Avatar: Fire and Ash (2025) 🔥

Faith, fire, and family trauma—now with evil Na’vi


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Let’s start by showing y’all the trailers shall we?

What they didn’t sell was how emotionally messy this movie would get, or how much of it feels like a bridge, an epilogue, and a therapy session for characters who desperately need one. Also: the marketing conveniently left out just how brutal some of this gets. This is easily the harshest Avatar film so far—tonally and visually.

Spoilers ⚠️ underneath here for the Avengers Doomsday teaser, if y’all don’t want it spoiled just scroll down to movie plot Rundown, y’all been warned.

Before I get any further, I want to take this moment to discuss the Avengers Doomsday teaser. Oh boy, yeah this been hyped up because its a teaser for the next Avengers dilm which doesnt release till Dec 18th 2026 of next year, so how does the trsiler play out? Was it amazing? Uhhhhhhh no.

So what we get is a 45 second teaser of Steve Roger’s pulling up to his house where he went to the past and married Peggy Carter, then he enters the house and picks up his old uniform then we see him hold his baby (yes he now has a baby), then we cut to the words Steve Roger’s will return in Avengers Doomsday. Then a counter appears counting down to 12 months, wow what a worth wild trailer?

Also heres a question, is this a variant of Steve Roger’s? Because in the main timeline we saw Steve as an old man. Or are we going back in time!?

Oh but get this theres gonna be 4 different trailers and heres when they release.

Trailer 1: December 18, 2025 (in theaters before Avatar: Fire and Ash)
Trailer 2: December 25, 2025 (in theaters before Avatar: Fire and Ash)
Trailer 3: January 1, 2026 (in theaters before Avatar: Fire and Ash)
Trailer 4: January 8, 2026 (in theaters before Avatar: Fire and Ash)

If curious, according to leaks. Teaser 2 will show Thor, teaser 3 will show Doom. Then teaser 4 is gonna be the first official trailer for the film, how do y’all feel about this marketing? Because I hate it, this screams desperation, especially promoting a film 1 year out in advance let alone with 4 trailers. This doesnt scream we have faith, it screams plz still care fans. We’ll news flash i aint caring, even if Doom is the villian im still not caring.

Just give me a reason to care, you cant sell a movie on vibes alone, oh heye everyone loves RDJ so were bringing him back, everyone loves Steve Roger’s so we’re bringing him back. Everyone loves the early 2000s X-men so where bringing them back, everyone loves Doom so were bringing him in even if we’ve never set him up before. Plz clap?

Nah im good, anyways enough ranting let’s get onto the reveiw, just needed to bring this trsiler up since it was attached to it.

Also if it isnt abundantly clear, this film is a direct sequel to Avatar 2, as in you have had to seen Avatar 2 for any this film to make sense. This film is essentially an epilogue, and herez where j havw a problem with mr. Cameron, hes said in an interview the original plan was to have the 2nd film and 3rd film be 1 film together, but the studio told him to split it into 2 parts.

Well this explains a whole lot, also if James had his way wed be having a over 6 hour film. No seriously who wants that? Is he so self indulged (dont answer that) to the point he feels he can do anything he wants? So glad sane minds told him otherwise.


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1️⃣ Non-Spoiler Plot Overview

Well firstly we got to get the elephant out of the room, yes this is longer then thr second film. This film clocks in at 3 hours and 17 min long, yes so its 7 min longer then the 2nd film, this isnt an easy watch, ur gonns have to hold in ur bladder. Or dont drink at all, but why do that? Anyways onto the non spoiler plot.

Fire and Ash picks up directly after The Way of Water and very much feels like the emotional aftermath of that film. The Sully family is fractured, grieving, and spiritually divided. Pandora itself feels angrier—less forgiving.

A new Na’vi faction emerges, one that rejected Eywa and instead turned to fire. At the same time, humanity hasn’t learned a damn thing and doubles down on exploitation, cruelty, and colonial nonsense. The story becomes less about survival and more about belief—what you cling to when faith, family, and tradition start cracking.

This is not a “comfort sequel.” It’s confrontational, bitter, and intentionally uncomfortable.


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2️⃣ Character Rundown

Jake Sully (Sam Worthington)
Jake is not the heroic center he once was. He’s hardened, bitter, and increasingly reliant on guns instead of faith. Grief has hollowed him out, and the movie wants you to feel conflicted about him.

Neytiri (Zoe Saldaña)
Easily the most divisive character here—and for good reason. She is consumed by rage, prejudice, and grief. Her hatred toward Spider is ugly, constant, and at times genuinely hard to watch. This film does not soften her—and that’s intentional, but not always successful.

On one hand I couldnt stand her in this film, but on thr other I will admit shes the most complex one. She goes through a trauma arc in this film and it is interesting to see it play out, her trying to come to terms with liking and accepting Spider.

Kiri (Sigourney Weaver)
Still the most fascinating character in the franchise. Kiri’s connection to Eywa deepens into something borderline mythological. She’s not just spiritual—she’s other. The film leans hard into her “chosen” status, sometimes too hard, but her arc remains compelling.

Spider (Jack Champion)
Spider becomes the emotional lightning rod of the film. His identity, survival, and transformation raise massive ethical and narrative questions. The film both elevates him and treats him like a plot device, sometimes in the same scene.

Colonel Quaritch (Stephen Lang)
Quaritch is… complicated now. Less a blunt-force villain, more a man caught between control, pride, and something dangerously close to paternal instinct. Still monstrous—but not simple.

Varang (Oona Chaplin)
The Fire Queen. Easily one of the best additions to the franchise. Her design, presence, and philosophy make her terrifying without turning her into a cartoon villain. She believes Eywa abandoned her people—and she acts like it.

Hands down my new favorite villian I’ve seen on screen for a while.


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3️⃣ Pacing / Episode Flow

This movie absolutely feels like a bridge film.

The first half is heavy, slow, and emotionally dense. The middle explodes into chaos. The final act goes full operatic spectacle. It works—but unevenly. Some character beats breathe beautifully; others feel rushed or oddly melodramatic.

If The Way of Water felt slow and borinh, Fire and Ash feels confrontational and fast.


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7️⃣ Pros

The Ash Tribe is phenomenal. Their designs, rituals, and philosophy are some of the coolest world-building Cameron has ever done.

The moral ambiguity is refreshing. No one is purely right. Not Jake. Not Neytiri. Not even Eywa.

The film is brutal. Death feels ugly and unfair, especially with the whales and the outcast tulkun. This movie does not let you feel comfortable.

Visually, it’s jaw-dropping. Fire against Pandora’s bioluminescence is stunning.

Kiri remains the emotional and thematic heart of the story.

It feels like Janes Cameron took some thr criticism and improved, we dont get extensive water shots anymore, nor do we get extensive murder of a whale in front of their baby calves. But we do srill get a whale murder but its not up front or as focused as it was in the way of water.


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5️⃣ Cons

The melodrama is real. At times, it feels like Cameron is writing grief at maximum volume instead of letting moments breathe.

Neytiri crosses a line repeatedly. I understand the intention—but some moments make her genuinely hard to root for.

Spider’s transformation raises huge implications that the film introduces and then… barely processes.

The ending feels emotionally complete but narratively rushed.

Also: killing the outcast tulkun felt cruel in a way that bordered on unnecessary.


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🔥 Final Thoughts

Here’s the thing:
This movie is messy.
But it’s intentionally messy.

I went in expecting to hate this film but I ended up enjoying it. Mainly because this film is darker in themes, i mean i will say for a PG-13 film it does push some limits.

It’s angrier than The Way of Water, darker than the original, and far more morally uncomfortable. And honestly? That’s why it works for me.

Introducing evil Na’vi was some cleverness James has came up with, it breaks the illusion of planet good. Humans are bad. It shows us that faith doesnt always mean happiness and holding hands.

I enjoyed this more than the sequel—not because it’s cleaner, but because it takes risks. Evil Na’vi. Faith crises. A family that doesn’t magically heal. Pandora that doesn’t always save you.

This feels like Cameron challenging his own mythology—and I respect that.


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💧 Rating

8 / 10

Not my favorite, not flawless—but bold, brutal, and genuinely engaging. Do I recommend? Yeah surprisingly, do I recommend Ways Of Water? Uhhhh no, but movie 2 is necessary for this film since its kinda an epilogue.


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⚠️ 🚨 SPOILER WARNING

From here on out, we’re going full Pandora.
If you haven’t seen the movie, turn back now.


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⚠️ Spoilers

The film opens with the Sully family still fractured after the loss of Neteyam. Jake has abandoned his faith in Eywa, relying instead on guns and tactics. Neytiri is consumed by grief and rage, especially toward Spider, whom she continues to call a “pink-skinned alien.”

When the family encounters the Ash Tribe, led by Varang, it becomes clear these Na’vi rejected Eywa after believing she abandoned them. Varang’s brutality is immediate—she burns her own warrior mid-flight to take down enemies, declaring herself the embodiment of fire.

Did i forget to mention she cuts off the pony tails off the Navi to kill them, hmmmmmmmmmm yikes. Also theres multiple scenes in this film where she connects her braids to other Navi to seduce them, I think? Anyways.

During an ambush, multiple family members are injured, Spider nearly suffocates, and Kiri’s connection to Eywa intensifies. In a desperate moment, Kiri performs a ritual that allows Spider to breathe Pandora’s air without a mask, nearly killing herself in the process. Spider survives—but now has roots growing in his lungs and signs of transformation.

Oh btw I love Jake’s reaction when he finds out that Spider can now breath their air, can we get rid of him now? I have a gun I’m ready to take him out back, ok im paraphrasing of course. But still itd pretty much how he acted like.

Human forces return, including the corporate leadership and tulkun poachers. Another whale is slaughtered, further enraging Pandora. Jake’s relationship with his son fractures when he blames him for befriending the outcast tulkun—a moment that is genuinely cruel. Except now the marine biologist is hating what the poachers are doing so he wants to go against them.

Also the Colonel goes and recruits the ash tribe, and you can tell he has some sexual suggestions between them, its funny seeing each film having Quaritch become more Navi even though he was racist against them.

Oh and we get a forced relationship with Kiri and Spider, yes she just randomly kisses him on thr lips after saying your perfect the way you are, uhhhhhhhh huhhhhhh, so I guess the healthy basis of s relationship is having a platonic relationship and having the other call their friend monkey boy? Yeah i can feel the love tonight, cant you?

Spider is captured by humans and subjected to experiments. Quaritch reveals himself as Spider’s father and attempts a twisted emotional bond, creating one of the film’s most uncomfortable dynamics.

Neytiri infiltrates the enemy base disguised as an Ash warrior, threatens Varang, and helps free Jake during a massive assault. The marine biologist openly rebels against the poachers, freeing Jake and calling out humanity’s cruelty.

In the climax, Jake nearly kills Spider to prevent humans from learning his secret. He cannot do it. Neytiri finally accepts Spider, telling him “I see you.”

Jake nearly kills Spider afterward — genuinely prepares to sacrifice him to prevent humans from learning how to breathe Pandora’s air. He kneels Spider, blade at his throat, begging the gods for forgiveness. When Spider asks if Jake still loves him, Jake says yes — and breaks. He stabs the air instead and embraces him.

Natayri finally accepts Spider, saying “I see you.” It’s earned, but late.

The final battle erupts at sea and in the air. Whales attack ships. Tribes unite. The Ash Tribe fights alongside humans until Varang withdraws after being overwhelmed by Kiri’s connection to Eywa.

The outcast tulkun dies in battle, devastating Jake’s son and solidifying Pandora’s wrath. Eywa finally responds, unleashing nature against the invaders.

I got to point out how absurd it id seeing these whale council who kept their peaceful way for decades, just all a sudden decide to attack humans and kill them, ok the message is lost somewhere in there mr. Cameron but I see what your doing, I think?

The humans’ final operation is not framed as a war — it’s framed as industrial slaughter. The RDA and the whalers corner the tulkun, herding them into a confined kill zone. Their goal is simple: harvest the whale compound, wipe out resistance, and move on. No subtlety. No diplomacy. Just extraction and death.

At the same time, Quaritch returns with the Ash People.

This is where the tone fully shifts.

The Ash Tribe doesn’t arrive like allies. They arrive like an apocalypse.

Their mounts descend out of smoke and ash, their bodies painted in black and red, flame weapons igniting the sky. They immediately start shooting Na’vi out of the air, burning riders alive, and setting the battlefield into chaos. This isn’t a noble charge — it’s scorched-earth warfare. Quaritch fights alongside them, now visually indistinguishable from the tribe, ash markings covering his body.

Underwater, the Metkayina and tulkun begin their counterattack. Whales ram ships, overturn vessels, drag poachers into the depths. One of the water clan’s sons is killed in the fighting, reinforcing that this battle isn’t clean or heroic — it’s costly and brutal.

Meanwhile, Kiri, Spider, and Kiri’s sister attempt something desperate.

They dive beneath the battlefield and connect themselves to the Great Mother — not through ritual ease, but through sheer will. The Great Mother manifests as a massive, purple, celestial presence, resisting at first. The connection overwhelms them. Kiri collapses, nearly dying, and the attempt appears to fail. At the same time, the outcast tulkun — the same one Jake had secretly wanted gone — is killed, arrows still embedded in its body.

This death lands hard. It’s not noble. It’s pointless. And it’s one of the moments that fully exposes Jake’s moral collapse.

Back above ground, Natayri infiltrates the enemy base disguised in Ash Tribe markings. She confronts Varang directly, holding a blade to her throat — then to her braid. Varang, for all her fire and bluster, folds instantly when faced with personal loss. She gives up Jake’s location. This moment reframes her entirely: she’s powerful, yes — but also fragile, transactional, and driven by survival rather than conviction.

Also the biologist frees Sully from his cage by crashing a crane into it and then the biologist says, was this protest enough now you Fuckers, lolo because earlier the military lady person said ur protest is noted, his protest against poaching whales. Anyways.

The human base erupts into Water. Got to esy ite so cathartic seeinf these greedy humans get murdered brutally.

Jake is freed when the marine biologist — the only consistently moral human left — rams a crane into Jake’s cage, shouting for him to run and telling the RDA exactly what they can do with their “noted protest.” It’s the first outright rejection of corporate authority in the film, and it lands.

The battle escalates again when Eywa finally responds.

The planet itself turns hostile. Creatures swarm ships. Vines and roots tear through machinery. The poachers’ leader is dragged into the mouth of a tulkun and killed — not ceremoniously, but violently, as payback. The humans lose control of the battlefield.

Spider is taken again, this time willingly, to prevent further slaughter. Quaritch promises safety — a promise everyone knows won’t last.

The final confrontation shifts to the floating mountains, where gravity fractures into violent sky vortices. Quaritch and Jake fight hand-to-hand, brutal and exhausted. Spider confronts his father with a weapon, actually shoots him in the arm, and for the first time proves he’s not bluffing. Quaritch still calls him a bastard.

Spider is knocked off the edge. Quaritch catches him. Jake catches both of them.

For a moment, the film pauses in something almost absurd — Quaritch joking about whether they’re all going to hold hands. Then Natayri arrives, fires, and Quaritch falls into the vortex below. No body. No confirmation. Just disappearance.

Also im gonns take this moment to stop and ssy idk why Jake was trying to recruit Quaritch and bring him to the Navi way of life.

I will say this though, I think this will lead to some kinda redemption for Quaritch, because just like Jake. He kinda starts going against his orders and doing Navi things, anyways.

The battle ends, but the doesnt mean everything is over.

The tribes gather. Souls are honored. The dead are introduced to Eywa. Spider is brought to Grace’s spirit — a moment that is deeply emotional and extremely meta, given Sigourney Weaver voices both characters.

The camera pulls back. Pandora remains scarred, but alive.

The Ash Tribe retreats. The humans retreat. Nothing is truly resolved — just delayed. Also 3 movies in and the ending always ends the same way, with a battle with the cartoonishly evil humans or sky people if you will, its starting to feel repetitive, also why havent these humans learned anything yet? They keep getting defeated, yet they keep coming back! Yes because if fail once just try harder? Maybe we can finally bypass the Navi at some point, sighhhh.

The film ends with spiritual communion—Spider meeting the dead, including Grace—while Pandora continues to heal, but scarred.

Now if u ask me if id be happy if this would be the final film in this franchise? Uhhh yes I would, I don’t think we need a 4 and 5, plus this film wraps up the story neat enough. Anwyays hope y’all enjoy today’s review.