Time: 197 Minutes
Age Rating: M – Violence & offensive language
Cast:
Sam Worthington as Jake Sully
Zoe Saldaña as Neytiri
Sigourney Weaver as Kiri
Stephen Lang as Colonel Miles Quaritch
Oona Chaplin as Varang
Kate Winslet as Ronal
Cliff Curtis as Tonowari
Director: James Cameron

Avatar: Fire and Ash was my most anticipated film of 2025. I am a fan of the Avatar movies and the second instalment, The Way of Water ,was incredible and topped the original in just about every way. I loved the look of the third instalment from the trailers, and it certainly lived up to all my high expectations.

One thing to note is that the story of the two Avatar sequels, The Way of Water and Fire and Ash, was conceived of as one story and split into two movies, and with the latter movie you can kind of feel it. There’s a lot of similarities between the two, not just in terms of the ground they cover, but also thematically. This might make Fire and Ash feel repetitive for some people but I think it works seamlessly as a follow up, especially as the third instalment takes place not too long after the previous movie. In some ways, The Way of Water had set up a lot of things that Fire and Ash would deliver on, with the latter film expanding further on some aspects (the Tulkuns being an example of this). At the same time, Fire and Ash is a very different film from its predecessor. It works as a considerably darker chapter in the series, not only for the introduction of the Ash clan of Na’vi who serve as new antagonists, but also where it takes the characters. Many of the established characters are pushed to their breaking points in many ways,  especially Jake, Neytiri and Lo’ak. It has much more of an angry feel, with grief, vengeance and loss being constant themes throughout, and it’s very emotionally charged and filled with compelling conflict. The Way of Water was content to watch the central family of characters hang out and live, Fire and Ash has moments like that, but the plot is comparatively more driven.

The long third act climax goes all out with the action and is highly satisfying. While there’s a couple of more Avatar movies planned, compared to the last movie, Fire and Ash does enough to make it feel like it could work as a possible conclusion to the series. It is currently the longest movie of the series at 3 hours and 20 minutes, and as a fan of the previous two films, I was constantly engaged throughout. There’s definitely a lot happening in this movie and it’s densely packed, but it didn’t feel overstuffed to me. If anything, despite the length, I almost wished it was a little longer. There were times where I wished they had spent more time or expanded on certain areas. The Ash clan is a prominent aspect of the movie as new antagonists, though disappointingly, it felt like we didn’t get enough of them. The only member of that clan that is an actual character is its leader Varang, and even though we learn about their backstory briefly, I would’ve liked the clan to have received a little more development, even if it meant a longer runtime.

Sam Worthington and Zoe Saldana continue to be incredible as Jake Sully and Neytiri. Saldana particularly gives her best performance in the series, Neytiri’s whole journey and arc in this movie is amazing. The rest of the cast are also really great in their roles. Sigourney Weaver is again really good as Kiri as she learns more about herself, and I like the direction they are taking the character. Stephen Lang continues to be one of the standout characters in the series as Quaritch, making for a compelling and entertaining villain to watch. Oona Chaplin is incredible as the new antagonist Varang. Character-wise I wish there was more of her, but she nonetheless has such an immense presence. Her reactions, movements, and expressions are perfect and she steals every scene she’s in. I especially love the dynamic and scenes between her and Quaritch.

James Cameron has done it again; with each Avatar movie he tops himself and he did even more with Fire and Ash, which really was such an experience on the big screen. The gorgeous visuals drew me in and were constantly stunning. The CGI is somehow even better than the last movie’s and is absolutely incredible, from the Na’vi and avatars to the creatures, environments, everything, it all just felt so real and immersive. The action and set pieces are top notch and phenomenal, and are bigger and better than what has come before. Finally, Simon Franglen’s score is sweeping, emotional and truly stellar.

Avatar: Fire and Ash is an immersive, emotional, engaging, immersive and spectacular sci-fi epic, phenomenally directed and with outstanding visuals. One of my favourite movies of the year, if not my favourite.