Avatar: Fire And Ash review: Breathtaking visuals aren't enough to save this repetitive and WAY too long sequel that had me praying for the credits to roll

UK Mail ^ | 20 December 2025 | BRIAN VINER AND MATTHEW BOND

[dennisw]

Avatar: Fire And Ash (12A, 197 mins)

Rating:

[TWO STARS] By Brian Viner

There comes a point in the careers of most revered movie directors when nobody is brave enough to lay a restraining hand on their arm and remind them that ‘less is more’.

Ridley Scott and Martin Scorsese have both been guilty of bloated storytelling in the last few years, but James Cameron takes not just the biscuit but every packet on the supermarket shelf.

His third Avatar film lasts well over three hours. I’ve been on shorter mini-breaks.

When a movie more conspicuously satisfies its director’s ego than its audience, something is wrong. Which is not to say that Cameron can’t dish up a spectacle.

There are some breathtaking moments in Avatar: Fire And Ash, as we might expect of a film that reportedly cost over $400m to make.

But they are not enough to stop boredom setting in, followed by despair, and a touch of cramp, and ultimately a kind of disbelieving exultation that the final credits are about to roll.

I liked the second picture in the series, 2022’s Avatar: The Way Of Water, and noted at the time that Cameron cited David Lean’s mighty Lawrence of Arabia – ‘good, old-fashioned, adolescent adventure storytelling’ was how he put it – as a major influence.

But the greatest cinematic epics never feel artificially inflated in the way that Fire And Ash does.

Seeing it in 3D, as Cameron intended, somehow compounds that sense of artificiality, even as it yields some amazing chase and fight sequences.

The first film, 2009’s global smash Avatar, introduced the story of humans in the year 2154, with Earth finally exhausted of its natural resources, infiltrating the blue-skinned Na’vi tribe on the distant, mineral-rich moon Pandora.

[ckilmer]

I want to hear what the critical drinker has to say if he is still doing reviews.

[dennisw]

I hope this clown was forced to sink some of his own money into this hippie movie. Cameron was yelling about Trump the other day. btw this numpty has been living in NZ for ages. Far far far away from the maddening crowd.

[Jonty30]

I got ill during the canyon diving scene during the first movie. I have no appetite for a repeat.

[Craftmore]

same movie and script 3 times , only difference is location

[lefty-lie-spy]

Good reminder. I love his channel too. He had some new reviews as of the last time I checked maybe two months ago.

[yldstrk]

These avatar movies are not my cup of tea. I like movies with real actors and real dialog.

[DeplorablePaul]

He didn’t like it either. Bloated. His review was posted on Instapundit.

[Vermont Lt]

I sat in the theater for the first one and leaned over to my wife and said, “This is Ferngully.”

I never saw the second one. I guess I can watch it on a streamer service next time I have a few hours to kill.

[DeplorablePaul]

Why was DeCrappio doomed to drown when there was room on the raft? Sloppy movie maker.

[Sirius Lee]

Why was DeCrappio doomed to drown when there was room on the raft?

The actor wanted his character dead so that they couldn't drag him back for the sequel "Lusitania".

[Yardstick]

I get bored just watching the trailers. Actually what I get is amazement that $400M didn’t buy them better CGI. It has the look of a direct-to-streaming Netflix production with a fraction of their budget.

[Rummyfan]

Marking.

[Rummyfan]

Oh yes he does. He did a piece on the Avatar series in general a week or so ago.

[ckilmer]

I have not been to the movies in a year or so. Are there any worth seeing?

[Rummyfan]

I sat in the theater for the first one and leaned over to my wife and said, “This is Ferngully.”

Or Pocahontas.

[Bernard]

Have not seen any of the Avatar movies. I’m holding out for “Avatar; Fast and Furious MMCCDXLI”, or somewhere in that vicinity, with guest appearances by Bad Bunny and Kamala Harris.

[V_TWIN]

“The first film, 2009’s global smash Avatar, introduced the story of humans in the year 2154, with Earth finally exhausted of its natural resources, infiltrating the blue-skinned Na’vi tribe on the distant, mineral-rich moon Pandothat?

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Am I the only one that sees the SJW subliminal message in that?

[mewzilla]

TCD doesn’t have a review posted so far, but he does have a 9 minute video on the series, on why nobody talks about it, that’s well worth the watch, link below...

https://youtu.be/YZAcN_6PDn0?si=HZDf4Q0PxiYtTJl9

If you want a review and discussion of the business aspects, try YouTuber WDW Pro.

[ckilmer]

Junk food is the right way to characterize this movie