James Cameron's "Avatar: Fire and Ash" has finally been unveiled to members of the film press ahead of its theatrical rollout later this month, and journalists are calling the third trip to Pandora an "ultimate cinematic spectacle" that pushes "visuals and emotion to new heights."
Film critic Courtney Howard praised the film on X, writing that films like "Fire and Ash" remind us what "movie theaters were built for."
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"3 films in, James Cameron still has the sauce, making the epic spectacular feel emotionally impactful,"Howard wrote. "A glorious saga. Bold, brilliant & awesome in every way, this is what movie theaters were built for."
Fellow critic Sean Tajipour echoed the praise on X. He wrote that with "Fire and Ash," Cameron "continues to push boundaries with every frame."
"I may not be the biggest 'Avatar' superfan, but ['Avatar: Fire and Ash'] proves once again that James Cameron can and will always deliver the ultimate cinematic spectacle, pushing visuals and emotion to new heights and redefining what a true blockbuster feels like,"he wrote. "It's bold, immersive, unforgettable, and driven by sheer ambition."
Collider correspondent Perri Nemiroffwrote of the filmon X, "Three films in and I still can't get over how magical the ['Avatar'] movies are. Wish I had more original phrasing, but this applies too well — ['Avatar: Fire and Ash'] truly feels like a ride. I couldn't believe how quickly I was pulled back into the world of Pandora and swept up in the situation. And once that happens, there's a noticeable increase in complexity in quite a few aspects of the production."
Film writer Michael Lee wrote on X that the story left a bit to be desired, but praised the visuals and action as "out-of-this-world."
He wrote, "['Avatar: Fire and Ash'] is huge on visual spectacle, especially in 3D. Deeper exploration of Pandora & new tribes allow for immense world-building. Story may be lacking, but this pushes technical boundaries in unimaginable ways."
"Avatar: Fire and Ash" picks up after the events of 2022's "Avatar: The Way of Water," which notably ended with the death of Jake Sully and Neytiri's son Neteyam. This latest installment finds the Sully family grieving one of their own when a new threat emerges in the form of the Fire tribe, an antagonistic group of Na'vi volcano-dwellers led by the revengeful Varang (Oona Chaplin in her franchise debut). The returning cast includes Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldaña, Sigourney Weaver, Stephen Lang and Kate Winslet, among others.
Cameron has been blunt in recent interviews in saying the future of the "Avatar" franchise depends on the box office performance of "Fire and Ash" this holiday movie season. The director originally envisioned five "Avatar" movies and has a large chunk of a fourth movie already shot. The original "Avatar" remains the highest-grossing movie of all time (unadjusted for inflation) with $2.9 billion worldwide, while "The Way of Water" is third on the list with $2.3 billion. Cameron toldEmpire magazineearlier this year that he's ready to direct the fourth movie himself.
"I mean, there's no reason not to," Cameron said ahead of his 71st birthday in August about directing more "Avatar" sequels himself. "I'm healthy, I'm good to go. I'm not going to rule it out. I mean, I've got to make it in a vigorous way, to handle the kind of volume and energy of the work for another six or seven years. You know what I mean? I might not be able to do that… [but] if I can, I'll just do it."
"Avatar: Fire and Ash" opens in theaters Dec. 19. Check out more first reactions below.
James Cameron did it again! 'Avatar: Fire and Ash' is jaw dropping from start to finish and easily one of the most visually stunning films to hit theaters in years. I've never felt so immersed in a world like this.#AvatarFireAndAshpic.twitter.com/BaNqtaDMXx
— Dorian Parks (@DorianParksnRec)December 2, 2025
#AvatarFireAndAshis a visual masterpiece. If you love these movies, it's more of the same, but story-wise, it's the same "capture/rescue" plot over and over again with some laughable dialogue thrown in the middle. The runtime is criminal, and if you have eye issues, avoid the 3Dpic.twitter.com/p8ou1mI25c
— Kaitlyn Booth (@katiesmovies)December 2, 2025
#AvatarFireAndAshJames Cameron once again deliver a remarkable visual feast. The fire tribe are a scene stealing presence. Oona Chaplin's dynamic w/ Quaritch was a highlight. I will say Way of Water spoiled us w/ SO MUCH new stuff this one feels slightly repetitive w/ little newpic.twitter.com/9O4JQ9DKN5
— Cris Parker (@3CFilmss)December 2, 2025
We all thought James Cameron was making his Star Wars,#AvatarFireAndAshcements it as his Pirates of the Caribbean trilogy (highly complimentary). This is so At World's End coded & Cameron has fully embraced the anime & video game inspos even more proudly here. A nonstop series…pic.twitter.com/pDOQNgaEKz
— Griffin Schiller (@griffschiller)December 2, 2025
#AvatarFireandAshis a visual masterpiece & the fight scenes are breathtaking. Zoe Saldana & Oona Chaplin are standouts. There were captivating moments with themes of grief & faith. But the script becomes lazy, repetitive & exhausting with excruciatingly bad dialogue.#Avatar2pic.twitter.com/7RxTBjQVxe
— sagesurge (@sagesurge)December 2, 2025
The best and unexpectedly, the horniest of the three,#AvatarFireAndAshfeatures some astonishing filmmaking from James Cameron. Fans of the previous two will be very pleased.
— Todd Gilchrist (@mtgilchrist)December 2, 2025
#AvatarFireAndAshfelt like coming home. old dog james cameron isn't demonstrating many new tricks but i literally do not care — repetition is allowed when it's perfecting the beats of past movies with jaw dropping spectacle and darker, strife-rich storytelling. my family!!!!pic.twitter.com/Oaa5YVP7jP
— lyvie scott (@lyviescott)December 2, 2025
#AvatarFireAndAshis a staggering achievement of moviemaking, and an all round phenomenal film. James Cameron raises the stakes. It's bigger, better and more emotional than ever before. It has gorgeous visuals, thrilling new characters and is a technical marvel. Loved it.pic.twitter.com/XcPKjCvsVL
— Jazz Tangcay (@jazzt)December 2, 2025
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