‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’ Review: Feliz Na’vi Dads [B+]
Three years ago, we left the Sully family at a devastating low point. In an attempt to protect his family, Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) brought Neytiri (Zoe Saldaña) and their children to seek refuge with the Metkayina clan, but it was only a matter of time before the war finally reached them. The resulting battle ended in the death of their eldest son Neteyam. As a certain character says in this installment, “the fire of hate gives way to the ash of grief.”
Fire and Ash is a direct continuation of The Way of Water – it begins as the Sully family are still in their mourning period, as we feel an immediate rift amongst the family members, who each grieve in their own way. For Lo’ak (Britain Dalton), who replaces Jake as the film’s narrator, that grief is expressed through flying on his ikran, taking turns and dives in the air while pretending that his brother is watching. For Jake, he retreats back to his marine mentality. The only way he could move forward is to keep himself occupied with preparation. He collects weapons, he crafts ammunitions, anything to keep his mind busy. Consequently, he’s not there for Neytiri. For the first time in the series, we truly wonder whether the Sully family can survive this.
Fire and Ash is, on one end, the most flawed entry in the franchise. It’s the most jarring of the three films, from pacing to story structure to tone. James Cameron made no secret that the film started off as one single story with The Way of Water, and during the development process, he and fellow writers Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver decided to split the story into two scripts. It’s clear from the get-go that Fire and Ash is part of the same story, but time and time again, it conspicuously repeats plot points and dramatic beats from the previous film. Displaying a visual we’ve seen before is one thing, but revisiting an arc that we thought was already resolved and spending time to resolve it again is another.
As a filmmaker, Cameron doesn’t seem to mind repeating himself. Throughout his filmography, he unapologetically sings the same song over and over again – maybe in a slightly different key each time. Fire and Ash is his first “threequel,” and it’s perhaps the most revealing of his philosophy in sequels: make each installment feel like its own movie… as in make each installment as if people have not seen the previous ones. The result is a movie that feels the most “been there, done that” in exchange for being “more complete.”
With a wide range of characters, big and small, and an enormous amount of plot threads, Fire and Ash covers a ton of narrative ground. With the introduction of a new violent Na’vi tribe called the Mangkwan aka The Ash People, led by the ruthless Varang (Oona Chaplin, granddaughter of silent film star Charlie Chaplin), and an ever-escalating conflict with Colonel Miles Quaritch (Stephen Lang) and the RDA, the script takes each and every character into far more complicated territory.
While the first two Avatar films emphasize a sense of wonder and romanticism with Pandora and Na’vi culture, Fire and Ash is almost completely character driven. Nearly every character who we have grown attached to over the years is at their lowest point in this film. Lo’ak continues to blame himself for his brother’s death. Jake reverts back to his old ways, almost in a fascinating de-evolution where we see the human in him more than ever. But Neytiri undergoes the biggest journey of all, expressing a darkness and a hatred that has been brewing for a long time. She has watched her home be destroyed, watched her father die, gave herself the responsibility to protect her people, only to then leave her people behind to run and hide, and has now lost her son.
Saldaña is staggering as Neytiri – it’s one of the best performances of the year and yet another riveting case for the Academy to recognize motion capture performances. A common criticism about The Way of Water was how Neytiri was underused. Not only should those concerns be quelled by Fire and Ash, but Neytiri’s arc here wouldn’t work without her journey in the last film. Jake adapted by training under the chief. The children adapted by assimilating into the culture. But notice that throughout The Way of Water, Neytiri was the only member of the family who still rode her ikran. That as Quaritch raided village after village, her desire to act and fight back was met with Jake’s insistence that they have to endure and do nothing. And now we are here, reckoning with the consequences.
This kind of long game storytelling is the strongest point in Fire and Ash. Many of its payoffs or escalations wouldn’t work without first establishing a foundation. Colonel Miles Quaritch continues to be a fascinating antagonist, experiencing all of Pandora and yet still choosing to define himself only by his mission. Lang provides that compelling level of stubbornness to the character, while still retaining that irresistible charm – it also helps that he’s got the best one-liners. He shares great chemistry with Worthington, as the script this time offers moments of great character drama to highlight Jake and Quaritch’s similarities. Under different circumstances, they could’ve easily been comrades, if not friends.
Strutting into the movie and stealing every scene is Oona Chaplin as the new widely marketed villain Varang. On paper, she’s a compelling character, though in execution, there is much to be desired. It’s clear that Cameron is planting the seeds for what’s to come, though it is admittedly frustrating when you want a leap in character and instead Cameron only takes baby steps. But as an introduction, Varang leaves an incredible footprint. Chaplin is delightfully unhinged, turning in a magnetic performance reminiscent of Helena Bonham Carter’s Bellatrix Lestrange and Michelle Pfeiffer’s Catwoman. She makes a fascinating foil to Neytiri and Jake, as a fellow Na’vi who also experienced great traumatic loss and has given up on her faith. Last but not least, this new villain opens up for sizzling chemistry with Quaritch, as the film makes a loud announcement (with the help of Simon Franglen’s wonderful score) that a new Na’vi power couple has arrived.
But another interesting foil is with Kiri (Sigourney Weaver), who continues her bizarre relationship with Eywa and goes into places that open up the lore of Pandora. Questions that were first asked in The Way of Water (that admittedly stretched its runtime) are answered here, as Kiri discovers the messianic role she is meant to fulfill. This is complicated further as her relationship deepens with Spider (Jack Champion), the human son of Quaritch and adopted son by the Sully family. As revealed in the film’s marketing early on, Spider suddenly inherits the unique ability to breathe Pandora’s air without a mask. This sets off a series of dominoes that will have lasting impact in the world of Pandora. Already, as established in the last film, Spider is the compelling glue that forces his opposing Na’vi dads together. Whether it’s from his biological father who was never there for him and is now represented by a new blue face (who technically isn’t the same person), or it’s from his adoptive father who decided to take him in because he himself used to be human, it seems like Spider is always in this exasperating custody battle of epic proportions.
But now, the plot thickens. Now his very existence influences the decision-making of nearly everyone else on Pandora. What would his ability to breathe the air as a human do to the Na’vi characters who wrestle with their faith in Eywa? To Neytiri? To Varang? What would this do if the RDA found out? Why did Eywa choose to save him? What does Eywa have in store for Kiri and Spider? The way Cameron asks these questions is beyond entertaining, as he lets his freaky demented brain run wild with imagination. Without a doubt, Fire and Ash contains some of the most eyebrow-raising imagery in any blockbuster.
And that brings me back to Fire and Ash being the most flawed Avatar movie. Despite the reused beats, the uneven pacing, and the tone shifting from heavy to weird to epic, it’s also the most ambitious Avatar yet. It takes swings no other expensive blockbuster would, save for some rare instances like where the Wachowskis took The Matrix sequels and even something like the Pirates sequels from Gore Verbinski. It all culminates together in a third act that plays like an Avatar “Greatest Hits,” consisting of ikran vs. aerial ship fights we’ve seen from the first film and the tulkun vs. boat/sub fights we’ve seen from the second film. And just when you start feeling like you’ve seen this before, Cameron throws another curveball and you’re left in awe that no one does big weird shit like this anymore. It’s the kind of maximalist filmmaking I will root for any day.
When it comes to spectacle, there really is nothing like the Avatar films. Fire and Ash continues to deliver on some of the most stunning visuals these eyeballs have ever witnessed. Third time around, the action and set pieces will always be there for you. You can count on Big Jim to deliver the goods there. But with much of its runtime spent on the fire of hate and the ash of grief, the real thing that will linger with you this time is the character work and the performances. Sam Worthington and Stephen Lang are even better here than before. Oona Chaplin makes a killer first impression. But Zoe Saldaña walks away with the MVP, reminding the world that the heart of Avatar is and always has been Neytiri.
Fire and Ash is the biggest, heaviest, most epic Avatar film to date. Cameron continues to take big swings at his material, while opening up his world to even more possibilities for future stories. Most importantly, he has anchored it all with wholly original characters — major and minor — who I have grown to love. Three movies in, he has created a massive universe with an enormous cast of characters, cultures, and lore. And the craziest part is it feels like he’s just getting started.
Grade: B+
20th Century Studios will release Avatar: Fire and Ash only in theaters on December 19.
- ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’ Review: Feliz Na’vi Dads [B+] - December 16, 2025
- Interview: ‘Left-Handed Girl’ (左撇子女孩) Writer/Director Shih-Ching Tsou Reflects on Her 20-Year Collaboration with Sean Baker and Making the Film She Wanted to Make - November 12, 2025
- ‘Nuremberg’ Review: James Vanderbilt’s Historical Thriller Looks at When Perpetrators of Systematic Genocide Used to be Brought to Justice [A-] - November 5, 2025
‘The Housemaid’ Review: Going From Booktok to Big Screen Saps Thriller of Sexiness and Fun [D] 
‘Fallout’ Season Two Review: Bring Back My Ghouls [A-] 
‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’ Review: Feliz Na’vi Dads [B+] 
San Diego Film Critics Society (SDFCS) Awards: ‘Sinners’ Tops in Picture, Director, Actor