Fire & Ash Reactions Show If James Cameron’s Franchise Can Deliver Another Billion-Dollar Success
Critics are finally sharing their impressions on Avatar: Fire and Ash, as the beloved fantasy franchise continues. With 2025 nearing its end, one of Hollywood’s most legendary directors will be part of concluding the year, with James Cameron bringing his billion-dollar series back to the big screen.
As Avatar: Fire and Ash approaches its theatrical release in just a few weeks, multiple members of the press have screened the film in advance and are sharing their initial reactions to Cameron’s highly anticipated entry. Check out several social media reactions below:
ScreenRant’s Graeme Guttman emphasized that while there is “definitely a middle chapter feel” to the Avatar: Fire and Ash story, Cameron’s sequel is praised for being “overwhelmingly immersive.”
ScreenRant’s Molly Freeman noted that Cameron’s 2025 installment “is visually stunning, and it has a better spectacle-to-story balance than previous films in the series,” although some “story choices” are described as “bizarre.”
While feeling it’s “albeit an overly long one,” ScreenRant’s Tatiana Hullender celebrated Avatar: Fire and Ash as “a bonafide cinematic experience.”
Avatar: Fire & Ash rehashes Way of Water, but better? Club-footed story, technically great, dialogue atrocious, politically the same de-colonial, anti-military stab. A technical triumph. Sigourney Weaver as 16 continues to be strange. It’s very fun and propulsive, but don’t expect more than that.
— Gregory Nussen (@gregnussen.bsky.social) 2025-12-02T06:46:50.757Z
ScreenRant’s Gregory Nussen remarked that the third outing “rehashes Way of Water, but better?” while elaborating on the “club-footed story, technically great,” but with weaker points such as “atrocious dialogue, politically the same de-colonial, anti-military stab.”
Variety’s Jazz Tangcay described Avatar: Fire and Ash as a “staggering achievement of moviemaking,” highlighting its “gorgeous visuals” along with “thrilling new characters.”
After three films, Collider’s Perri Nemiroff stated she “still can’t get over how magical” the Avatar movies are, noting that “there’s a noticeable increase in complexity in quite a few aspects of the production.”
Mama’s Geeky’s Tessa Smith calls Cameron’s threequel “gorgeous to look at & certainly has its moments,” while also mentioning that the latest chapter “falls into the same trap of repetition as the previous films.”
Courtney Howard commented that “James Cameron still has the sauce, making the epic spectacular feel emotionally impactful,” adding that Avatar: Fire and Ash “is what movie theaters were built for.”
Mike Ryan expressed he “truly loves that these movies exist,” despite noting that “a couple beats were repeated from the previous film.” However, he praised that “for over three hours I was on a different planet.”
The Avatar: Fire and Ash cast and Cameron will take audiences back to Pandora in an immersive new adventure featuring Marine turned Na’vi leader Jake Sully (Sam Worthington), Na’vi warrior Neytiri (Zoe Saldaña), and the Sully family. Cameron directed the third installment and co-wrote the screenplay with Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver while collaborating on the story with Josh Friedman and Shane Salerno.
The release date for James Cameron’s Avatar: Fire and Ash is set for December 19.
