VIDEO 'Ultimate cinematic spectacle': James Cameron's new 'Avatar' wows critics ahead of theatrical release
Sequence from the new film “Avatar: Fire and Ashes” by James Cameron, PHOTO: IMAGO / Imago Stock and People / Profimedia Images
“Fire and Ashes,” James Cameron's third “Avatar” film, has finally been shown to members of the Hollywood film press ahead of its theatrical release later in December, and journalists who have seen the feature say the third Pandora voyage pushes “imagery and emotion to new heights,” Variety magazine reports.
- The new movie Avatar: Fire and Ashes (Avatar: Fire and Ashin the original) will premiere in cinemas in Romania on December 19, at the same time as the release date in the USA.
Film critic Courtney Howard praised Fire and Ash on social network X, writing that it reminds us what “theaters were built for.”
“Now in his third film, James Cameron still has the sauce, making this epic show emotionally impactful,” Howard wrote. “A glorious saga. Bold, brilliant and incredible in every way – exactly the kind of films cinemas were built for,” she noted.
Critic Sean Tajipour wrote in turn on X that with Fire and AshCameron “continues to push the boundaries with every frame.”
“Maybe I'm not the biggest superfan of the series Avatarsbut [Avatar: Fire and Ash] proves once again that James Cameron can and always will deliver the ultimate cinematic spectacle, pushing visuals and emotion to new heights and redefining what a true blockbuster should feel like,” he wrote. “It's bold, immersive, unforgettable and driven by sheer ambition,” he emphasized.
James Cameron makes “magic” again with the third movie “Avatar”
Perri Nemiroff, a correspondent for the film site Collider, wrote about the film on X: “Three films later and I still can't get over how magical the films are [Avatar]. I wish I had a more original wording, but this fits too well – [Avatar: Fire and Ash] it really feels like a journey. I couldn't believe how quickly I was drawn back into Pandora's world and caught up in the situation. And once that happens, there is a noticeable increase in complexity in many aspects of production,” she continued.
Film writer Michael Lee struck a slightly discordant note, noting on X that the film's story could have been developed more, but praising the visuals and action sequences as “otherworldly”.
He noted: “[Avatar: Fire and Ash] impresses with its spectacular visuals, especially in 3D. Deeper exploration of Pandora and new tribes allows for immense universe building. The story may not be on the same level, but the film pushes the technical limits in unimaginable ways.”
Avatar: Fire and Ash resumes the narrative thread after the events of Avatar: The Way of Water from 2022 and finds the members of the Sully family mourning their loss from the end of the previous feature film. But a new threat appears in the form of the Ash People, a group of Na'vi who live in the volcanic area and are led by the vengeful Varang (played by actress Oona Chaplin, Charlie Chaplin's niece).
Actors returning for 'Avatar: Fire and Ash'
Among the actors who will be found again in the cast of the new film are Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldaña, Sigourney Weaver, Stephen Lang and Kate Winslet.
Cameron gave several interviews ahead of the film's release and said that the future of the franchise Avatars depends on the box office success of Fire and Ash during this year's winter holiday season. The director wants to make no less than five films Avatars and has already filmed much of the fourth.
The first feature film Avatars of 2009 remains the highest-grossing film of all time, grossing $2.9 billion worldwide, while The Way of Water is in the third position, with 2.3 billion.
Cameron said in an interview with Empire magazine earlier this year that he was open to directing the fourth film himself, going back on comments he had previously made about handing over the directorial baton for the franchise he created.
“I mean, there's no reason not to,” Cameron said in late July, ahead of his 71st birthday. “I'm healthy, I'm ready to work. I won't rule it out. I mean, I have to approach the film in a vigorous way so that I can handle the volume and the energy to work for another six or seven years. I may not be able to… [dar] if I can, I will,” said James Cameron.
