Avatar: Fire and Ash (Avatar 3) movie review by Movie Review Mom

RATING: PG-13 

The 3rd installment in this Sci-Fi, action, fantasy franchise opened in theaters on December 19, 2025.

December 19th is the same day James Cameron’s Oscar-winning film Titanic came out in 1997!

LENGTH: 3 hours, 12 minutes!

Movie Review Mom GRADE: Visual Effects: A+, Story: B

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IN A NUTSHELL:

Avatar 3 continues James Cameron’s epic saga on Pandora, introducing a darker Na’vi culture known as the “Ash People.” Unlike previous films that clearly divided good and evil, this chapter promises more moral complexity, showing that not all humans are bad, and not all Na’vi are good. Visually stunning and emotionally ambitious, this installment appears to deepen the franchise’s themes while raising the intensity.

The only problem is that we’ve seen much of the same before already in the first two films. Each film in the franchise includes the same elements of the prior movies, while adding a few, new elements. The film was directed by James Cameron, as well as produced and co-written by him. Other co-writing credits go to Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver. Already, the film has been nominated for 35 awards, winning 8.

This film begins just 3 weeks after the events of the last movie, Avatar: The Way of Water.

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TIPS FOR PARENTS:

Based on the first two Avatar films, parents should expect intense action sequences, battlefield violence, peril involving children, and emotional loss. The tone is much darker than Avatar: The Way of Water. Younger or sensitive viewers may find parts frightening or overwhelming. As always, parents should preview first if they have concerns.

• Some profanity, including 1 F-bomb.
• Animated violence
• Many characters are killed or wounded.
• A teenager considers suicide.
• We see a baby being born.
• Kissing
• Tons of cleavage on the Na’vi women.

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THEMES:

• Hatred, anger, and their consequences
• Good vs. evil is not always clear
  • The danger of extremism
  • War and its cost on families
  • Environmental stewardship
  • Cultural identity and loyalty
  • Redemption and moral choice

• Anti-colonialism
• Choices, accountability, and consequences

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THINGS I LIKED:

• The CGI and special effects are unbelievable. Everything looks so real and is even better visually than the first two films in the franchise, which seemed impossible to achieve. James Cameron continues to set new thresholds for the film industry. The film deserves every award it can get for best visual effects.
• A willingness to challenge the “one side is always good” narrative is refreshing. In this movie, we learn that not all Na’vi are good, just like not all humans are bad.
• Continued focus on family and generational consequences
• Many viewers will like the strong female characters and leadership roles they have in the story.

• The cast from previous films in the franchise returns and does an outstanding job, as always. Oona Chaplin does a great job voicing the new villain. She has a fierce walking style that shows she doesn’t lead from her heart. Check it out! It’s fascinating to watch clips on YouTube that show the unique filming style James Cameron used to capture facial and body movements of all the characters.

• The ending is very sweet.
• Listen carefully for a line that Sigourney Weaver’s character says that is the same line she said 40 years ago in her film Alien!
• Lo’ak (Jake’s rebellious son) narrates the film, showing us that all of this is not just Jake’s story but an entire family’s lived, epic experience. Lo’ak’s perspective is one of anger, frustration, and pain, feelings that are bubbling over in the world today, making the story beats relatable.
• The evil Mangkwan tribe represents disconnection from nature and a warning to mankind.
• We finally learn about Kiri’s father, and Spider’s mother.
• As in previous Avatar movies, environmentalism is a huge theme. During the filming of this one, the crew was given only a vegan diet.
• A new romance buds.
• Ever since I was a little girl, I’ve loved blending live action with animation. This franchise does such an outstanding, believable job of that.

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THINGS I DIDN’T LIKE:

• The extremely long runtime may be challenging for families with young kids…and even some adults. The unnecessary length seems self-indulgent. So many of the scenes and battle sequences are repeats of what we’ve already seen…over and over and over. A lot could have been easily cut out of the film.
• The darker tone may not appeal to many viewers. What we see represented in the “bad guys” is pure evil.
• It definitely requires familiarity with the first two films to fully appreciate and even understand this one.

• Same old villains plus a new one. The new one is played by Charlie Chaplin’s granddaughter!
• Director James Cameron was prepared to end the franchise with the last movie (Way of the Water) if it didn’t make any money, but audiences were intrigued and loved it. Now that we’ve seen a repeat of so many elements in this franchise, will audiences still want more? Does James Cameron have anything new to say?
• There isn’t very much humor, certainly less than in the first Avatar movie.
• The story and music are extremely dramatic, often edging into melodramatic.

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FUNNY LINES:

• “Well, ain’t this awkward?” – Colonel Quaritch (Stephen Lang)

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INTERESTING LINES:

• “You got new eyes, Colonel. All you gotta do is open them.” – Jake (Sam Worthington)
• “Stay in this life, Brother.” – Kiri (Sigourney Weaver)

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MOVIES LIKE THIS YOU ALSO MIGHT LIKE:

• Avatar: https://amzn.to/4jj0Uov
• Avatar: The Way of Water: https://moviereviewmom.com/avatar-the-way-of-the-water-movie-review/
• Dune: https://moviereviewmom.com/dune-part-two-movie-review/

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@TrinaBoice

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