Avatar: Fire and Ash review: Beautiful, and again a disappointment

🎬 Fire and Ash is the third film of the series. Our Avatar movies in order guide has the full list, and our review of The Way of Water covers the second film.

I wanted to like Avatar: Fire and Ash more than I did. After the disappointment of The Way of Water I did not even go to the cinema for this one. I watched it at home. It looks superb, but it has the same problem for me, and I give it a well-meant 3 out of 5.

The story in one line

Fire and Ash continues the story of the Sully family after The Way of Water, and it introduces the Ash People, a Na’vi clan connected with fire. It is the third film in a planned series, and it builds directly on the first two.

It still looks superb

The look of the film is outstanding, as it was in the first two. The world has grown again, with a new landscape and new people, and the craft in every frame is of the highest order. If you judge a film by its looks, there is nothing to criticise here.

I still think this is a series worth seeing on the best screen you own. It is just that, for me, the screen is not enough.

The same problem again

My yardstick is simple. A film needs a reasonably logical, coherent story, and the characters should act in ways I can follow. They do not have to be realistic. I do not need that, and I am happy to accept a lot in a fantasy or science-fiction film. But their choices have to make sense in the world of the film.

Parts two and three fail that test for me, and Fire and Ash did it again. The visuals were excellent, and I had to force myself to keep watching in places. That is the same experience I had with The Way of Water, and it is the reason I chose to watch this one at home instead of in the cinema. After the second film, I no longer felt the pull to see it on the big screen.

Why it is still a 3

I rate it a well-meant 3, the same as the second film. Visually it is superb, the craft is remarkable and the series clearly means a lot to the people who make it. If you love Avatar for the spectacle and the world, you will get what you came for.

I am someone who needs the story to carry the spectacle, and here it did not. That is a matter of taste, and I would not tell anyone to skip it. I would only say that if you are hoping for the feeling of the first film, my experience was that it does not come back.

The cast and the story

Avatar: Fire and Ash is the third film in the series and continues directly from The Way of Water. Jake Sully and his family face two threats at once: the human forces of the RDA and the Mangkwan, a ruthless Na’vi clan.

Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldaña, Sigourney Weaver, Stephen Lang and Kate Winslet return. The new characters include Varang, the leader of the Mangkwan, played by Oona Chaplin, General Frances Ardmore, played by Edie Falco, and Dr. Ian Garvin, played by Jemaine Clement. James Cameron wrote the screenplay with Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver and produced the film with Jon Landau for Lightstorm Entertainment. Russell Carpenter was the cinematographer and Simon Franglen wrote the music.

Making the film

Principal photography began on 25 September 2017, and live-action filming in New Zealand began in early 2019 before it was postponed in 2020 because of COVID-19 and then resumed. The estimated budget is $350 to $400 million, with a reported marketing budget of about $150 million. After The Way of Water, Cameron rewrote parts of the film to expand the roles of Toruk and the whale-like Payakan.

Release and box office

The film had its world premiere at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood on 1 December 2025, and it opened in the United States and Canada on 19 December 2025. It runs 197 minutes, the longest of the three films. The digital release followed on 31 March 2026 and Disney+ streaming started on 24 June 2026.

At the box office it earned about $1.49 billion worldwide, which made it the third-highest-grossing film of 2025 and the lowest-grossing of the Avatar films. Its US opening weekend was $89.2 million, compared with $134.1 million for The Way of Water. By any other standard these are enormous numbers, but they show how high the bar for this series has become.

Reviews and awards

Rotten Tomatoes lists 66% positive from 363 reviews, and Metacritic gives it a score of 61 from 59 critics, which counts as generally favourable. Audiences gave it an A on CinemaScore. Critics praised the visual effects, the action and the spectacle, while common criticisms were the running time, the script and a sense that the story repeats the earlier films. We share some of those reservations, as the section above explains.

The film won the Academy Award for Best Visual Effects and was nominated for Best Costume Design. It was not nominated for Best Picture, which makes it the first film in the series without that nomination. It also won the BAFTA for Best Special Visual Effects, five Saturn Awards including Best Science Fiction Film, and was named a top ten film of 2025 by the American Film Institute and the National Board of Review.

Is it a good film for the family?

It is rated PG-13 for intense sci-fi violence and peril, and it suits teenagers and up better than younger children. At about 3 hours 17 minutes it is the longest of the three, so plan an evening and a break.

• Best age: teenagers and up.
• Runtime: about 3 hours 17 minutes.
• Order: watch the first and second films first.
• Where: It reached cinemas on 19 December 2025, and Disney announced a Disney+ date of 24 June 2026. Check the current catalogue to see where it is today.

If you want all three on the shelf, the 3-movie collection is the simplest way.

Is Avatar: Fire and Ash worth watching?

It is worth watching for the visuals. We found the story and the characters’ choices disappointing again, so we rate it a well-meant 3 out of 5.

Do I need to see the first two films before Fire and Ash?

Yes. Fire and Ash continues the story of the first two films, so watch them in order. Our guide to the Avatar movies in order has the full list.

Is Avatar: Fire and Ash suitable for kids?

It is rated PG-13 for intense sci-fi violence and peril. It suits teenagers and up better than young children.

How long is Avatar: Fire and Ash?

About 3 hours and 17 minutes, so plan a long evening.

When was Avatar: Fire and Ash released, and where can I watch it?

It was released in cinemas on 19 December 2025. Disney announced a Disney+ date of 24 June 2026, and it is also available on digital and disc. Check the current catalogue.

Is Fire and Ash better than The Way of Water?

Not for us. We rate both a 3 out of 5. Both look outstanding, and in both the story and the characters’ choices did not hold together.

Did Avatar: Fire and Ash win an Oscar?

Yes, the Academy Award for Best Visual Effects at the 98th Academy Awards, plus a nomination for Best Costume Design. It was not nominated for Best Picture, the first film in the series without that nomination. It also won the BAFTA for Best Special Visual Effects.

Who plays Varang in Fire and Ash?

Oona Chaplin plays Varang, the leader of the Mangkwan clan. Edie Falco plays General Frances Ardmore and Jemaine Clement plays Dr. Ian Garvin, and Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldaña, Sigourney Weaver, Stephen Lang and Kate Winslet return.

How much did Avatar: Fire and Ash earn?

About 1.49 billion dollars worldwide, with an opening weekend of 89.2 million dollars in the United States. That made it the third-highest-grossing film of 2025 and the lowest-grossing film in the Avatar series. The budget is estimated at 350 to 400 million dollars.

What does Fire and Ash add to the story?

A new threat. Besides the human RDA forces, Jake Sully and his family now face the Mangkwan, a ruthless Na’vi clan. After The Way of Water, James Cameron also rewrote parts of the film to expand the roles of Toruk and the whale-like Payakan.