Avatar 3’s Rotten Tomatoes score can be explained by a mix of strong praise for its visual spectacle and consistent criticism about repetition and pacing, which left the film below the franchise’s earlier Certified Fresh marks on Rotten Tomatoes.[6][3]
Why the score landed where it did
– Visuals and technical achievement drove many positive reviews. Critics repeatedly praised the film’s large-scale battles, visual effects, and immersive 3D presentation, which are signature strengths of James Cameron’s work and a core reason many reviewers recommended the movie.[3][5][6]
– Repetition and length pulled some scores down. A common negative thread in reviews is that the third film retreads familiar story beats from earlier Avatar movies and sometimes feels overly long, which reduced enthusiasm among a notable subset of critics.[3][5]
– Expectations and franchise fatigue matter. The first Avatar scored higher (Certified Fresh) and the second also remained Certified Fresh, so critics and audiences arrived with high expectations; comparisons to earlier entries made perceived weaknesses more salient and contributed to a lower relative score for the third film.[4][1]
– Score dynamics and thresholds. Rotten Tomatoes considers a film “Certified Fresh” when its critics score is at least 75 percent; because Avatar 3’s critics score fell below that threshold, it lost the Certified Fresh label even though many reviews were still positive overall.[1]
How Rotten Tomatoes aggregates reviews (brief)
– Rotten Tomatoes classifies each critic review as “fresh” (generally positive) or “rotten” (generally negative) and reports the percentage of reviews that are fresh as the Tomatometer score; it also shows an average rating that reflects how positive or negative those reviews are on average.[6]
What critics actually said (examples)
– Positive takes highlighted spectacle and emotional payoff, calling the film a rewarding cinematic experience for fans of big-screen visuals and action.[3][5]
– Mixed or negative takes focused on storytelling and repetition, describing the film as “too much of the same” and noting pacing issues or a feeling that the movie could have used tighter editing or fresher ideas.[3][5]
Why the score may still move
– Rotten Tomatoes scores can change slightly as more reviews are added; however, when a film already has hundreds of reviews, large shifts become unlikely, and moving back above the 75 percent Certified Fresh cutoff becomes difficult once a majority of critics have weighed in.[1]
What this means for viewers
– A Rotten Tomatoes score below the franchise’s earlier entries does not mean the film lacks merit; it indicates a split where many critics enjoyed the spectacle while a meaningful minority felt the movie underdelivered narratively. If you value visual spectacle and blockbuster-scale action, reviews suggest you may enjoy the film; if you prioritize originality and tight plotting, you might share the reservations many critics expressed.[3][5][6]
Sources
https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/avatar_fire_and_ash
https://editorial.rottentomatoes.com/article/avatar-fire-and-ash-first-reviews/
https://editorial.rottentomatoes.com/article/avatar-fire-and-ash-first-social-reactions/
https://movieweb.com/avatar-fire-and-ash-rotten-tomatoes-score-lowest-in-franchise/
https://comicbook.com/movies/news/avatar-fire-and-ash-rotten-tomatoes-score-ends-a-40-year-james-cameron-streak/
