Avatar: Fire and Ash burns bright for true blue fans

Ready for a new year at the movies? Cinephiles are jumping into the mid-22nd century to explore the Avatar film franchise once again his holiday season. The original movie launched in 2009 and Avatar: The Way of Water proceeded part three in 2022, with Avatar: Fire and Ash sneaking in at the end of 2025.

The story of tall, blue aliens of the Na'vi tribe, who are inhabitants of the Pandora moon, hit home at the box office from the jump and earned the team multiple awards. Avatar: The Way of Water was the highest-grossing film of the year it was released to the tune of $2.3 billion.

Hopes are high for Fire and Ash for many and the creative team has listened to past critiques to improve upon its predecessor.

The Metkayina clan clashes with the Ash People of the Mangkwan clan this time and a new character is introduced. The evil Varang leads the Mangkwans into conflict with dynamic fight scenes and all four elements of land, air, water and fire are covered throughout the epic journey.

Audiences will see winged animals soaring in the sky and unique creatures in the sea below. The characters hold more gravity and depth than before while focusing on the four-fingered family.

Canadian filmmaker James Cameron has assembled a strong cast and many of the original players return from the first Avatar endeavor. Sam Worthington supplies stylized voice work and Zoe Saldana sings as the final credits roll. Sigourney Weaver voicing a teenager named Kiri takes some adjusting to and Edie Falco camps out as General Ardmore.

Jack Champion as Miles “Spider” Socorro is less irritating than he was in The Way of Water and this may come from age.

New cutting-edge technology is used for Fire and Ash, making it more than a video game or typical cartoon. The Avatar crew avoided CGI and AI, opting instead to use form-fitting suits and reflective facial markers for motion capture.

Almost two hundred cameras were paired with gadgets from all sides, including being mounted on the ceiling. These technical achievements should be celebrated and not overlooked.

The project has been nominated by the Critics Choice Association for Best Visual Effects, with several players being nominated for the Voice Acting award. The 83rd Golden Globe Awards nominated Fire and Ash for Best Cinematic and Box Office Achievement.

Whether this translates into ticket sales remains to be seen. The film needs to be seen in 3D inside a theatrical environment because it was created for that purpose. The sheer magnitude of Pandora will be lost on home viewing, full of distractions.

More editions are planned for the future, with a part four scheduled for 2029 and a part five in 2031. This will make James Cameron 77 years old by the time the fifth installment arrives and Avatar is his life's work to remember the visionary by.

The original told a tale of a paraplegic ex-Marine who used an avatar to battle out baddies. This has morphed into showing there are good and evil parties involved on both blue and pink-skinned sides. Where Cameron goes in the future remains to be seen.

While Ash might not win over new fans, at the very least, viewers who are alien to the franchise can jump on board fairly easily without a massive amount of homework.

Dive into this over three-hour experience offered in IMAX 3D, 4DX or standard screen options. Hit the bathroom first, then buckle up for a long ride as Avatar: Fire and Ash flies into theaters on December 19, 2025.