The Avatar movie franchise is one that is very popular and looked upon by critics and fans. Since the release of the original film in 2009, with a Rotten Tomatoes rating of 81%, the Avatar franchise has grown in popularity, attracting millions of fans to witness its breathtaking visuals and continuously breaking box office records. Avatar: Fire and Ash, with its new release last year, has continued this famous series and shows why audiences are still excited to return to the world of Pandora.

“The stunning visuals compel the audience; however, the plot lacked,” AJ Smith (‘26) said.

The amazing visuals and CGI in the movie help make the film what it is. They use the same computer-generated imagery technology that they used for the first movie in 2009, and it still holds up to today. The characters in this movie are also those who are extremely looked up to and loved by the fans of the franchise. They have extraordinarily well-designed personalities that make the story interesting, and it helps the plot with the character development and the growth of Jake, Sully, Neytiri, and their family.

“I would say without the characters, you wouldn’t understand the relationships between them. So I think having those characters specifically really propels the theme. And the main character is Jake Sully. That’s my favorite guy,” Smith said.

Some say the film’s plot was lacking and spread too far across too many ideas. People said that the plot was a lot of filler for the franchise and there were a lot of scenes that seemed like filler. The movie’s plot was still truly interesting, and one that a lot of people would enjoy while watching the movie. The idea of the new kinds of Na’vi and the new volcanic setting is a very different concept than a lot of people were expecting, but I think overall it works well.

“I think it sprawls pretty far across ideas. I think if they really centralize their plot, I would accept it,” Smith said

The fighting scenes in the story are very high-stakes and high-quality scenes. One thing that makes these scenes so interesting is the actual size of the characters, with the Na’vi size ranging from about nine to ten feet tall. This feature of the characters makes the scenes feel even more unique and interesting to watch.

“The film’s core message is the power of family. And in Avatar, Fire and Ash family is important,” Smith said.