It's almost time to return to Pandora. The first press screenings of Avatar: Fire and Ash were held on Monday night, and with them came the first reactions to the highly anticipated third film in director James Cameron's blockbuster sci-fi series.
Avatar: Fire and Ash opens in theaters on December 19, and although some critics and members of the press have already seen it, it will still be a few days before any proper, in-depth reviews are out. Those who have seen the movie are able to offer brief reactions or thoughts about it on social media, and the early takeaway seems to be that Fire and Ash is a spectacle, albeit one that maybe repeats some of the beats of the last movie, 2022's The Way of Water.
Initial Reactions Offer Praise, Some Criticism
The movie, which once more stars Sam Worthington as Jake Sully, a human marine who becomes a leader to the native Na'vi people, dealing with the tragic fallout of The Way of Water. Meanwhile, a violent tribe of Na'vi led by a fire-worshipping chieftess (Oona Chaplin), join forces with Stephen Lang's Colonel Miles Quaritch.
#AvatarFireAndAsh is so wildly, unfathomably epic, ambitious, and audacious in every single way, you can't help but forgive that it has some noticeable flaws.
— Germain Lussier (@GermainLussier) December 2, 2025
It grabs you and sweeps you up in this snowball of emotion, action, and spectacle as only James Cameron can deliver. pic.twitter.com/iLLDSskFEG
Avatar: Fire and Ash (2025) - the messiest entry has me tempered, despite a thematic thorniness that’s so intriguing. There’s still plenty to be stunned by, including Cameron tapping back into an amorous energy I haven’t seen from him in ages, all due to an excellent Oona Chaplin pic.twitter.com/IgFh2BUxl4
— Giovanni Lago (@TheGiovanniLago) December 2, 2025
Avatar: Fire and Ash has some fun action set pieces but boy if it isn’t mostly a repetitive bore. Virtually identical to The Way of Water and feels pointless. Liked the legacy Oona Chaplin brought but a pretty generic villain. These movies also never need to be three hours long. pic.twitter.com/DOIh25gIDC
— Erik Anderson (@awards_watch) December 2, 2025
AVATAR: FIRE AND ASH is the first James Cameron sequel that feels kinda like a regular follow-up rather than an innovative re-envisioning of its predecessor's world. It also just casually drops ~3-4 of the best/coolest action sequences of the year and I was rapt the whole time.
— Jesse Hassenger (@rockmarooned) December 2, 2025
#AvatarFireAndAsh — there’s no denying that the spectacle of these films are unmatched. This one is bigger, louder, sharper. The 3D experience was truly something to behold. However, outside of a SPECTACULAR Oona Chaplin & a fascinating new tribe, the story is frustratingly… pic.twitter.com/4gCezW8piD
— Nikko Supreme (@NikkoCaruso) December 2, 2025
Never doubt James Cameron. AVATAR: FIRE & ASH is another sprawling, ambitious, gorgeous adventure. Oona Chaplin is the best new element - she's iconic, she's gaggy, etc, and her ash tribe rocks. Cameron expands the series' visual capacity with some innovative, trippy sequences. pic.twitter.com/fxAa7lkSZT
— Cody (@codymonster91) December 2, 2025
There’s too much “been there done that” in terms of plot beats and set pieces, but AVATAR: FIRE AND ASH is still an awe-inspiring technical and visceral achievement. It doesn’t skimp on the melodrama or intensity, as James Cameron delivers a towering spectacle of such all-in… pic.twitter.com/dTIxhG8hT6
— Scott Mendelson (@ScottMendelson) December 2, 2025
#AvatarFireAndAsh: 3 films in, James Cameron still has the sauce, making the epic spectacular feel emotionally impactful. A glorious saga. Bold, brilliant & awesome in every way, this is what movie theaters were built for. Payakan is still my fave, but Varang is the MVP. pic.twitter.com/zs1BjCTYmZ
— Courtney Howard (@Lulamaybelle) December 2, 2025
We all thought James Cameron was making his Star Wars, #AvatarFireAndAsh cements 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
AVATAR: FIRE AND ASH: I truly love that these movies exist, there’s nothing else like it, even though a couple beats were repeated from the previous film. Whatever. For over three hours I was on a different planet. Oona Chaplin is demonic as the evil fire Na’vi #avatarfireandash
— Mike Ryan (@mikeryan) December 2, 2025
'First Reactions' to Movies Should Be Taken With a Grain of Salt
The initial response to Avatar: Fire and Ash seems like a pretty fair, albeit early, assessment of the movie. This writer saw Fire and Ash last night and very much enjoyed the film while conceding that some of the critics who found certain set-pieces or story beats to be repetitive had some valid points.
To go behind the scenes of the entertainment industry, it's generally a good idea to be wary of social media reactions. Typically, when a film studio lets people see a movie ahead of the premiere date, they have to agree to an embargo. Full reviews—in-depth essays where people can make a full critical argument—tend to be held until closer to the movie's actual release date. In Fire and Ash's case, it won't be until December 16, just three days before the premiere, when outlets will be able to publish their full reviews.
Social media reactions, meanwhile, tend to have a much shorter embargo. For Fire and Ash, people were allowed to post about it pretty much as soon as the movie was over on Monday night. Typically, social media reactions are very positive, and it's a good idea to wait for a critic's full analysis before betting too much on initial reactions.
However, the initial consensus appears to be that Avatar: Fire and Ash is a thrilling time at the movies. That Fire and Ash's early social media takeaways are largely positive, with some quibbles, should give a decent idea of what to expect when the movie comes out.
from Men's Journal https://ift.tt/9NpaQ4r
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