There's nothing like the first 10 minutes of an"Avatar"movie.
It's an immediate and immersive endorphin hit seeing a visually snazzy world of blue aliens and incredible creatures unlike anything else on screen. But then comes the other three-plus hours.
"Avatar: Fire and Ash" (★★½ out of four; rated PG-13; in theaters Dec. 19), James Cameron's third adventure in his blockbuster sci-fi franchise, is just as cool a watch as the previous films, yet also as narratively frustrating. Endless subplots, scattershot character development and borrowed story beats backfire on "Fire and Ash," although it does benefit from an unhinged but relatable villain whose presence keeps it interesting.
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The last film ended with former Marine-turned-Na'vi warrior Jake Sully (Sam Worthington), his wife Neytiri (Zoe Saldaña) and their family scoring a key defeat over the evil corporation/military group wanting to colonize Pandora to be a new home for humanity. But the couple's eldest son died in the battle, and loved ones are still grieving as "Fire and Ash" opens.
Jake and Co. hitch a ride with the Wind Traders, a crew of Na'vi who ride jellyfish-y zeppelins through the skies, to take their quasi-adopted human kid Spider (Jack Champion) back to their clan's home. But they're suddenly attacked by the Ash People, a bunch of raiders led by their wild-eyed, face-painted leader Varang (Oona Chaplin), and it leads to the Sully family being separated, "Empire Strikes Back" style.
Everybody's got their issues. Jake questions his place as a high-profile Na'vi champion of sorts but is also being hunted by his former commander, cloned military man/Na'vi hybrid Quaritch (Stephen Lang). Neytiri hates all things human so she has some complicated emotions when it comes to Spider. Teen Kiri (Sigourney Weaver) tries and fails to commune with Eywa, the Na'vi deity that exists in the natural elements of the planet. Meanwhile Lo'ak (Britain Dalton) is mainly concerned with helping his buddy Payakan, a young outcast of the whale-like Tulkun species.
While the movie juggles all these things with varying degrees of success, the plot mainly centers on two supporting players. Spider (who's Quaritch's son, by the way) ends up being able to breathe Pandoran air, which is a game-changer for the humans who want to take over Pandora. And Varang, who despises Eywa for not helping when a volcano wiped out her clan's home, becomes an absolute menace when she partners up with Quaritch and the antagonistic humans. Without her, this film would be a chore to endure.
"Avatar" movies have never been shabby to look at, and "Fire and Ash" combines stunning special effects with great performance-capture turns by Worthington, Saldaña and Chaplin. There's a daring rescue mission that's honestly one of the best action sequences ever in an "Avatar," climactic in its splendor, catharsis and crowd-pleasing nature. Then you look at the clock and realize there's still another hour to go.
You are in fact seeing double. Michael B. Jordan plays twin brothers who return to their Mississippi hometown to open up a juke joint in Ryan Coogler's "Sinners." Here's how the horror movie ranks against the rest of the year's best movies." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
30. "Him": Franchise star Isaiah White (Marlon Wayans, left) tests rookie Cameron Cade (Tyriq Withers) at his remote training camp to see if he's ready to be the next San Antonio Saviors quarterback in the bizarre and trippy football horror movie." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
29. "The Testament of Ann Lee": Amanda Seyfried (center) stars as Ann Lee, the charismatic founder of the Shakers religious movement and a somewhat controversial figure in 18th-century America, in the engrossing historical musical drama." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
28. "Sorry, Baby": Eva Victor writes, directs and stars in the funny, moving dramedy as a college literature professor still battling the psychological effects years after being sexually assaulted by her teacher." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
27. "Good Boy": The most innovative horror movie of the year stars, yes, a pooch. Indy the dog is a canine best friend whose owner is haunted by a dark spirit in a scary movie that's equally unsettling and thoughtful." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
26. "Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning": Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) goes to extremes to battle a villainous AI and save the world, including hanging out of a plane, in the thrilling franchise installment wrapping up a 30-year storyline." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
25. "How to Train Your Dragon": Astrid (Nico Parker) and Hiccup (Mason Thames) ride high with their Night Fury friend Toothless in the live-action remake, a coming-of-age movie filled with great flying sequences and all the feels." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
24. "The Secret Agent": In the 1970s-set political thriller, Wagner Moura is terrific as a Brazilian researcher hunted by mercenary killers, who aims to escape the country's ruthless dictatorship with his son." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
23. "One Battle After Another": When an old enemy resurfaces for vengeful reasons, an ex-revolutionary (Leonardo DiCaprio) scrambles to find his daughter when she goes missing in Paul Thomas Anderson's timely action thriller." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
22. "In Your Dreams": The lively animated fantasy comedy centers on young girl Stevie and her little brother Elliot, who team up with snarky stuffed giraffe Baloney Tony to find the mythical Sandman and make a wish to save their parents' marriage." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
21. "Sentimental Value": Renate Reinsve (left) and Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas star in Joachim Trier's moving French dramedy as sisters dealing with the emotional consequences of their estranged father making his comeback movie about their family." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
20. "Train Dreams": The absorbing period drama stars Joel Edgerton as a logger working on building the railroad in the Pacific Northwest whose job keeps him away for long periods from his wife and life." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
19. "Blue Moon": Richard Linklater's dishy 1940s-set dramedy centers on lyricist Lorenz Hart (Ethan Hawke) trying to save his pride and career at the premiere afterparty celebrating his former collaborator Richard Rodgers' musical "Oklahoma!"" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
18. "28 Years Later": Dr. Kelson (Ralph Fiennes, left) shows Spike (Alfie Williams) how he honors the victims of the infected in a horror sequel that's a thoughtful exploration of family, tribalism and remembering the dead." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
17. "Magazine Dreams": In Elijah Bynum's intoxicating cautionary tale, Killian Maddox (Jonathan Majors) is a socially awkward bodybuilder dealing with past traumas and wanting to make a human connection who goes down an extraordinarily bad path." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
16. "Ballerina": As a newbie assassin, Ana de Armas is a one-woman wrecking crew – and shares screen time with John Wick himself, Keanu Reeves. It's an impressive franchise spinoff packed with stellar brawls, superb gunfights and a nifty flamethrower faceoff." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
15. "Left-Handed Girl": A 5-year-old Taiwanese girl (Nina Ye) and her older sister (Shih-Yuan Ma) move from the countryside back to Taipei with their mom, a return that brings financial and personal struggles in a touching slice-of-life drama." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
14. "The Perfect Neighbor": Told through police bodycam footage, the gripping, heartbreaking documentary chronicles hostilities between an older white woman and the Black parents and children living around her, leading to a tragedy that shakes their neighborhood." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
13. "Frankenstein": Elizabeth (Mia Goth) shares a moment with the newborn Creature (Jacob Elordi), who confronts his maker in epic fashion in Guillermo del Toro's gorgeous, thoughtful and moving adaptation of Mary Shelley's legendary work." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
12. "Nuremberg": Army psychiatrist Douglas Kelley (Rami Malek, left) and imprisoned Nazi leader Hermann Göring (Russell Crowe) match wits in James Vanderbilt's stirring combo of post-World War II historical thriller and courtroom drama." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
11. "Jay Kelly:" Movie legend Jay (George Clooney) has a heart-to-heart with his oldest daughter (Riley Keough) in Noah Baumbach's charming character study of a celebrity realizing that he's always put work ahead of loved ones." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
10. "Weapons": A schoolteacher (Julia Garner) becomes a local pariah when every kid but one in her class mysteriously disappears overnight in a provocative, genre-defying horror flick that boasts unhinged gore and a delightfully dark sense of humor." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
9. "Is This Thing On?": Will Arnett proves he's got dramatic chops as a middle-aged man on the cusp of a divorce when he finds a needed outlet with stand-up comedy in Bradley Cooper's film about creative catharsis and complicated relationships." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
8. "Superman": The Man of Steel (David Corenswet) isn't happy with his dog Krypto making a mess of the Fortress of Solitude in James Gunn's electric superhero adventure, which relaunched the DC universe and introduced a screen Superman worthy of the name." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
7. "Hamnet": Agnes (Jessie Buckley) comforts her husband, William Shakespeare (Paul Mescal), in director Chloé Zhao's drama, a heartfelt film about the Bard's family life, the creation of his play "Hamlet" and different ways of dealing with grief." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
6. "Marty Supreme": Marty Mauser (Timothée Chalamet) has big dreams of being a ping-pong champ, if his own selfish attitude doesn't derail him first. Josh Safdie's 1950s-set sports comedy is a masterful panic attack of a table-tennis movie." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
5. "It Was Just an Accident": Vahid Mobasseri plays a mechanic and former Iranian political prisoner who kidnaps his former torturer. Jafar Panahi's thriller is an unforgettable juggling of serious moral questions and clever screwball comedy." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
4. "Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery": Ace detective Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig, left) helps young priest Father Jud (Josh O'Connor) when he's accused of murder in the Southern-fried super-sleuth's most personal and thoughtful case yet." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
3. "Rental Family": An American expat actor (Brendan Fraser) stands in as the groom for the wedding of a Japanese woman (Misato Morita). Fraser exudes compassion and awkward, earnest charm in director Hikari's fish-way-out-of-water dramedy." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
2. "Sinners": Southern gangster Smoke (Michael B. Jordan, left) and his guitar-playing cousin Sammie (Miles Caton) endure a horrific night dealing with vampires in Ryan Coogler's devilishly spectacular and absolutely mesmerizing fright fest." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
1. "The Life of Chuck": Chuck (Tom Hiddleston) suddenly feels the beat and shares an impromptu dance with a stranger (Annalise Basso) in Mike Flanagan's must-see Stephen King adaptation that warms hearts, captures minds and blows up convention." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Want to see a great movie? Here are the best films of 2025
You are in fact seeing double. Michael B. Jordan plays twin brothers who return to their Mississippi hometown to open up a juke joint in Ryan Coogler's "Sinners." Here's how the horror movie ranks against the rest of the year's best movies.
That's the thing with these movies. Yes, they look awesome. But the excessive runtimes and spaghetti-on-the-wall storytelling only hold up for so long until there's diminishing returns. "Fire and Ash" brings up intriguing themes of spirituality, found family and revenge that get lost amid the bombast. And, sure, some characters are truly fleshed out and magnetic amid an expansive cast, yet others you've forgotten their names (and don't really care to remember). Cameron's epic vibes are still strong, and also all over the place.
Like the others, this "Avatar" will probably make a gazillion dollars, maybe pick up one or two Oscars, and then go back on the pop-culture shelf until it's time for No. 4. That status quo will work for some but not for all. Because 10 minutes of cinematic bliss is fine for a theme-park ride, less so for 197 minutes in a movie-theater seat.
What is the length of 'Avatar 3'?
"Avatar: Fire and Ash," starring Sam Worthington and Zoe Saldaña, has a runtime of three hours, 17 minutes. The James Cameron sci-fi adventure is rated PG-13 by the Motion Picture Association "for intense sequences of violence and action, bloody images, some strong language, thematic elements and suggestive material."
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:'Fire and Ash' review – 'Avatar 3' sticks to James Cameron script
