is a formidable character, and her presence is infectious. From her brutal demeanor to the ruthless manipulation of her victims, she is portrayed as the leader of the savage Mangkwan clan, a tribe of Na’vi that has abandoned the path of Ewya in favor of their savage ways.

Her quest for power and dominance eerily mirrors that of the Native Americans here on Earth. It’s clear Cameron drew inspiration from Hollywood’s golden era of cowboys and Indians for this tribe, and Varang, along with her Mangkwan, feels like a throwback to the Old West. But sadly, she doesn’t appear on screen enough for me. She’s like an old-school Star Wars character, shrouded in mystery, but her backstory is tantalizingly out of reach. Her addition throws a wild card onto an already established gameboard, and her addition serves to light the fuse of the story, which kicks into high gear and never looks back. 

SULLY’S NEVER QUIT

Thankfully, the audience rarely feels the weight of the 197-minute running time. The story moves at a brisk pace and adds more depth to the already established story with a fresh set of twists and turns. Some of the audience will see it coming from a mile away. But there are a few curveballs to keep us guessing, making the experience more enjoyable. One of my biggest pet peeves is a telegraphed story that unfolds in an obvious way, and thankfully, Cameron does enough to keep the story fresh and exciting. 

Moreover, with the Sully clan firmly established in the last outing, we get to enjoy their roles here, and after experiencing their growth as inexperienced youngsters, we get to come of age with them. Obviously, Neteyam’s death is still a significant factor in their dynamic. Still, the plot moves quickly to separate the family, giving them their own stories without making parental overprotection the main focus. This lets Kiri, Lo’ak, Tuk, and Spider step forward and establish themselves as active warriors in the family, while Neytiri and Jake handle their own struggles. However, mourning for Neteyam remains a constant presence in the story, keeping it personal and grounded. 

QUARITCH

Obviously, the curveball in the mix comes from Stephen Lang’s Quaritch, who once again fills the villain’s role with unrelenting exuberance. The franchise just wouldn’t be the same with Lang, and here, he comes out with all guns blazing. Once again, his relationship with Spider plays a significant role in the film’s story, and it is enjoyable to watch the familial bonds between Jake, Quaritch, and Spider being tested. The tug of war between them was a tangible storyline in The Way of Water, and that subplot comes to a head here.

But the character has never been as chilling as he becomes when he aligns with Varang. Once the Mangkwan witch enters the picture, Quaritch’s persona takes on a new edge, and some of his antics are as frightening as they are entertaining. His maniacal persona perfectly matches Varang’s, making them a formidable power couple that’s more than a match for Jake and Neytiri. For the most part, Lang is rewarded with many of the best lines in the film, and his delivery never fails to entertain. From his slick one-liners to his sarcastic anecdotes, Lang rises above the Avatar costume to deliver a truly human performance, and that is the highest compliment I can pay. 

THE WAY OF WATER

If the cast’s performances or the plot’s gravitas aren’t enough to secure the film’s success, the glorious underwater sequences will be. One of the better additions to The Way of Water was Lo’ak’s relationship with the colossal Tulkun, Payakan, and in Fire and Ash, we get to enjoy the fruits of the relationship. The underwater sequences featuring the Tulkun are a joy to watch, which is only intensified when a new species of Pandoran squid arrives to cause havoc. But the CGI used to create these creatures is one of my only gripes with the film. The motion blur on their rapid attacks and snapping beaks feels unfinished and like something out of a video game engine. While this isn’t a major detraction, the scene is the only part of the film that feels underwhelming in its execution, and I expected more from James Cameron.

However, fans craving a return to the skies are in for a treat because the swarms of banshees make a welcome return in this film. While their involvement in the threequel is welcome, their roles are a retread from the first film. But when they are called upon, the flying sequences are still awe-inspiring, especially in 3D. I said at the top of this review that the film is a brilliant spectacle, and that cannot be overstated. From the glorious underwater battles to the aerial onslaught of the banshees, the film delivers an absolute feast for the eyes, rivalling the first in its scale. 

THE HORNER EFFECT

Doubling down on the visual effects is the excellent score from Simon Franglen. Once again, the composer has tapped into James Horner’s brilliant score from the first film to deliver another wonderful soundscape. The brilliance of Horner’s masterwork features throughout, maintaining the saga’s continuity. Franglen, once again, adds his own music to keep the film fresh, but the combination of the new music and returning themes works well to maintain the essence of the saga to date. And that is just the icing on the cake of what is another rollercoaster ride from James Cameron. 

VERDICT

Overall, Avatar: Fire and Ash is another effortlessly breathtaking but flawed effort from James Cameron. While the lack of character depth for Varang does temper the film’s enjoyment, it doesn’t diminish the brilliance on show from the director. Cameron’s vision truly has no bounds, and with Avatar: Fire and Ash, he has added another new dimension to his gloriously crafted world. After the unpredictable twists in The Way of Water, it’s great to see Cameron returning to his best and delivering a strong third installment. Yes, it’s more of the same, but you can never get too much of a good thing. 

If this is a sign of things to come, then long may our adventures in Pandora continue. But if they end here, fans can rejoice knowing the saga was put out to pasture with a banger! I see you, James Cameron!

Avatar: Fire and Ash brings the magic of Pandora to cinemas on December 19th. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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