Avatar: Fire and Ash First Reviews: James Cameron’s Third Film Gets Franchise’s Lowest Ratings Yet
The first wave of reviews for James Cameron’s Avatar: Fire and Ash, the third instalment in the blockbuster Avatar franchise, is out — and the critical response has been sharply divided. While the film delivers the visual spectacle Cameron is known for, several critics have labelled it the weakest entry in the series so far, with some calling it overly long, repetitive, and lacking narrative freshness.
The film has also debuted with the lowest Rotten Tomatoes score in the franchise, raising questions about whether audiences are beginning to tire of Pandora’s cinematic universe.
Context: High Expectations for Avatar 3
Avatar: Fire and Ash arrived with enormous expectations, following the massive box-office success of Avatar (2009) and Avatar: The Way of Water (2022). Together, the first two films grossed over $5 billion worldwide, cementing Avatar as one of the most lucrative franchises in cinema history.
With Fire and Ash, Cameron expands the elemental themes of the series, moving from land and water to fire, while setting the stage for future instalments reportedly centred around earth and wind.
Rotten Tomatoes Score: Lowest in the Franchise
According to Rotten Tomatoes, Avatar: Fire and Ash currently holds a 70% critics’ score, making it the lowest-rated film in the franchise so far.
For comparison:
- Avatar (2009): 81%
- Avatar: The Way of Water (2022): 76%
- Avatar: Fire and Ash: 70%
While a 70% score still indicates generally positive reviews, the drop suggests growing fatigue among critics when it comes to the franchise’s storytelling approach.
Critics Pan Avatar 3 in Early Reviews
Several major publications were notably harsh in their assessments.
The Guardian rated the film 2/5, calling it a “three-hour hunk of nonsense” and criticising Cameron’s continued commitment to 3D filmmaking. The review remarked that while previous films explored land and water, Fire and Ash introduces fire, joking that future instalments may revolve around earth and wind.
The BBC was even more critical, rating the film 1/5 and describing it as “the longest and the worst yet.” The review criticised its runtime of 197 minutes, clunky dialogue, loose plotting, and heavy-handed spirituality, comparing the visuals to “screensaver graphics” and an “old arcade game.”
IndieWire echoed similar concerns, noting that the film feels overly familiar. The publication wrote that Fire and Ash lacks both the visual shock of the original Avatar and the novelty that helped The Way of Water stand out.
The Telegraph, also awarding 1/5, described the film as “like watching £300 million of glitter tipped into a fish tank,” questioning how much more audiences want from a franchise that adds little new despite its massive scale.
Not All Reviews Are Negative
Despite the criticism, several outlets offered more favourable takes.
IGN acknowledged a sense of déjà vu but praised Cameron’s ability to expand existing ideas, noting that Fire and Ash “rhymes” with earlier films rather than outright copying them.
Deadline called the film a “war epic for the ages,” highlighting the scale of its action sequences and claiming the third film delivers battle scenes more intense than those in the first two combined.
Den of Geek described Fire and Ash as a “shallow spectacle” but still an “aesthetic triumph,” arguing that Cameron’s visual world-building remains unmatched in modern blockbuster cinema.
Empire offered one of the strongest endorsements, rating the film 4/5 and praising Cameron’s blockbuster mastery. While acknowledging repetitive elements, the magazine said the film delivers epic cinema well worth its lengthy runtime.
Analysis: Spectacle vs Storytelling
The mixed reception suggests a growing divide between Avatar’s technical achievements and its narrative ambitions. While Cameron continues to push visual boundaries, critics increasingly question whether spectacle alone can sustain a franchise spanning five films.
The response to Fire and Ash indicates that while the Avatar universe remains commercially powerful, its storytelling formula may be reaching a saturation point — at least for critics.
Avatar: Fire and Ash has arrived as both a technical marvel and a critical test for James Cameron’s long-term vision. While some praise its epic scale and visual ambition, others see it as the franchise’s weakest chapter so far. Whether audiences agree with critics will become clear once the film reaches theatres worldwide.
Avatar: Fire and Ash proves that even the biggest franchises are not immune to fatigue. James Cameron’s spectacle-driven filmmaking still impresses visually, but the mixed critical response suggests that innovation in storytelling may be just as crucial as technical brilliance for the Avatar saga to sustain its momentum.