Official Trailer
Rating: 7.5/10 | Genre: Science Fiction, Adventure, Fantasy | Runtime: 198 min
Starring: Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldaña, Sigourney Weaver, Stephen Lang, Oona Chaplin
Avatar: Fire and Ash is a solid follow-up to The Way of Water, though it doesn’t quite reach the same heights. That said, if you loved the last movie, you’ll probably dig this one too. Just go in knowing it’s going to eat up three hours and twenty minutes of your day.
The setup is pretty straightforward. Jake and Neytiri are dealing with the aftermath of their war against the RDA, but they’re grieving hard. They lost their oldest son in the previous conflict, and that loss hangs over everything in this movie. It gives the whole thing real stakes because these aren’t just action heroes anymore. They’re parents who have already paid a price.
Enter the Ash People, a new Na’vi clan led by Varang, who is basically the opposite of everything the Sully family stands for. He’s ruthless, power-hungry, and doesn’t care about the spiritual connection to Pandora that’s been central to the whole franchise. Sam Worthington and Zoe Saldaña are really good here, especially when showing the exhaustion of having to fight again when they’re already broken. There’s a weight to their performances that makes the action sequences hit harder.
Where It Works
The action is genuinely impressive. James Cameron knows how to film a battle scene, and there are moments here that are legitimately breathtaking. One underwater sequence in particular had me gripping my armrest. The way Pandora looks is always stunning, but this movie shows off some new environments that are absolutely gorgeous.
Stephen Lang returns as the villain, and he’s menacing as always. But honestly, Varang steals a lot of his thunder. That character is scarier because he’s not motivated by the same things Lang’s character was. He’s not trying to colonize or exploit. He just wants power and dominance, and that makes him feel fresh even though we’re already three movies into this franchise.
Sigourney Weaver shows up in a role I won’t spoil, but her presence matters. There’s a scene where Jake and Neytiri have to make an impossible choice, and the emotional weight of that moment caught me off guard. That’s when the movie is at its best, when it’s focusing on the human (or Na’vi) stuff instead of just piling on action sequences.
What Doesn’t Land
Three hours and twenty minutes is a lot of time for a movie, and I’m not sure this one justified it. There’s a solid two-hour and forty-five minute movie in here, but we’re stuck with some bloated sequences that don’t really move things forward. A few action scenes feel repetitive even though they look cool.
The Ash People as a concept are interesting, but Varang doesn’t get enough screen time to really be fleshed out. We understand what he wants, but not why. The movie would’ve been stronger if we understood his perspective a bit more, even if we still disagreed with it.
There’s also a subplot involving Oona Chaplin’s character that feels tacked on. It doesn’t connect to the main story in any meaningful way, and by the end I couldn’t remember why it mattered.
The Verdict
Avatar: Fire and Ash is worth seeing, especially on a big screen. The visuals alone are worth the ticket price. It’s not a masterpiece, and it drags in spots, but it’s an entertaining continuation of a story that clearly still has more to tell. The emotional core keeps it from being just another effects showcase, which is something.
If you’re tired of Avatar movies, this won’t change your mind. But if you’ve enjoyed the previous ones, this is a solid addition to the saga. Just maybe don’t see it in 3D unless you want a headache three hours in.
What did you think if you’ve seen it? Did the runtime bother you, or did you stay engaged the whole way through?
Where to Watch
Rent on: Videobuster, Freenet meinVOD
Buy on: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Rakuten TV, Sky Store, CosmoGo, maxdome Store, MagentaTV, Videoload, VIVA by videofutur, Premiere Max, Pathé Home