Avatar 3, titled Fire and Ash, is holding back full reviews from critics until December 16, even though early screenings started on December 1 and social media reactions began appearing on December 2https://www.worldofreel.com/blog/2025/11/19/avatar-fire-and-ash-starts-screening-for-critics-on-december-1. This means reviewers can share quick thoughts online right now, but no detailed scores or in-depth articles until just three days before the movie opens in theaters on December 19https://www.worldofreel.com/blog/2025/12/2/avatar-fire-and-ash-first-reactions-are-muxed.
James Cameron’s latest Pandora adventure has critics buzzing with early impressions, but the strict review embargo keeps full opinions under wraps. Press got their first looks at screenings around December 1, with a social media lift at 1:30 a.m. on December 2. That let people post short takes, like calling it an action-packed spectacle or Way of Water 2.0, but nothing morehttps://thedisinsider.com/2025/12/01/the-first-reactions-to-avatar-fire-and-ash-are-here/. Some praise the visuals and emotion, with one saying it has Titanic-level heartbreak, while others note familiar story beats and clunky dialoguehttps://www.the-independent.com/arts-entertainment/films/news/avatar-fire-and-ash-james-cameron-first-reactions-reviews-b2876895.htmlhttps://news.ssbcrack.com/early-reactions-to-avatar-fire-and-ash-hint-at-another-box-office-success-for-james-cameron/.
Studios often use embargoes to control hype, and Fire and Ash follows this pattern. The movie runs over three hours at 3 hours 15 minutes, the longest big studio release of 2025, and it’s chasing Oscar nods like its predecessorshttps://www.worldofreel.com/blog/2025/11/19/avatar-fire-and-ash-starts-screening-for-critics-on-december-1. Early reactions mix awe at the 3D effects and family themes with gripes about repetition, yet fans seem excitedhttps://www.mensjournal.com/entertainment/is-avatar-fire-and-ash-good-read-the-first-critic-reactions. Cameron returns with stars like Sam Worthington as Jake Sully, Zoe Saldana as Neytiri, and new faces adding fire-themed Na’vi clans to the story.
This setup builds suspense as the December 16 review drop nears. With the first two Avatars pulling in billions, Fire and Ash eyes similar success, though some wonder if Cameron should try fresh projects at age 71https://www.worldofreel.com/blog/2025/12/2/avatar-fire-and-ash-first-reactions-are-muxed.
Sources
https://www.worldofreel.com/blog/2025/11/19/avatar-fire-and-ash-starts-screening-for-critics-on-december-1
https://www.worldofreel.com/blog/2025/12/2/avatar-fire-and-ash-first-reactions-are-muxed
https://thedisinsider.com/2025/12/01/the-first-reactions-to-avatar-fire-and-ash-are-here/
https://www.the-independent.com/arts-entertainment/films/news/avatar-fire-and-ash-james-cameron-first-reactions-reviews-b2876895.html
https://news.ssbcrack.com/early-reactions-to-avatar-fire-and-ash-hint-at-another-box-office-success-for-james-cameron/
https://www.mensjournal.com/entertainment/is-avatar-fire-and-ash-good-read-the-first-critic-reactions
