Film Review – Avatar: Fire and Ash

December 18th, 2025 | POSTED BY Allen Almachar

The Avatar series has bucked the trend of modern blockbusters, in that it doesn’t rely on pre-existing properties. There were no books, toys, video games, or TV shows in which it could mine fan nostalgia. Sure, it borrows elements from other works – FernGully (1992) being the most common example I’ve heard. But not since Star Wars has a franchise seen major success largely from its own hype. Writer/Director James Cameron crafted this behemoth out of sheer force of will, pushing technology forward to create a universe that seems tangible and lived in. And while some may criticize the storytelling, character development, or length, there is no denying that Cameron cut no corners in his process. There are very few filmmakers – if any – that have his kind of ambition and the fortitude to actually pull it off.

The third installment of the series – Avatar: Fire and Ash (2025) picks up almost immediately after the events of its predecessor, The Way of Water (2022). Cameron (with cowriters Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver) pack a whole lot into the three hour plus runtime. We reunite with the Sully family, consisting of the blue-skinned Na’vi Jake (Sam Worthington), Neytiri (Zoe Saldaña), Lo’ak (Britain Dalton), Tuk (Trinity Jo-Li Bliss), Kiri (Sigourney Weaver) and the human named Spider (Jack Champion). The Sullys – still living with the water tribe of Na’vi – are victorious from the battle of the previous film, but not without tremendous loss. A family tragedy looms over them all, forcing Jake and Neytiri to reconsider if they could ever truly be safe from invading humans (or “Sky People”). Meanwhile, the main villain of the series, Colonel Miles Quaritch (Stephen Lang) – still stuck in his own Na’vi body – has teamed up with the ruthless Varang (Oona Chaplin) and her vicious “Ash People” to hunt the Sullys down and bring fire to all of Pandora.

What I just described only scratches the surface of what Fire and Ash has to offer. Cameron utilizes every second to expand this world and its lore. There are tons of running themes involving family, parents and children, spirituality, environmentalism, technology vs. nature, resistance vs. pacifism, community vs. isolation, death and rebirth, etc. Because this is the longest entry so far, Cameron has the time to let each of these components breathe. There are a lot of ideas, but the narrative never feels too dense or hurried. This is also the darkest and weirdest film of the franchise so far. Cameron plays with more heightened imagery, to the point of nearly going psychedelic. There are sequences that are so absurd and mind bending that I was reminded of what Stanley Kubrick accomplished in 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968). I say this as a compliment. The stranger things got, the more locked in I became. But that isn’t to say Cameron loses focus on the most important aspects. He never forgets that the central concern is of the characters, and how each of them are affected by the choices they make (or don’t make).

The best addition to the Avatar universe is Oona Chaplin as the cold-blooded Varang. Everything about the character feels unhinged, sadistic, and a little kinky. The way she is designed, how she moves, to even her speech pattern suggests that she gets off at spreading chaos and violence. One way she exerts influence over others is by manipulating the Na’vi hair connection (or “kuru”), which equates to a physical violation. Varang is also one hell of a warrior, and her battle scenes with Neytiri are some of the most intense sequences we get. She makes the perfect counterpart to Stephen Lang’s Quaritch. The two are very much alike and share common motivations. Varang seeks power and dominance, and Quaritch has the resources to make that dream a reality. Chaplin and Lang have great chemistry on screen. They allow their characters to ooze a bizarre sensuality that is both hilarious and electric. There are moments where we wonder if we should give the two the privacy to live out whatever warped fantasies they may have.

In terms of the digital and motion capture effects, what more can you say? Once again, Cameron and his team have rendered visuals that are simply jaw dropping. Everything we see, from the characters, environments, creatures, and war ships all look as though they exist in real space. But it isn’t the big, wide-angle shots that are the most impressive – it’s the small details. James Cameron has made it a point to say that generative A.I. was not used here. Motion capture technology was added the same way as make up and costuming. It’s used as a tool to enhance the performances.  The best shots are the closeups, where we can see the faces of the Na’vi characters in full view. Every strand of hair, bead of sweat, muscle flex or facial tick appear real. When actors make the subtlest change to their faces, it translates on screen. It’s truly one of the great examples of how technology and art can coalesce to create something unique.  

Cameron recently revealed that The Way of Water and Fire and Ash was conceived and written as one single film and was subsequently split into two. This explains much of the similarities between them, especially with the action. We revisit many of the same locations, and several of the major set pieces in Fire and Ash are similar to those in The Way of Water. This lends to a noticeably repetitive nature. Thankfully, Cameron adds enough of a spin to give Fire and Ash plenty of surprises. One of the big ones is how involved the whales (or “Tulkun”) are this time around. The tulkun are not just bystanders but active participants, even joining in plotting and defending against the Sky People. In fact, the creatures of Pandora are far more prominent overall. It seems Mother Nature (or “Eywa”) has had enough of the human and Na’vi conflict after three films. Of course, we get the thrilling spectacle and big explosions that are common in a James Cameron blockbuster. This is a movie that is made to be seen on the biggest screen and heard with the loudest speakers available. 

We can sit here all day and nitpick all the minor issues of Fire and Ash. But what can’t be argued is how bold and uncompromising Cameron was in making it. He tests the limits of storytelling in every way imaginable and never settles on the easy route. This is epic filmmaking of the highest order, reminiscent of the classic large-scale productions of Hollywood’s Golden Age. Some have criticized the Avatar franchise for its familiar story beats and character traits. I find them to be benefits and not hindrances. Despite bringing us into a world of tall blue aliens, Cameron still allows us to connect to them on an emotional level. That is his great success: digging beneath the technological advancements and cinematic fireworks to find a big, beating heart. 

Cameron has indicated that Fire and Ash might be the final installment of the series. He planned on Avatar being five films long, but there is no guarantee that the last two will be made. If that is the case, it’s been one hell of a ride.

2001: A Space Odyssey, Amanda Silver, Avatar, Avatar: Fire and Ash, Avatar: The Way of Water, Britain Dalton, Featured, FernGully, Jack Champion, James Cameron, Oona Chaplin, Rick Jaffa, Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Stanley Kubrick, Stephen Lang, Trinity Jo-Li Bliss, Zoe Saldaña